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1147496

registered interest
date	01/10/2019
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: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help businesses increase access for disabled people to (a) apprenticeships and (b) jobs.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	292853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2019 answer text <p>In respect of apprenticeships, we have undertaken a number of actions to improve access to apprenticeships for people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. We have made British Sign Language (BSL) an alternative to English Functional Skills for those who have BSL as their first language and we have adjusted the minimum English and maths requirements for those who are able to meet the occupational standard of their apprenticeship but would struggle to achieve the regular English and maths minimum requirements.</p><p> </p><p>It is encouraging to see that 36,900 apprenticeships were started by individuals with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in the first three quarters of 2018/9. This is 12.3 per cent of all apprenticeship starts and an increase from 11.5 per cent at the same point in 2017/18.</p><p> </p><p>We continue our work with Mencap and our Pacesetters group, made up of a range of organisations and local authorities to identify what further support we can give those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.</p><p> </p><p>With regard to jobs help, we offer a range of programmes and schemes that offer employment support to disabled people. These include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the Work and Heath Programme (WHP), which will help 275,000 people over 5 years, including 220,000 disabled people.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The Disability Confident scheme. Through this, we work with employers to change attitudes and create employment opportunities by giving businesses the tools and techniques to recruit and retain disabled people in their workplace. Over 13,600 employers are signed up to Disability Confident, and their number continues to grow.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Access to Work, which offers eligible disabled people a grant of up to £59,200 per year to fund support above the level of reasonable adjustments, to ensure that their health condition or disability does not hold them back in the workplace. Last year we spent £129 million on Access to Work grants, helping over 36,000 people stay in employment.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme (IPES) will launch by the end of 2019. It will provide highly personalised packages of employment support for disabled people with complex and multiple barriers to work who are at least a year away from moving into work without the support on the programme.</p><p> </p><p>Our Jobcentres offer tailored and personalised support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers, backed by the Personal Support Package which is a 4-year, £330 million package of employment support targeted at claimants with disabilities and health conditions.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/10/2019 16:00:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139348

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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
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 potential merits of reinstating the employment and support allowance and universal credit work-related activity component.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	277674
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>No such assessment of merits has been made. There are no plans to reinstate the change to the Employment and Support Allowance work-related activity component and the Universal Credit limited capability for work element.</p><p>As part of the Personal Support Package which was announced in the ‘Improving Lives’ Green Paper in October 2016, we committed to a £330m package of support over 4 years for claimants affected by the removal of the Work Related Activity component.</p><p>The Department believes that this change will provide the right incentives and support to help new claimants with limited capability for work.</p><p>In 2019/20 we are spending £55 billion on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. Furthermore, real terms disability benefits spending will be higher every year to 2023 than in 2010.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 09:43:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139349

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Universal Credit: Disability
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 potential merits of introducing a disability element to universal credit to replace disability premiums.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	277675
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit does not replicate the premiums of the legacy benefits system, and this has allowed us to target additional support to a wider group of claimants, while streamlining the system. This was a conscious policy decision from the outset, and by doing this we have increased provision for the most severely disabled.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit rate for the most severely disabled people (the Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity addition) is more than double the equivalent rate for the Employment and Support Allowance support group.</p><p> </p><p>The Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity addition is £336.20 a month compared to the Employment &amp; Support Allowance Support Group rate of £167.05.</p><p> </p><p>On Universal Credit, more people who are severely disabled will receive higher payments, with around 1 million disabled households gaining on average around £100 more per month on Universal Credit than on legacy benefits.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 11:18:27 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139363

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss increasing support for charities and other advice agencies to ensure that they are able to assist people in completing all disability benefit application forms.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	277677
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>It is important that all of our claimants are able to access our services and that they do not face obstacles in applying. The Department can provide support, including help filling in the application form or the questionnaire where accessibility requirements would call for that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department does not provide any funding support for charities or other advice agencies to support them in the completion of forms for the disability benefits: Attendance Allowance; Disability Living Allowance; and Personal Independence Payment. The Department does however undertake a wide variety of engagement with representatives from various charities and welfare rights organisations in order to share information and updates and to ensure the systems work as effectively as possible to support people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 11:19:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139366

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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, whether his Department plans to work with medical practitioners to improve the quality of medical evidence for benefits claimants.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	277678
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>In response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee report on Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance assessments, published on 14 February 2018, the Department is currently working with the Assessment Providers and external stakeholders, such as NHS England, to improve healthcare professionals’ knowledge and understanding of medical evidence requirements for DWP benefits purposes.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 09:36:10 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137548

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the carer's allowance and for it to be paid for each person the carer is responsible for.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	274466
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring. It is also not intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.</p><p> </p><p>A National Insurance Class 1 credit is generally awarded for each week that Carer’s Allowance is paid to a working age carer. Class 1 credits can help towards the conditions of entitlement to all contributory benefits, as well as the new State Pension. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the invaluable contribution that unpaid and family carers make in all our communities, and is committed to doing more to support them. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published a Carers Action Plan in June 2018 setting out plans around support for carers, and in addition to this, carers will be a fundamental part of DHSC’s upcoming Green Paper. A sustainable settlement for social care will simply not be possible without focussing on how our society supports carers. The Government has committed to publishing the Green Paper at the earliest opportunity setting out its proposals for reform.</p><p> </p><p>Carers who provide professional caring services to multiple severely disabled people do so as a means of employment and are paid accordingly rather than relying on carers benefits.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/07/2019 09:11:56 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1136405

registered interest
date	04/07/2019
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	Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase public understanding of invisible disabilities.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	272164
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>On Tuesday 25 June, the Government launched a new cross-government approach on disability which is guided by a vision that recognises the contributions that disabled people make and where disabled people can participate fully in society. To drive forward this approach, government will establish a new cross-departmental disability team in the Cabinet Office, and the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) will be incorporated into the team. This move recognises that disabled people, including those with hidden disabilities, face barriers across the life course and a wide range of aspects of their lives and coordinated cross-government action is therefore vital.</p><p>The British Standards Institution, and others involved in supporting the “Grace’s Sign” campaign, are currently exploring the potential for developing a symbol for hidden disabilities. The project is in an early scoping phase, but its intended aim is that the symbol would be recognised by the International Organization for Standardization. Achieving this involves a multi-stage process, which can take time, but if successful, greatly enhances the chances of its sustained future use in public signage. If successful, greater use and public acceptance of such a symbol would increase awareness of hidden disabilities, and help promote an understanding of the possible access and support needs of people with hidden disabilities.</p><p>Various Sector Champions appointed by the Minister for Disabled People are working within their sectors to support all disabled people, raise awareness of their needs and drive improvements in how these are met. Examples relating to hidden disabilities include: railway franchises thinking about supporting people with a wider range of disabilities, including through quiet areas at stations; a lanyard to identify those with hidden disabilities at airports, with staff trained to recognise this and offer help; and within the retail sector, many large stores holding quiet hours (no music and dimmed lighting) to improve the shopping experience for those with some hidden disabilities (such as autism or ADHD).</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/07/2019 15:56:14 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1131847

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Access to Work Programme: Voluntary Work
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 potential merits of extending Access to Work to people working on a voluntary basis.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	263749
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>Access to Work supports people who have a health condition or a disability to move into and sustain paid employment. The current scheme does not support unpaid or voluntary work.</p><p> </p><p>However, we recognise the importance of voluntary work and the benefits this can provide in securing paid employment. Access to Work does assist people who have a health condition or a disability to take up voluntary pre-employment opportunities, such as Work Experience and Work Trials, which may lead to paid employment.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/06/2019 13:32:15 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1127130

registered interest
date	16/05/2019
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	Statutory Sick Pay
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 had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on mandating private healthcare companies to provide statutory sick pay; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	255297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2019 answer text <p>All employers are already required to provide Statutory Sick Pay to an employee on sickness absence who meet certain criteria.</p><ol><li>To qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) an individual must:</li></ol><p>(a) be an “employed earner” working for an employer who has liability to pay secondary Class 1 NI contributions</p><p>(b) have done some work for the employer</p><p>(c) have been ill for at least 4 days in a row (including non-working days)</p><p>(d) earn above the Lower Earnings Limit (currently at £118 per week)</p><p>(e) have given the correct notice to the employer.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/05/2019 11:56:23 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1127218

registered interest
date	16/05/2019
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: Mental Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that workplaces (a) have stand-alone mental health policies for employees and (b) provide mental health training for management and staff to support colleagues.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	255298
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2019 answer text <p>The DWP and DHSC Joint Work and Health Unit is overseeing progress across 40 recommendations that were made in <em>Thriving at Work: The Stevenson / Farmer review of mental health and employers</em> published in October 2017 these range from short term deliverables to longer term reform. Government is committed to working with the authors of the review and key stakeholders across the public, private and voluntary sectors to ensure that employers of all sizes act to implement the core and enhanced standards and help them, and their employees, realise the benefits of healthy, inclusive workplaces.</p><p> </p><p>To improve information and advice for employers we are working with Mind and the Royal Foundation to continue developing their Mental Health at Work website (<a href="https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk" target="_blank">https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk</a>) which launched on 11<sup>th</sup> September 2018.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/05/2019 11:47:32 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly