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1663711

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2023
	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	Bereavement Support Payment
	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 introducing discretionary payments for bereavement support.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	201564
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2023 answer text <p>No assessment has been made, however, the Department already has a wide range of financial support available to those affected by bereavement.</p><p>Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) is a contributory benefit intended to help working age people with the immediate costs of bereavement. BSP is payable to the surviving spouse, cohabiting partner (with dependent children), or civil partner of the deceased. Funeral Expenses Payments contribute towards the cost of a funeral arranged by someone in receipt of income-related benefits, and Budgeting Loans and Budgeting Advances are interest-free loans available to claimants of income-related benefits. Further support for day to day living expenses is available via Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 23/10/2023 16:39:11 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1658122

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2023
	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	State Retirement Pensions
	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 increasing the State Pension above the level prescribed by the triple lock.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	197720
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2023 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to ensuring that older people can live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and the State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people.</p><p> </p><p>In April, the State Pension saw its biggest ever rise, increasing by 10.1%. The full yearly amount of the basic State Pension will be over £3,050 higher, in cash terms, than in 2010. That’s £790 more than if it had been uprated by Prices, and £945 more than if it had been uprated by earnings (since 2010).</p><p> </p><p>The Government also provides additional support to older people, which includes the provision of free bus passes, free prescriptions, and Winter Fuel Payments, with Cold Weather Payments for those in receipt of Pension Credit.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 13/09/2023 11:06:53 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1657869

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2023
	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	Employment: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to encourage businesses to employ (a) unemployed and (b) retired people aged over 60.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	197427
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2023 answer text <p>The Default Retirement Age was abolished in 2011, most people can work for as long as they choose to, and the Government is committed to ensuring that employers are aware of the wealth of skills and experience that older workers bring to the workplace.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions engages with employers to encourage positive attitudes towards older workers. The Government appointed Andy Briggs as the Government’s Business Champion for Older Workers who spearheads work to promote the benefits of older workers and having multigenerational workforces to employers across England, and the adoption of suitable work practices to increase the retention, retraining and recruitment of older workers.</p><p> </p><p>In March 2023, the Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression announced the appointment of Helen Tomlinson, as the Government’s Menopause Employment Champion, to drive awareness of issues surrounding the menopause and work and encourage employers to develop policies that create a more supportive environment to support women to stay in work, progress or re-join the labour market.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has signed the Age-friendly employer pledge, a nationwide programme run by the Centre for Ageing Better to promote age inclusive working practices. In turn, the National Employment and Partnership Team (NEPT) are engaging with employers and promoting the pledge to encourage others to sign up too.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 13/09/2023 10:48:59 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1611686

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2023
	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	Multiple Sclerosis: 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 assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) 20-metre and (b) 50 per cent rules for assessing the eligibility of people with multiple sclerosis for personal independence payments.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	181230
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2023 answer text <p>Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is intended to act as a contribution towards the extra costs that arise from needs related to a long-term health condition or disability. Entitlement is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from the health condition or disability, rather than a diagnosis of the health condition or disability itself.</p><p> </p><p>The enhanced rate of the Personal Independence Payment mobility component was always intended to be for those &quot;unable&quot; or &quot;virtually unable&quot; to walk. The 20-metre distance was introduced to identify those whose mobility is significantly more limited than that of other people. Individuals who can walk more than 20 metres can still receive the enhanced rate of the mobility component, if they cannot do so safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly or in a reasonable time period. We believe the current assessment criteria, including the 20-metre rule, are the best way of identifying people whose physical mobility is most limited and there are no immediate plans to make changes.</p><p> </p><p>The PIP assessment should reflect the impact of variations in an individual's level of impairment, including conditions which fluctuate, and whether the individual can complete each activity safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period. When choosing the descriptor, the health professional should also consider an individual’s ability over a 12-month period, ensuring that fluctuations are taken into account. For each activity, if a descriptor applies on more than 50 per cent of the days in the 12-month period, that descriptor should be chosen. In general, health professionals should record function over an average year for conditions that fluctuate over months, per week for conditions that fluctuate by the day, and by the day for conditions that vary over a day.</p><p> </p><p>The department closely monitors all aspects of the assessment process, including how we assess fluctuating health conditions like multiple sclerosis. There are no current plans to make changes to the 50 per cent rule.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 21/04/2023 10:34:17 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1523436

	registered interest
	date	18/10/2022
	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	Older Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help older members of the workforce (a) adapt to and (b) retrain in an evolving job market.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	65718
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2022 answer text <p>As part of the 23 September Growth Plan announcement, the Chancellor announced funding for additional work coach support to over 50s. This will mean more jobseekers across Great Britain receive intensive, tailored support at jobcentres to help them get into, and progress in work, boosting their earnings ahead of retirement.</p><p> </p><p>This funding builds on the existing Spending Review settlement of £20m over the next three years for a new enhanced offer for people aged 50 and over to remain in, and return to work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to adult education and training and the Department for Education has already put in place a wide range of programmes for adults to gain the skills they need for employment, ensuring they have the opportunities to study, upskill and reskill at different points in their life.</p><p> </p><p>We invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (£1.34bn in 2022/23), we are ensuring that apprenticeships are responsive to the different needs of individuals, employers, and the economy, including ensuring older people can access apprenticeships to re-train or upskill.</p><p> </p><p>We have also launched the £2.4b National Skills Fund, which is a significant investment to deliver new opportunities to generations of adults who may have been previously left behind. From 2025 will also introduce a lifelong loan entitlement, enabling more flexible and modular study across higher and further education.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 26/10/2022 16:57:35 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1523438

	registered interest
	date	18/10/2022
	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	Unemployed People: Cost of Living
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional steps his Department is taking to support people seeking jobs with the cost of living.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	65720
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2022 answer text <p>With 1.25 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus is firmly on supporting people to move into, and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of poverty.</p><p> </p><p>To help people into work across Great Britain, our Plan for Jobs is providing broad ranging support for all Jobseekers with our Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), Job Entry Targeted Support and Restart scheme. We are extending the support jobcentres provide to people in work and on low incomes to help them to increase their earnings and move into better paid quality jobs. This new in-work progression offer started to roll-out from April 2022. Once fully rolled out, we estimate that around 2.1m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support. This will be provided by work coaches and focus on removing barriers to progression such as support with childcare or addressing skills gaps.</p><p> </p><p>This new progression offer is in addition to a change the government made last month to the Administrative Earnings Threshold in Universal Credit. By raising the threshold on 26<sup>th</sup> September 2022, approximately 114,000 more UC claimants on the lowest incomes will benefit from regular work coach support. The then Chancellor announced that we would go further and raise the threshold again from January 2023 to expand this support to approximately 120,000 more people.</p><p> </p><p>This is on top of the support already provided by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour and giving nearly 1.7 million families an extra £1,000 a year (on average) through our changes to the Universal Credit taper and work allowances</p><p> </p><p>The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>This also includes up to £650 in cost-of-living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which have targeted support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people have received a one-off disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 through and as an addition to the Winter Fuel Payment from November.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require additional support we have provided an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £421m, running from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 26/10/2022 16:48:48 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1519483

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	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	Homelessness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government is taking steps to tackle homelessness this winter.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	59709
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government is committed to tackling homelessness. We have made excellent progress on our commitment to end rough sleeping with levels falling by 49% since 2017, and the Spending Review committed £2 billion to tackle and prevent homelessness over the next three years. This winter, many of the most vulnerable in society will receive extra support via the £37bn of cost of living support package and the Energy Price Guarantee. Discretionary Housing Payments continue to be available to people struggling with housing costs.</p><p> </p><p>My department is committed to ensuring people get the benefits they are entitled to and the support to move into work and on with their lives. Under the “duty to refer”, jobcentres in England offer a voluntary referral to local authority housing teams for people who may be homeless or threatened with homelessness. As part of the Government’s new strategy, <em>Ending Rough Sleeping for Good, </em>we are launching an employer covenant to increase opportunities for homeless people.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 18/10/2022 15:18:21 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1519727

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	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: Medical Examinations
	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 effect of non-medical staff performing assessments of Personal Independence Payment applicants on levels of accurate diagnoses.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	59720
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>There are no non-medical staff conducting health assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants. Health professionals (HPs) who conduct assessments include doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and paramedics, who we believe have the required skills set for this type of assessment.</p><p> </p><p>It should be noted that the PIP assessment is not a medical assessment requiring the HP to diagnose a condition or its severity and recommend treatment options. Instead, it requires the HP to look at the impact of conditions and impairments on an individuals’ daily life and make a detailed functional assessment. This requires a very different skills set from those involved in the treatment of individuals, with less need for specialist knowledge.</p><p> </p><p>After the assessment has been completed, DWP case managers take a holistic view of a claimant’s functional capability and obtain medical advice where necessary, to underpin their findings. Their decision takes into consideration all available evidence such as the claim form, any additional evidence the claimant has provided (e.g. from a carer), any further evidence that the assessment provider has obtained, and the report from the assessment provider.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 18/10/2022 13:24:28 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1519728

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	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	Energy: Food Banks
	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 effect of rises in the cost of energy on trends in the level of food bank use; and what steps she is taking to address that matter.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	59721
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. There is no consistent and accurate measure of food bank usage at a constituency or national level.</p><p> </p><p>We understand the data limitations in this area, and therefore from April 2021 we introduced a set of questions into the Family Resources Survey (FRS) to measure and track foodbank usage. The first results of these questions are due to be published in March 2023 subject to usual quality assurance.</p><p> </p><p>The government has announced unprecedented support within its Growth Plan to protect households and businesses from high energy prices. The Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme are supporting millions of households and businesses with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear they will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.</p><p /><p>For those who require additional support the government has provided an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. For the period October 2022-March 2023, we are providing an additional £421million to help households in England with the cost of essentials, and the devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 18/10/2022 16:59:40 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1506919

	registered interest
	date	20/09/2022
	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	Mothers and Pregnancy: Cost of Living
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help support (a) heavily pregnant women and (b) new mothers on statutory maternity pay with increases in cost of living.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	51647
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2022 answer text <p>Maternity Allowance (MA) is available to eligible pregnant women and new mothers who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), such as the low paid and the self-employed. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has a statutory obligation to review SMP, benefits including MA, and pensions annually. The review will commence shortly, and her decisions will be announced to Parliament in the normal way later this year. Any new rates of benefits / pensions will become payable from April 2023.</p><p> </p><p>More broadly, the government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills ahead of Winter 2022. The new “Energy Price Guarantee” will mean a typical UK household will now pay up to an average £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years from 1 October, saving the average household in Great Britain at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 29/09/2022 11:27:48 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy