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1109019

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
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	Food Banks: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of foodbank use in Scotland.
tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
uin	240070
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions has not made an assessment of the levels of foodbank use in Scotland.</p><p>The welfare system provides a strong safety net for those who need it, spending over £95 billion a year on welfare benefits for people of working age. This includes a well-established system of hardship payments, benefit advances and budgeting loans as an additional safeguard for those who need them.</p><p> </p><p>Jobcentre mangers have discretion to work with food banks in their local area; and we are exploring how to build on current good practice to make it as easy as possible for food banks to identify and refer back to the local Jobcentre any customers who may not be receiving the full formal support to which they are entitled</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 08/04/2019 15:57:42 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1109134

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
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	Work Capability Assessment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons her Department does not undertake a single capability for work assessment for benefit claimants instead of multiple assessments when claimants are applying for more than one benefit.
tabling member constituency	Ross, Skye and Lochaber
tabling member printed	Ian Blackford
uin	240012
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>We are committed to assessing people with health conditions and disabilities fairly and accurately, helping people to access the right support.</p><p>Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)/Universal Credit (UC) are paid for different purposes with different assessment criteria. PIP is designed to help people with long-term health conditions or disabilities to live independently, whereas ESA/UC is to support people with health conditions or disabilities who are not able to work, and support them towards work where possible. Therefore, we have separate assessments in place, but only the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) in ESA/UC is used to assess capability for work.</p><p>The Secretary of State recently announced our intention to test the feasibility of using a single assessment to determine eligibility for ESA/UC and PIP where claims have been made for both benefits. We want to establish if its introduction would improve the customer experience and to ensure it delivers high quality, accurate outcomes.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 15:53:11 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4390 label Biography information for Ian Blackford

1109157

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
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 and Support Allowance: Appeals
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 make it her policy to revise the ESA65B letter to GPs to make it clear that a patient may appeal a fit for work decision made through a work capability assessment and a fit note is needed for the patient to obtain employment and support allowance payments until the appeal is heard.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	239928
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department is updating the current ESA65B letter, with input from medical organisations, to clarify when a fit note should be provided for Employment and Support Allowance purposes.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 16:02:24 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1109161

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
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 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, which bodies record how many ESA65B letters have been sent to GPs in (a) the Brighton and Hove area (b) other areas since the wording of that letter was revised; and if he will take steps to obtain and publish that information.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	239929
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the number of ESA65B letters sent to GPs.</p><p>The ESA65B letter is normally automatically issued to GPs by the Department’s IT system in every case where an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found ‘fit for work’ following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).</p><p>If a claimant states that they do not agree to information about the determination of their WCA being shared with their GP, the claim will be maintained clerically and the papers noted that the letter is not to be issued.</p><p>The latest ESA statistics, which show the number of claimants found fit for work, can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 16:18:41 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1109190

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
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 her Department's document Estimated costs of uprating State Pension in frozen rate countries, recipients of the UK State Pension living overseas, if she will hold discussions with her counterparts in (a) Australia, (b) Canada, (c) New Zealand and (d) other countries about the potential benefits of a reciprocal agreement including the uprating of the pensions of their UK residents; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	239930
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department’s document ‘Estimated costs of uprating State Pension in frozen rate countries’ <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimated-costs-of-uprating-state-pension-in-frozen-rate-countries" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimated-costs-of-uprating-state-pension-in-frozen-rate-countries</a> shows that the estimated extra cost of up-rating the UK State Pension in countries where State Pension increases are not paid would be around £3 billion extra over five years, if all State Pensions in payment were increased to the amount that would have been payable if the recipients had never left the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The policy on the up-rating of UK State Pensions paid to recipients living outside the UK is clear and is a long-standing one of successive Governments since WW2. The annual index-linked increases are paid to UK State Pension recipients where there is a legal requirement to do so. For example, where UK State Pension recipients are living within the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Gibraltar or in countries where there is a reciprocal agreement in place that provides for the uprating of the UK State Pension. The Government has no plans to change this policy.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 10/04/2019 11:53:50 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1109199

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
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, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing universal credit claims to be backdated to the starting point of each claim being made rather than the point at which a submit button is pressed on the claim.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	239889
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Claimants make a claim at the point of need, not before or after. Therefore, the date of claim for an online application to Universal Credit is the date the claimant submits the claim. As such, there is limited provision for backdating claims within Universal Credit. The newly launched Help to Claim offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim and receive their first full payment on time.</p><p> </p><p>Claims may be backdated, by up to one calendar month, in limited circumstances for vulnerable claimants who may be delayed in claiming Universal Credit through no fault of their own. Claims may also be backdated in specific circumstances when a couple separates to ensure that there is no gap in entitlement between the couple claim and the new claim made by a single claimant.</p><p> </p><p>In cases where the Department have had direct contact with a claimant and have assisted them in making their applications, either by telephone, face to face contact or a home visit, the date of claim will be the date of first contact.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/04/2019 09:50:55 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1109209

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
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	Support for Mortgage Interest
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 make an assessment of the effectiveness of replacing the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme with a loans-based system from April 2018.
tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
uin	240106
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>Support for Mortgage Interest is designed to provide protection against the threat of repossession. The new loans system provides exactly the same level of support and provides exactly the same level of protection from repossession as the previous system. We continue to work closely with the lending industry to ensure the scheme delivers its intended aim. The conversion of SMI from a benefit to a loan is estimated to save around £140m in welfare spending.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is using evidence from a number of sources to assess the impact of the conversion to a loan on an on-going basis, including management information on claimant take up and feedback from stakeholder groups, including via our regular liaison with UK Finance, to assess whether there are unintended consequences for particular groups.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 08/04/2019 12:59:13 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1108704

registered interest
date	01/04/2019
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	Occupational Health: Construction
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 bringing forward legislative proposals to ensure that construction companies of all sizes provide at least one employee with occupational health awareness training.
tabling member constituency	Mansfield
tabling member printed	Ben Bradley
uin	239294
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>All employers, including construction companies, are already required through existing legislation to ensure employees have appropriate occupational health related training. Employers have a general duty to provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, appropriate information, instruction and training as necessary to ensure the health of their employees. This training must be relevant, proportionate and effective so that employees are aware of the health hazards they face and the measures in place to control the risks arising from them. <br></p><p>This training can be undertaken in several ways, including via an existing national construction industry training framework. The Health and Safety Executive provides further information on training to assist employers in complying with their legal duties: <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/managing/delivering/do/organising/training.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/managing/delivering/do/organising/training.htm</a>.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 14:38:26 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4663 label Biography information for Ben Bradley

1108754

registered interest
date	01/04/2019
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, from what date pensioners will no longer have to undertake regular personal independence payment reassessments.
tabling member constituency	Lincoln
tabling member printed	Karen Lee
uin	239302
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>As announced, all Personal Independence Payment claimants of State Pension age and above will be placed on an ongoing award with a light touch review at 10 years, unless notified of a change of circumstance. We are working to implement this change as soon as possible and expect this to occur by late spring 2019.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 13:18:49 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4664 label Biography information for Karen Lee

1108769

registered interest
date	01/04/2019
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	Asbestos: Compensation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to extend compensation schemes for asbestos-related health problems caused by an individual’s work place environment where the original employer or insurers cannot be traced.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	239309
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>There are already compensation schemes for asbestos-related health problems caused by an individual’s work place environment.</p><p> </p><ul><li>The Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 (1979 Act Scheme) provides lump sum compensation payments to people who contract, through work, one of five dust-related diseases but who cannot claim civil damages from their employer through the courts. The dust-related diseases that are covered, of which most are directly related to asbestos exposure, are: diffuse mesothelioma; pneumoconiosis (including asbestosis, silicosis and kaolinosis); byssinosis; diffuse pleural thickening and lung cancer if accompanied by asbestosis or diffuse pleural thickening.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Whilst the Scheme ensures that sufferers receive compensation whilst they, themselves, can still benefit from it, the Scheme is also open to dependants where a sufferer has not been able to make a claim before they die. Dependants are paid a lower amount than that for someone who actually has the disease.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to extend eligibility to this Scheme.</p><p> </p><ul><li>The Mesothelioma Act 2014 established the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS). The DMPS makes lump sum payments to people who contract diffuse mesothelioma from negligent exposure to asbestos in the workplace, but are unable to pursue a civil claim because their former employer no longer exists and their former employer’s insurer cannot be traced. The DMPS is funded by a levy paid by insurers who are active in the Employer’s Liability insurance market.</li></ul><p><br>This Scheme makes payments to eligible sufferers of diffuse mesothelioma only. Diffuse mesothelioma is always fatal and always caused by asbestos, therefore, a simple and straightforward payment scheme can be put in place. Other asbestos-related diseases have more uncertainties regarding cause, severity and aggravation by other factors and this complexity is not compatible with a straightforward tariff-based scheme such as the DMPS.</p><p>There are no plans to extend eligibility to the DMPS.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 14:24:33 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore