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1702501

registered interest
date	19/04/2024
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	Health Services: Coronavirus
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of classifying covid-19 as an occupational disease for healthcare workers; and whether his Department has had discussions with relevant professional bodies on that matter.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	22721
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The DWP is advised by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC), an independent scientific body, on changes to the list of occupational diseases for which Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) can be paid.</p><p> </p><p>The Council considered the available scientific and epidemiological evidence around COVID-19 infection and published a Command Paper entitled, ‘COVID-19 and occupational impacts’ in November 2022 found <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-occupational-impacts" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p> </p><p>The Command Paper recommends that the list of prescribed occupational diseases for which IIDB can be paid should be expanded to include health and social care workers with five serious pathological complications following COVID-19 infection.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is currently carrying out a detailed assessment of the report’s recommendations and will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 25/04/2024 11:41:58 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1342513

registered interest
date	30/06/2021
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	Funeral Payments
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 amending the rules governing eligibility for the Funeral Expenses Payment to provide discretion for another close family member to be granted the payment in circumstances where the partner of the deceased is unable or unwilling to take responsibility for a funeral.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	24950
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2021 answer text <p>There are no current plans to amend the eligibility criteria for Funeral Expenses Payment.</p><p>To receive support through the Funeral Expenses Payment scheme, a person must be in receipt of a qualifying income-related benefit and be the person responsible for making the funeral arrangements. In cases where the deceased has a surviving partner, they are considered to be the responsible person. Where there is no surviving partner or the surviving partner was estranged from the deceased at the time of death, an immediate family member (parent or child), a close relative or a close friend may be considered for help through the scheme.</p><p>Where the surviving partner of the deceased was not estranged but is unable to act on their own behalf, a person, or a body of people, may apply to act on their behalf as an appointee. If a surviving partner is able to act on their own behalf and but is not estranged or willing to take responsibility for the funeral arrangements, a Funeral Expenses Payment cannot be awarded to another family member. They could, however, apply for a Budgeting Loan or a Universal Credit Budgeting Advance to help pay towards the cost of a funeral, if they meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p>In certain circumstances, Public Health funerals are provided by local authorities.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 07/07/2021 10:28:37 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1314611

registered interest
date	13/05/2021
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	State Retirement Pensions: National Insurance Contributions
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 reforming the qualification criteria for the State Pension to include part year National Insurance contributions.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	1048
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2021 answer text <p>There are no plans to change the National Insurance qualifying year definitions for State Pension purposes.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 18/05/2021 12:59:44 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1311769

registered interest
date	23/04/2021
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	State Retirement Pensions: National Insurance
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 reforming the qualification criteria for the State Pension to include part year National Insurance contributions.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	186154
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 29/04/2021 12:28:51 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1307996

registered interest
date	12/04/2021
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	Rapid Response Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason rapid response funding does not cover retraining for those who have been made redundant.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	179078
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2021 answer text <p>Rapid Response Service can fund training on a case by case basis in supporting people serving their notice period, whether from compulsory redundancy or other workforce measures such as an early release scheme. They can access:</p><p> </p><ul><li>information, advice and guidance</li><li>non-vocational training to move a person closer to employment</li><li>help to assess transferable skills in relation to the local labour market by conducting a skills transfer analysis</li><li>vocational training to address skills needs</li><li>other RRS funded support to help overcome barriers to getting a job or starting self-employment</li></ul><p> </p><p>Those who don’t find alternative employment before losing their job can access the same support as those under notice of redundancy for a period of 13 weeks. This is whether they make a claim for benefit or not.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 20/04/2021 15:09:33 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1302130

registered interest
date	12/03/2021
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	Disability: Coronavirus
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 the proposal of Scope for an emergency support package to protect disabled people, published on 18 January 2021.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	167860
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2021 answer text <p>I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 09 February to question number <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-02-04/149299" target="_blank">149299</a>.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 22/03/2021 13:21:02 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1287923

registered interest
date	22/02/2021
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	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, what plans she has to implement alternative arrangements for face-to-face assessments for employment and support allowance.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	156358
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2021 answer text <p>We continue to complete paper based assessments where possible and are now carrying out telephone Work Capability Assessments from which all outcomes are available. We are also trialling video assessments. Once completed the trial will be evaluated and a decision made on the feasibility to roll-out wider.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 02/03/2021 14:42:01 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1273173

registered interest
date	30/12/2020
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	Health and Safety Executive: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff the Health and Safety Executive (a) employed in 2019-20 and (b) employs in 20202-21; and how many of those staff were dedicated to working in Scotland in each of those years.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	132884
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2021 answer text <p>On 31<sup>st</sup> March 2020 HSE employed 2343 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, 222 of whom were based in Scotland, and a further 28 contingent labour staff [1].</p><p> </p><p>On 31<sup>st</sup> December 2020 HSE employed 2345 FTE staff, 211 of whom were based in Scotland, and a further 133(p) contingent labour staff.</p><p> </p><p>HSE is a national regulator and regulatory effort is not necessarily confined by geographical region. HSE has specialists who work across geographical regions such as those regulating major hazard sectors. Regions are also able to draw on the support of HSE’s Science Directorate to assist investigations and to support important health and safety research and HSE’s Engagement and Policy Division who develop regulatory policy and design communications strategy.</p><p> </p><p>[1] ‘Contingent labour’ is defined as temporary staff not on HSE’s payroll, which may include agency workers, specialist contractors, interim managers etc.</p><p>(p) Provisional - due to the early reporting of this figure final reconciliation of contingent labour staff is still ongoing and may be subject to change once this is complete.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 15/01/2021 14:48:26 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143289

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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	Children: Day Care
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 (a) affordability and (b) adequacy of provision of childcare for parents subject to the benefit cap.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	284637
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions has not undertaken a specific assessment of the affordability and adequacy of provision of childcare for parents subject to the benefit cap. As part of its evaluation of the benefit cap policy, we have commissioned the National Centre for Social Research to conduct a survey of capped households to assess the effects of the cap on claimants’ behaviours toward employment and the drivers behind different responses to the cap, which will include childcare availability and costs. We anticipate publishing the findings in the Autumn.</p><p> </p><p>The department recognises that high childcare costs can be a real barrier to parents taking up employment or increasing their working hours. To help overcome this, Universal Credit is more generous than legacy benefits in the support it provides towards childcare costs, with an increased level of support for childcare costs from 70% in legacy to up to 85% in Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, significant work has been undertaken within the department to raise awareness and understanding of the UC Childcare Offer amongst work coaches and work continues across Government to support take up of the different childcare offers, ensuring information is readily accessible for parents, providers and employers, including via digital channels. The Government now provides more support than ever before to help parents with the costs of childcare and will be spending a record amount of around £6 billion on childcare support in 2019-20.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 12:13:40 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1143587

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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 assessment she has made of the ability of universal credit claimants to access passported benefits.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	285018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2019 answer text <p>Claimants may currently be entitled to a number of other benefits because they are in receipt of Universal Credit. These are known as passported benefits, which include free school meals and free prescriptions. The eligibility criteria for each passported benefit remain the responsibility of the Departments and Devolved Administrations that own them.</p><p> </p><p>Government Departments and Devolved Administrations continue to work closely together to look at how to reduce the complexity of the current passported benefits system and put in place arrangements for Universal Credit, as it expands, that will continue to target available support at those who need it most.</p><p> </p><p>The Department currently signposts Universal Credit households to other financial support via their online account/payment statement, as well as on the GOV.UK website at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/other-financial-support" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/other-financial-support</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 06/09/2019 10:21:46 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield