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1627731

registered interest
date	15/05/2023
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	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of Personal Independence Payments appeals which are successful at the tribunal stage; and what steps they intend to take in response.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL7847
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2023 answer text <p>We are continuing to learn from decisions overturned at appeal. For example, we gather insight from Presenting Officers who regularly provide feedback from hearings they attend, with a view to learning from overturned decisions.</p><p> </p><p>We have made improvements to the decision-making process at both the first decision and the mandatory reconsideration stage, giving decision-makers additional time to proactively contact claimants if they think additional evidence may support the claim.​</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 30/05/2023 15:09:23 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1623551

registered interest
date	24/04/2023
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	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of Personal Independence Payment appeals which went to a tribunal were successful, in each year since those payments were introduced.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL7418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2023 answer text <p>The table below shows for those Personal Independence Payment appeals that were cleared at hearing, the proportion that were decided in favour of the claimant.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Financial Year</p></td><td><p>Percentage of Personal Independence Payment appeals that were cleared at hearing, that were decided in favour of the claimant</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>26%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>50%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>61%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>65%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>68%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>73%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>77%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020/21</p></td><td><p>76%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021/22</p></td><td><p>70%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022/23*</p></td><td><p>69%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><ol><li><strong>This information has been extracted from the Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: October to December 2022 publication produced by the Ministry of Justice. The publication can be found here:</strong> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2022." target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2022.</a><strong> “</strong>Table SSCS_3 Social Security and Child Support - Number of disposals cleared at hearing by outcomes and benefit type, 2007/08 to Q3 2022/23” has been used to produce these figures.</li><li><strong>Personal Independence Payment (New Claim Appeals) also includes Disability Living Allowance reassessed cases. Personal Independence Payment was introduced on 8 April 2013 and replaced Disability Living Allowance for those aged 16 or over.</strong></li></ol><p>The 2022/23 financial year is not complete, it will contain up to and including December 2022. The figures for this year <strong>are provisional and subject to revision in later publications.</strong></p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 10/05/2023 16:53:51 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1542081

registered interest
date	14/11/2022
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	Personal Independence Payment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 9 November (HL2940), what plans they have to direct assessors for Personal Independence Payments to speak to more claimants directly before they make an initial decision.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL3394
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2022 answer text <p>Following the consultation with a heath professional and receipt of the subsequent functional assessment report, DWP Case Managers are trained to make outbound calls to customers, where necessary, as part of the decision-making process to clarify any gaps in evidence or further clarify customers’ restrictions.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 25/11/2022 14:33:26 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1536608

registered interest
date	26/10/2022
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	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take in response to the data published by the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 October which showed that most Personal Independence Payment claimants successfully appealing a decision did not present new evidence at tribunals.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL2940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2022 answer text <p>The data published was for the period July 2013 up to March 2022, and covers the period since the introduction of the benefit. The aim of the decision-making process is to make the right decision as early as possible in the claim journey. We are constantly looking to improve our processes and learn from tribunal outcomes. Since PIP was introduced in 2013 we have made improvements to our decision-making process to ensure that we not only gather all material evidence as early as possible, but more that we carefully consider that evidence so that we identify the key facts that inform the decision made. Of course, Tribunals are independent and in discussing the same evidence directly with the claimant may obtain a different perspective and thereby reach a different conclusion.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 09/11/2022 15:42:17 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1403727

registered interest
date	17/01/2022
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 Schemes: Disability
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have increased the number of Disability Employment Advisors at Job Centres in the last 12 months.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL5465
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2022 answer text <p>As at December 31<sup>st</sup> 2021 DWP had 894.9 full time equivalent FTE (ABM activities<sup>1</sup>) employees carrying out the Disability Employment Advisor role. This is an increase of 441.3 FTE since January 2021 where the number stood at 453.6 FTE.</p><p> </p><p><sup>1</sup>FTE (ABM activities) is from Departmental Management Information which records how much of each persons’ role is spent doing certain types of work activity. The FTE (ABM activities) is therefore lower than the total staff in post.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 31/01/2022 17:31:23 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1349348

registered interest
date	21/07/2021
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans the Department for Work and Pensions has to contact all disability claimants who were appealing their decisions and were persuaded to accept a lower offer, to inform them of their right to continue with their appeal.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL2281
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/07/2021 answer text <p>In a previous response HL2130, it was explained that all claimants who accepted the new decision and whose original appeal lapsed, were told that they had the right of appeal against the new decision. They were told this both by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Tribunals Service. This gave them the opportunity to have the revised award further increased and backdated. Accordingly, there are no plans to contact affected claimants.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 27/07/2021 13:41:19 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1347846

registered interest
date	16/07/2021
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Department for Work and Pensions staff contacted disability claimants who were appealing their decisions to persuade them to abandon their appeals and accept a lower offer; and if such practices have been used, who authorised them.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL2130
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2021 answer text <p>The Department’s aim is to ensure that claimants are paid the correct amount of benefit at the earliest opportunity. Accordingly, if new evidence or information becomes available after an appeal has been lodged, it is right that decisions are reviewed and claimants put in the best position where they can choose either to continue with their appeal, or have the decision revised. At the same time claimants have, and have always had, a right of appeal against the revised decision, and to have their payments fully backdated if successful at appeal. Claimants are notified of this right of appeal in their revised decision letter.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/07/2021 16:32:21 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1347589

registered interest
date	15/07/2021
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government why they are relying on telephone assessments to determine a claimant’s level of disability rather than using a video service.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL2107
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2021 answer text <p>We are committed to improving the experience of health and disability benefits and we are currently delivering health and disability assessments via a variety of channels. Face-to-face assessments are being delivered alongside new telephone and video assessments introduced in response to the pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>A programme of in-house analysis and externally commissioned research into the outcomes from and experiences of the newly introduced assessment channels is underway. The Health and Disability Green Paper will offer an opportunity to hear views on how we can improve assessments, including how we might provide a multi-channel health assessment service. Any future decisions about channel will be evidence-based and to ensure this we will draw on existing evidence as well as continuing to build our understanding via research and analysis.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/07/2021 16:38:30 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1204244

registered interest
date	16/06/2020
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government which disability organisations and charities are helping to develop the National Strategy for Disabled People.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL5812
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>The National Strategy for Disabled People is a manifesto commitment of this Government and its delivery is a priority. Its significance is even greater as we re-build the UK economy and society following the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>The Cabinet Office Disability Unit is now working on an approach and timescale that will allow meaningful engagement with an extensive range of stakeholders, and through a range of means that can be pursued safely in the context of the pandemic. Contributions from any organisation will be very welcome and particularly where this brings additional insight to the lived experience of disabled people.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 29/06/2020 16:03:46 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1170209

registered interest
date	13/01/2020
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, under Universal Credit to stop the automatic deduction of a claimant’s debts from the standard rate of Universal Credit if creditors have agreed a reduction in the rate of repayment.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL354
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2020 answer text <p>The Department’s deductions policy strikes a fair balance between a claimant’s need to meet their obligations and their ability to ensure they can meet their day-to-day needs. From October 2019, Universal Credit deductions have been reduced to 30% of a claimant’s standard allowance down from 40% to better achieve these objectives.</p><p> </p><p>Creditors can request debts to be collected through Universal Credit, typically where other repayment methods have been unsuccessful. We are led by the creditor, and at any time any creditor could inform us they wish to take back responsibility for collecting the debt from Universal Credit - such requests would trigger an end to deductions as soon as possible. The rate at which repayments are recovered from Universal Credit are set out in Schedule 6 to the Social Security Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013 – SI 2013/380.</p><p> </p><p>For any of the deductions laid out in the regulations, creditors can approach Universal Credit directly and typically there is no requirement for them to proactively get the claimant’s consent. Any requests for deductions are considered by the Department on an individual basis.</p><p> </p><p>Where recovery relates to benefit overpayments, this is managed in a sensitive way. Maximum deduction rates are set out in legislation (Regulation 11 of the Social Security (Overpayments and Recovery) Regulations 2013) and where a claimant cannot afford the proposed rate of recovery they can contact the Department’s Debt Management team so this can be reviewed. If a reduction in the repayment rate is agreed, we will implement it quickly so that payments are adjusted accordingly.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is always developing our understanding on the impact deductions can have on claimants, and has heard evidence from external organisations on this issue. Ultimately, we have to balance these impacts with the need for claimants to meet their obligations.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 22/01/2020 12:54:57 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester