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1109134

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Work Capability Assessment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons her Department does not undertake a single capability for work assessment for benefit claimants instead of multiple assessments when claimants are applying for more than one benefit.
tabling member constituency	Ross, Skye and Lochaber
tabling member printed	Ian Blackford
uin	240012
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>We are committed to assessing people with health conditions and disabilities fairly and accurately, helping people to access the right support.</p><p>Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)/Universal Credit (UC) are paid for different purposes with different assessment criteria. PIP is designed to help people with long-term health conditions or disabilities to live independently, whereas ESA/UC is to support people with health conditions or disabilities who are not able to work, and support them towards work where possible. Therefore, we have separate assessments in place, but only the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) in ESA/UC is used to assess capability for work.</p><p>The Secretary of State recently announced our intention to test the feasibility of using a single assessment to determine eligibility for ESA/UC and PIP where claims have been made for both benefits. We want to establish if its introduction would improve the customer experience and to ensure it delivers high quality, accurate outcomes.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 15:53:11 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4390 label Biography information for Ian Blackford

1109157

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to revise the ESA65B letter to GPs to make it clear that a patient may appeal a fit for work decision made through a work capability assessment and a fit note is needed for the patient to obtain employment and support allowance payments until the appeal is heard.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	239928
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department is updating the current ESA65B letter, with input from medical organisations, to clarify when a fit note should be provided for Employment and Support Allowance purposes.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 16:02:24 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1109161

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which bodies record how many ESA65B letters have been sent to GPs in (a) the Brighton and Hove area (b) other areas since the wording of that letter was revised; and if he will take steps to obtain and publish that information.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	239929
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the number of ESA65B letters sent to GPs.</p><p>The ESA65B letter is normally automatically issued to GPs by the Department’s IT system in every case where an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found ‘fit for work’ following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).</p><p>If a claimant states that they do not agree to information about the determination of their WCA being shared with their GP, the claim will be maintained clerically and the papers noted that the letter is not to be issued.</p><p>The latest ESA statistics, which show the number of claimants found fit for work, can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 16:18:41 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1109219

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department ensuring that (a) work capability and (b) personal independence payment assessments are undertaken by suitably qualified staff.
tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
uin	240107
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>Health Professionals that carry out Work Capability and Personal Independence Payment assessments on behalf of the department must have the following qualifications and experience:</p><p> </p><p>• are an occupational therapist, nurse (level 1), physiotherapist, doctor or (paramedic - PIP only)</p><p>• fully registered with the relevant licensing body (doctors must have a licence to practise)</p><p>• the licensing body has not placed restrictions on the health professional's registration</p><p>• at least 2 years post full registration experience.</p><p> </p><p>Health Professionals are subject to a rigorous recruitment process followed by a comprehensive training programme in disability assessment for both physical and mental health conditions and have to be approved by the department. Health Professionals are then required to complete a programme of continuing professional development.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 11:05:11 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1108704

registered interest
date	01/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Occupational Health: Construction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to ensure that construction companies of all sizes provide at least one employee with occupational health awareness training.
tabling member constituency	Mansfield
tabling member printed	Ben Bradley
uin	239294
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>All employers, including construction companies, are already required through existing legislation to ensure employees have appropriate occupational health related training. Employers have a general duty to provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, appropriate information, instruction and training as necessary to ensure the health of their employees. This training must be relevant, proportionate and effective so that employees are aware of the health hazards they face and the measures in place to control the risks arising from them. <br></p><p>This training can be undertaken in several ways, including via an existing national construction industry training framework. The Health and Safety Executive provides further information on training to assist employers in complying with their legal duties: <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/managing/delivering/do/organising/training.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/managing/delivering/do/organising/training.htm</a>.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 14:38:26 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4663 label Biography information for Ben Bradley

1108754

registered interest
date	01/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pensioners: Personal Independence Payment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from what date pensioners will no longer have to undertake regular personal independence payment reassessments.
tabling member constituency	Lincoln
tabling member printed	Karen Lee
uin	239302
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>As announced, all Personal Independence Payment claimants of State Pension age and above will be placed on an ongoing award with a light touch review at 10 years, unless notified of a change of circumstance. We are working to implement this change as soon as possible and expect this to occur by late spring 2019.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 13:18:49 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4664 label Biography information for Karen Lee

1108769

registered interest
date	01/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Asbestos: Compensation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to extend compensation schemes for asbestos-related health problems caused by an individual’s work place environment where the original employer or insurers cannot be traced.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	239309
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>There are already compensation schemes for asbestos-related health problems caused by an individual’s work place environment.</p><p> </p><ul><li>The Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 (1979 Act Scheme) provides lump sum compensation payments to people who contract, through work, one of five dust-related diseases but who cannot claim civil damages from their employer through the courts. The dust-related diseases that are covered, of which most are directly related to asbestos exposure, are: diffuse mesothelioma; pneumoconiosis (including asbestosis, silicosis and kaolinosis); byssinosis; diffuse pleural thickening and lung cancer if accompanied by asbestosis or diffuse pleural thickening.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Whilst the Scheme ensures that sufferers receive compensation whilst they, themselves, can still benefit from it, the Scheme is also open to dependants where a sufferer has not been able to make a claim before they die. Dependants are paid a lower amount than that for someone who actually has the disease.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to extend eligibility to this Scheme.</p><p> </p><ul><li>The Mesothelioma Act 2014 established the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS). The DMPS makes lump sum payments to people who contract diffuse mesothelioma from negligent exposure to asbestos in the workplace, but are unable to pursue a civil claim because their former employer no longer exists and their former employer’s insurer cannot be traced. The DMPS is funded by a levy paid by insurers who are active in the Employer’s Liability insurance market.</li></ul><p><br>This Scheme makes payments to eligible sufferers of diffuse mesothelioma only. Diffuse mesothelioma is always fatal and always caused by asbestos, therefore, a simple and straightforward payment scheme can be put in place. Other asbestos-related diseases have more uncertainties regarding cause, severity and aggravation by other factors and this complexity is not compatible with a straightforward tariff-based scheme such as the DMPS.</p><p>There are no plans to extend eligibility to the DMPS.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 14:24:33 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore