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987718

registered interest
date	15/10/2018
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	If she will take steps to improve access to home assessments for claimants of personal independence payment and universal credit who are unable to attend an assessment centre.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	907052
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2018 answer text <p>It’s important to note that any claimant can request a home visit although I do recognise improvements can be made to ensure that those who need a home assessment are able to get one.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently considering aspects of our assessment processes, including how claimants requiring a home visit can be identified more effectively at the beginning of the process and the ease with which they can request one.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 15/10/2018 16:00:49 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

987719

registered interest
date	15/10/2018
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	What recent changes the Government has made to universal credit to protect the incomes of the most vulnerable claimants.
tabling member constituency	Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
tabling member printed	Bill Grant
uin	907057
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2018 answer text <p>We have already spent £1.5 billion on improvements during the first assessment period. We have already committed more money to protect the most vulnerable, including the 500,000 people currently receiving the Severe Disability Premium. A million disabled people will be better off.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/10/2018 16:11:09 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4605 label Biography information for Bill Grant

986387

registered interest
date	12/10/2018
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	Bereavement Support Payment: Cohabitation
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 extend bereavement support payment to people who were cohabiting but were not married or in a civil partnership when one partner dies.
tabling member constituency	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
tabling member printed	Angus Brendan MacNeil
uin	178488
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2018 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Supreme Court has ruled it incompatible with ECHR principles to provide that certain cohabitees with children are not entitled to Widowed Parent’s Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>The ruling applies to Widowed Parent’s Allowance only. It does not apply to Bereavement Support Payment.</p><p> </p><p>However, we are carefully considering the Court’s judgment and how the Department should proceed in the light of this. When we have looked at all the options, I will come before the House to update Parliament further on this matter.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 17/10/2018 09:31:31 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1546 label Biography information for Angus Brendan MacNeil

986416

registered interest
date	12/10/2018
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	Independent Assessment Services: Training
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 training of Independent Assessment Services' health professionals on Asperger’s and autism spectrum disorder, (a) who provides the training, (b) how many and what proportion of those health professionals have received that training; (c) how long the the training period is; (d) what the training consist of and (e) whether that training is compulsory for all health professionals.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	178514
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2018 answer text <p>All Health Professionals employed by Independent Assessment Services receive mandatory training on a wide range of conditions including autism as part of their initial new entrant training, delivered by the provider. This includes detailed e-learning and classroom based training modules covering all aspects of autism including Asperger’s Syndrome. In addition, simulated assessments enable Health Professionals to understand how these conditions impact on a person’s ability to undertake the activities in the PIP assessment. This is followed by on-going professional training and support which continues for the duration of their employment in the role.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 17/10/2018 16:35:51 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

986417

registered interest
date	12/10/2018
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: Autism
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with Asperger's and autism spectrum disorder organisations on (a) assessments for and (b) decisions on (i) personal independence payments and (ii) employment and support allowance claims.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	178515
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2018 answer text <p>I have regular discussions with a range of stakeholders, including those representing individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome and Autistic Spectrum Disorders to discuss benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).</p><p> </p><p>For example, in regards to ESA, the Department has engaged with the National Autistic Society (NAS) on numerous occasions during the development of the Severe Conditions reassessment criteria. NAS are also a member of the Centre for Health and Disability Assessment’s (CHDA) Customer Relations Group and quality assures relevant training and guidance for CHDA’s Healthcare Professionals who undertake Work Capability Assessments.</p><p> </p><p>With regards to PIP, we regularly engage with stakeholders and one of the main avenues is through the PIP Forum events. Autism Network Scotland were invited to the most recent PIP Forum event in Scotland and NAS have been invited to attend the forthcoming PIP Forum event in England.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 17/10/2018 16:31:02 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

985633

registered interest
date	11/10/2018
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 is the Infrastructure and Projects Authority's most recent delivery confidence assessment on the roll-out of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	178393
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The Infrastructure and Projects Authority conducted a review of the Full Business case found that it was ‘affordable and providing value for money’. The Review Team gave the Business Case an Amber/Green Delivery Confidence Assessment Rating, reporting that they were satisfied that the Programme will make the benefits system ‘Cheaper, Simpler and Better’</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 16/10/2018 16:31:51 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

985654

registered interest
date	11/10/2018
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: Epilepsy
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 bring forward in assessments for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) universal credit a limited capability for work-related activity descriptor for people suffering multiple epileptic seizures on a weekly basis.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	178277
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2018 answer text <p>Entitlement to the limited capability for work-related activity element of Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit is not based on somebody’s health condition but on the impact it has on their capability to work. An evidence based review (EBR) published in December 2013 indicated that overall, the WCA is a valid assessment relative to experts’ opinions about people’s fitness for work”</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 17/10/2018 16:33:30 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton previous answer version 78980 answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

985754

registered interest
date	11/10/2018
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	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the protection of savers automatically enrolled into contract-based pension schemes from climate change risks material to their investments.
tabling member constituency	Swansea West
tabling member printed	Geraint Davies
uin	178215
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority to ensure that pension savers benefit from comparable protection whether they are members of an occupational pension scheme or a workplace personal pension scheme. This includes considering together how best to ensure that schemes take appropriate account of climate change risks and other financial risks material to their investments.</p><p> </p><p>Last month government laid regulations which, from October 2019, will require trustees of occupational pension schemes to set out how they take account of climate change and other risks that are material to their investments.</p><p> </p><p>The Financial Conduct Authority will consult in the first quarter of 2019 on a rule change to require the Independent Governance Committees of workplace personal pension schemes to report on their firm’s policy on evaluating financially material considerations, including climate change.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/10/2018 14:44:53 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	155 label Biography information for Geraint Davies

985756

registered interest
date	11/10/2018
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	Pension Funds
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 plans to submit a formal response to the consultation undertaken by the Financial Conduct Authority on changes to rules governing the operation of Independent Governance Committees in Quarter 1 2019.
tabling member constituency	Swansea West
tabling member printed	Geraint Davies
uin	178216
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>We welcome the Financial Conduct Authority’s commitment to consult on the changes to IGC rules. It is important that independent regulators regularly review their rules, consulting where appropriate, to determine whether they need to be changed.</p><p> </p><p>Government departments do not respond to FCA consultations – however, we regularly engage with the FCA on many issues relating to pensions, to ensure a coherent regulatory approach across contract based and occupational schemes. This includes engagement on issues relating to pension scheme governance and investment policies.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 16/10/2018 16:39:40 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	155 label Biography information for Geraint Davies

985760

registered interest
date	11/10/2018
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, when the most recent universal credit programme risk register will be made available.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	178380
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>It is not the Government’s policy to publish documents of this nature, to allow space for private discussions.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit programme is already subject to a robust regime of internal and external scrutiny, including oversight from the Work and Pensions Select Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, the National Audit Office and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 178381 question first answered 16/10/2018 16:29:39 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George