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802133

registered interest
date	06/12/2017
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	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 implications for his policies of the findings of the Disability Benefits Consortium Survey, published in September 2017, that over 71 per cent of respondents found the Personal Independence Payments form hard or very hard to complete.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	117820
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>The PIP2 questionnaire, “How your disability affects you”, was co-produced with the assistance of disabled people, carers and organisations supporting them. The questionnaire is designed to allow Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants to tell us, in their own words, how their health condition or disability impacts them on a day-to-day basis. The questionnaire has a mixture of tick boxes and free text boxes allowing claimants to add as much or as little detail as they wish. We recognise that for some people the length of the questionnaire may seem intimidating. That is why we provide guidance notes to help them complete it and, following earlier concerns about time limits, introduced rules and procedures which allow claimants additional time to complete the form where that is reasonably required.</p><p>Recent independent research carried out by Ipsos MORI indicates that 85 per cent of claimants were able to complete all sections of the questionnaire and only four per cent were unable to do so. The research also shows that 63 per cent of claimants found completing the questionnaire as easy or easier than expected and 69 per cent agreed that it allowed them to explain how their condition affected them.</p><p>We constantly look to review and improve the experience of people claiming PIP. We are currently considering the recommendations made in the second independent review of PIP which included recommendations to improve our communications for claimants. We plan to respond to the review’s findings later this year.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/12/2017 11:41:07 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

802323

registered interest
date	06/12/2017
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 work capability assessments are given greater weight than a GP's fit note when a Job Centre considers whether someone is able to search for work or undertake work-related activity.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	118010
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC) require GP Fit Notes to confirm that someone has a health condition or disability as part of their claim. The functional Work Capability Assessment (WCA) report advises a DWP decision maker whether the individual meets the limited capability for work (LCW) or limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) conditions set down in legislation.</p><p> </p><p>The key difference is that the fit note informs us that the claimant has a health condition or disability and the WCA outcome informs us of the impact that a health condition or disability has on the claimant’s capability for work.</p><p> </p><p>DWP decision makers use the WCA report, along with any other available evidence including the GP Fit Note, when determining entitlement to ESA and in determining if the claimant has LCW or has LCWRA, or does not have LCW – in other words, is fit for work.</p><p> </p><p>ESA and UC claimants who have LCW and LCWRA are, subject to certain exceptions, required to attend work-focused interviews and participate in work-related activity, the purpose of which is to improve their capability or readiness for work, with a view to helping their prospects of moving into work at a point when they are able. They cannot be required to search for or apply for work.</p><p> </p><p>Once a claimant has been notified of a LCW or LCWRA determination they are no longer required to provide GP Fit Notes unless they are providing evidence to support a change in their heath condition or disability.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/12/2017 17:34:56 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

800923

registered interest
date	05/12/2017
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: Mental Illness
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 his Department's response to the consultation, Work, health and disability: improving lives, what plans his Department has to improve mental health training for frontline staff in each region of the UK.
tabling member constituency	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
tabling member printed	Dr Lisa Cameron
uin	117482
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>We are committed to continuing to build work coach capability to deliver personalised and tailored support. All work coaches across the Jobcentre Plus network receive training on supporting people with health conditions and disabilities and we have developed an enhanced mental health training programme, which is now available in every country and region across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the roll out of the Health and Work Conversation across the UK supports work coaches to continue to build engagement with claimants with disabilities and health issues, backed by comprehensive new training which builds skills of empathy and active listening. We have also recruited new disability employment advisers and community partners who are in place in every country and region of the UK.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/12/2017 12:09:48 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4412 label Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron

800933

registered interest
date	05/12/2017
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will assess the merits of implementing the Disability Benefits Consortium's recommendations on PIP assessors.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	117492
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>We have read and considered the Disability Benefits Consortium's recommendations with regards to Health Professionals who carry out PIP assessments. Independent reviews form an important part of the learning process and we are constantly looking to improve the experience of claiming PIP. We recognise the scale of the challenge in implementing a new benefit so committed to two, statutory independent reviews of PIP. The latest of these reviews, led by Paul Gray, was published on 30 March 2017 and we plan to respond to this later this year.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department encourages claimants to provide as much relevant evidence as necessary to support their claim. Before claimants are invited for a face-to-face consultation, all of the available evidence is reviewed and if, at that stage, advice to the Department can be made on this evidence alone, the claimants will not be required to attend a face-to-face assessment.</p><p>We continue to work extensively with the PIP assessment providers and disability representative groups to make improvements to guidance, training and audit procedures in order to ensure a quality service.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/12/2017 17:29:43 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

800934

registered interest
date	05/12/2017
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to allow Personal Independence Payment claimants to have their assessments recorded.
tabling member constituency	Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
tabling member printed	Drew Hendry
uin	117493
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>There is an existing process for those claimants of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) who wish to record their assessments which is publicised on the websites of both assessment providers and reflects the guidance in Part 1 of the PIP Assessment Guide (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers#history" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers#history</a>).</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/12/2017 11:38:04 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4467 label Biography information for Drew Hendry

801201

registered interest
date	05/12/2017
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	Young People: Disability
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 has taken to ensure that the right support is offered to young disabled people who are seeking independence through work or volunteering.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
tabling member printed	Mr Paul Sweeney
uin	117760
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>This Government is committed to enabling young disabled people to fulfil their potential and achieve their aspirations. We provide a wide suite of programmes and initiatives to support them, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Jobcentre support for schools, which targets young people that schools identify as being at risk of becoming NEET (not in employment, education or training), or who may otherwise be disadvantaged in the labour market – for example those with a health or disability issue.</li><li>The Young Person’s Supported Work Experience programme, which will offer a personally tailored supported work experience opportunity to enable young people (aged 18 – 24) to benefit fully from time in the work place. This proof of concept is being tested in five districts.</li><li>The Local Supported Employment (LSE) proof of concept ‘place and train’ model, which aims to move disabled people into real jobs, at the going rate of pay, with support for both the individual and employer.</li><li>Supported Internships, which, all qualified post-16 education providers in England have been able to deliver Since September 2013. These are personalised study programmes, based primarily at a prospective employer, for young people with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities.</li><li>Access to Work, which already offers support to disabled people undertaking a number of opportunities that help them to prepare for paid employment, including work experience, apprenticeships, supported internships and traineeships.</li></ul><p>DWP also recognises the value of voluntary work in developing skills which can be transferred into the world of paid work, as well as benefitting local communities and wider society.</p><ul><li>Disabled young people who are claiming Universal Credit can have their weekly work search hours reduced by up to 50 per cent to accommodate voluntary work.</li><li>Those who are receiving Employment and Support Allowance can try out work when this has been agreed beforehand with their work coach, without their benefit being affected. Restrictions on this Permitted Work were relaxed in April 2017 so that any ESA claimant can do this work within certain limits.</li></ul> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/12/2017 17:31:55 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4642 label Biography information for Mr Paul Sweeney

800561

registered interest
date	04/12/2017
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: Midlothian
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his Department holds on the number of personal independence payment claimants in Midlothian who are refused entitlement to those payments upon making a claim.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Danielle Rowley
uin	117182
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) clearances split by type of clearance (i.e. whether the claim was awarded, disallowed or withdrawn) is published at parliamentary constituency level and local authority level and can be found at <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: <a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html</a></p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/12/2017 11:54:03 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4628 label Biography information for Danielle Rowley

797787

registered interest
date	30/11/2017
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: Appeals
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 Answer of 23 November 2017 to Question HL3124, on social security benefits: appeals, what assessment he has made of the reported comments by Sir Ernest Ryder, Senior President of Tribunals, at a Bar Council event on 7 November 2017 on the quality of evidence brought before the courts by his Department in cases involving employment and support allowance and personal independence payments; whether he has discussed those concerns with the Secretary of State for Justice; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	116695
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2017 answer text <p>The Department is considering the comments but looks forward to working collaboratively with the Ministry of Justice to address the concerns raised - it has been agreed that we will meet with senior officials from that department in the New Year.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/12/2017 11:49:55 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas