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1141984

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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: Telephone Services
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 recording all calls from benefits claimants to ensure that complaints can be followed up.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	282395
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department acknowledges the merit and does record inbound calls to DWP’s helplines in order to make improvements to service and follow-up on any complaints received.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/09/2019 13:32:44 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1141998

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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: Cancer
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the recent report by Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer - A costly diagnosis? Stories of the financial impact of cancer, if she will take steps to help mitigate the financial effect of a cancer diagnosis on patients and their families.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	282407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to ensuring that people who have cancer are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care when making a claim to Universal Credit. Overall we are spending £55 billion a year on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. That’s a record high and up £10 billion in real terms since 2010.</p><p> </p><p>For instance, in terms of the support we provide, the UC50 questionnaire incorporates a 'light touch' evidence gathering process for cancer patients, and makes clear that Clinical Nurse Specialists and consultants can provide information on the form, therefore making the claim and assessment process simpler for people with cancer. This ensures the Department can make accurate and timely payments of Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Staff delivering Universal Credit undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants, including those who have cancer and other serious health conditions. Colleagues receive on-going learning in their roles and have access to Universal Credit guidance which is refreshed at regular intervals.</p><p> </p><p>It is important to ensure those affected by cancer receive the most appropriate support and we have worked closely with many representative organisations to improve the WCA process for those affected. From January 2013, the categories of cancer treatments under which a claimant can be treated as having limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) have been expanded to include individuals who are awaiting, receiving, or recovering from treatment by way of chemotherapy irrespective of route, and radiotherapy. Although there is no automatic award, in these cases, there is a presumption that the claimant has LCWRA, subject to suitable evidence being provided by a professional such as a GP, oncologist or clinical nurse specialist.</p><p> </p><p>Work coaches personalise the support they provide for each claimant based on individual need and circumstance, including the offer of home visits or postal signing where appropriate. Local jobcentres have the flexibility to work alongside organisations to help meet the needs of their communities, helping our most vulnerable, at risk, claimants to access the support they need. We also work with organisations to produce guides on specific vulnerabilities.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/09/2019 15:35:21 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1142042

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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	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, what proportion of claimants over 65 at the date of their application have been refused personal independence payment at (a) mandatory reconsideration stage and (b) appeal stage when transferring from disability living allowance.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	282280
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>The table below shows the outcomes of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessment claims, and the outcome of Mandatory Reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for initial disallowance decisions, for claimants aged 65 or over at the point of claim registration.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Table: DLA to PIP reassessment decisions, MR and appeals, for claimants aged 65 or over at the point of claim registration</strong></p><p>Initial decisions - April 2013 to January 2019</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Initial decision</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Awarded</p></td><td><p>172,900</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Disallowed</p></td><td><p>36,290</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Withdrawn</p></td><td><p>3,140</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Of those disallowed at the initial decision</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Decision not changed at MR</p></td><td><p>16,290</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Decision not changed at appeal</p></td><td><p>1,830</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Notes</p><ul><li>Initial decisions are up to January 2019, whilst MR and appeals data is up to March 2019.</li><li>Data has been rounded to the nearest 10.</li><li>PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.</li><li>Disallowances include those pre-referral to the assessment providers (AP) that have been disallowed due to failure of basic eligibility criteria or non-return of the Part 2 form within the time limit and have not been marked as requiring additional support, as well as those post-referral to the AP that have been disallowed following the assessment due to the claimant not scoring enough points at the assessment to be awarded the benefit, or the claimant failing to attend the assessment without good reason.</li><li>The number of people who did not have a decision changed at appeal are included in the number of people who did not have a decision changed at MR – therefore these two figures cannot be added together.</li><li>Appeals data taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore this appeal data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.</li><li>Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to MR or appeal.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 05/09/2019 14:55:13 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1142055

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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	National Employment Savings Trust Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on ensuring that the investment strategy for NEST remains independent.
tabling member constituency	Wallasey
tabling member printed	Ms Angela Eagle
uin	282209
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The Nest Corporation is the Trustee of the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) pension scheme. It is a public corporation, established by the Government in 2010 to support the delivery of automatic enrolment. Nest has more than 8 million members and assets under management of over £6 billion.</p><p> </p><p>The Nest Corporation operates independently of central Government and is responsible for the day to day operation of the scheme, including its approach to investments. The Pensions Act 2008 establishes that investment decisions in the Nest pension scheme are the responsibility of the Trustee, in accordance with existing trust and pension law. This ensures that investment decisions remain independent and are made free from political pressures. Nest Corporation has sole power to invest the assets of Nest.</p><p> </p><p>Like every other Trustee, Nest Corporation has a duty to run the scheme in the best interest of its members. The Trustee of Nest produces a Statement of Investment Principles which sets out how the Trustee will invest Nest members’ money. The Statement of Investment Principles is prepared in accordance with all relevant legislation and best practice guidelines. It outlines the principles and policies governing investment decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Trustee for the management of Nest’s assets.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 282210 question first answered 03/09/2019 15:14:19 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	491 label Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle

1142060

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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	National Employment Savings Trust Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on the role of NEST trustees in making investment decisions.
tabling member constituency	Wallasey
tabling member printed	Ms Angela Eagle
uin	282210
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The Nest Corporation is the Trustee of the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) pension scheme. It is a public corporation, established by the Government in 2010 to support the delivery of automatic enrolment. Nest has more than 8 million members and assets under management of over £6 billion.</p><p> </p><p>The Nest Corporation operates independently of central Government and is responsible for the day to day operation of the scheme, including its approach to investments. The Pensions Act 2008 establishes that investment decisions in the Nest pension scheme are the responsibility of the Trustee, in accordance with existing trust and pension law. This ensures that investment decisions remain independent and are made free from political pressures. Nest Corporation has sole power to invest the assets of Nest.</p><p> </p><p>Like every other Trustee, Nest Corporation has a duty to run the scheme in the best interest of its members. The Trustee of Nest produces a Statement of Investment Principles which sets out how the Trustee will invest Nest members’ money. The Statement of Investment Principles is prepared in accordance with all relevant legislation and best practice guidelines. It outlines the principles and policies governing investment decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Trustee for the management of Nest’s assets.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 282209 question first answered 03/09/2019 15:14:19 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	491 label Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle

1142066

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes: Yorkshire and the Humber
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which local authorities in (a) Yorkshire and (b) Humberside have local welfare assistance schemes in place.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	282353
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>We do not hold information on delivery of local welfare assistance schemes.</p><p> </p><p>The reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 allowed local authorities in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales to deliver their own local provision for people who are in need of urgent help. We passed funding over to them (from April 2013) on a non ring-fenced basis with no statutory duties or monitoring requirements attached, giving maximum flexibility to deliver services as they see fit according to local needs.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/09/2019 14:12:13 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1142104

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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
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 has taken to implement the High Court judgment in R (Woods, Barrett and Stewart) v SSWP CO/1552/2018 case of 11 January 2019.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
uin	282453
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 June 2019 to Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-06-18/266261/" target="_blank">266261</a>.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 03/09/2019 13:36:34 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

1142219

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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 tailor medical assessments for benefits to take account of the needs of ME sufferers.
tabling member constituency	St Albans
tabling member printed	Mrs Anne Main
uin	282254
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>Both the assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) are functional assessments designed to respectively contribute towards the extra costs that arise as a result of a long-term health condition or disability, and to assess an individual’s capability to work. Both benefits are based on the impact of a person’s disability or health condition, not on the condition itself. This is important, as we recognise that the same condition can affect different people in different ways.</p><p> </p><p>Assessors are provided with training and guidance in the full range of health conditions, including ME. For instance, all WCA assessors have access to a learning module on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/ME, that is externally quality assured by an expert clinician. Furthermore, the PIP providers have recently been involved in a programme of engagement with CFS/ME stakeholders, and have developed a comprehensive suite of training products on CFS/ME.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 05/09/2019 15:07:17 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1568 label Biography information for Mrs Anne Main

1142234

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether work coaches will be provided with additional training to ensure that they can effectively advise universal credit claimants on meeting upfront childcare costs.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	282503
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>DWP is committed to providing the best possible support for all our claimants to meet their individual circumstance.</p><p> </p><p>Our Work Coaches and Decision Makers undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service, which includes training on children, childcare and payment of upfront childcare costs.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, DWP supporting information is available on Universal Credit Guidance and Universal Learning sites which enhances learning, and is available at the point of need for each individual personal requirement.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 03/09/2019 15:22:12 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1142236

registered interest
date	25/07/2019
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have been offered a flexible support fund payment between 1 January 2019 and 25 July 2019 to assist with upfront childcare costs.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	282505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held in a format that can be easily disaggregated and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 03/09/2019 15:31:41 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George