The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, including people with Parkinson\u2019s disease. Over recent years, the government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the most vulnerable with one of the largest support packages in Europe. The total support over 2022- 2025 to help households and individuals with higher bills amounts to £108 billion \u2013 an average of £3,800 per UK household.<\/p>
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We provided a Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 in June/July 2023 to people in receipt of certain disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This is in addition to the £150 payment paid in September 2022.<\/p>
<\/p>
We estimate that nearly 60 per cent of individuals who received an extra costs disability benefit would have received the means-tested benefit Cost of Living Payments, worth up to £900. Over 85 per cent would have received either or both of the means-tested and the £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment.<\/p>
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We also increased extra costs disability benefits by 10.1 per cent from April 2023 and by 6.7% from April 2024 in line with the Consumer Price Index.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4169", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Viscount Younger of Leckie"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-24T16:01:15.893Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Social Security Benefits: Parkinson's Disease"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide targeted financial support for people with long-term conditions such as Parkinson\u2019s disease during the cost of living crisis.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2503", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Gale"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Gale"} ], "uin" : "HL3739"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1698970", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1698970/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assesses individuals against a set of descriptors to determine how their health condition or disability affects their ability to work. The WCA takes into account the functional effects of fluctuating and degenerative conditions such as Parkinson\u2019s. A key principle is that the WCA considers the impact that a person\u2019s disability or health condition has on them, not the condition itself.<\/p>
<\/p>
Claimants with the most severe health conditions and disabilities whose condition is unlikely to ever improve are no longer routinely reassessed.<\/p>
<\/p>
From 2025, we are reforming the WCA to reflect new flexibilities in the labour market and greater employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, whilst maintaining protections for those with the most significant conditions. Claimants who currently have no work-related requirements, except in some very limited circumstances, will not be reassessed or lose benefit because of these changes.<\/p>
<\/p>
When making decisions on changes to the WCA, we carefully considered over 1300 consultation responses, including from disabled people, people with health conditions, and the organisations that represent and support them. We also engaged directly with clinical experts, employer groups and disability organisations across the country.<\/p>
<\/p>
With these changes to the WCA criteria, 371,000 fewer people will be assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity by 2028-29 and will receive personalised support to help them move closer to employment. A further 29,000 individuals will be found fit for work by 2028-29 and will receive more intensive support to search for and secure work than would be the case under the current WCA rules. These figures are not based on specific conditions. This is because the WCA considers the impact that a person\u2019s disability or health condition has on their ability to work, not the condition itself.<\/p>
The department routinely engages with a wide range of organisations that represent and support disabled people and people with health conditions, including people living with Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mims Davies"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Sussex"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mims Davies"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "20626"} , {"_value" : "20627"} , {"_value" : "20661"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-16T15:51:17.447Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Social Security Benefits: Parkinson's Disease"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet with Parkinson\u2019s UK and the hon. Member for Bootle to discuss the experience of people with Parkinson\u2019s in the social security system.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4397", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Peter Dowd"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bootle"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Peter Dowd"} ], "uin" : "20662"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1698990", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1698990/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assesses individuals against a set of descriptors to determine how their health condition or disability affects their ability to work. The WCA takes into account the functional effects of fluctuating and degenerative conditions such as Parkinson\u2019s. A key principle is that the WCA considers the impact that a person\u2019s disability or health condition has on them, not the condition itself.<\/p>
<\/p>
Claimants with the most severe health conditions and disabilities whose condition is unlikely to ever improve are no longer routinely reassessed.<\/p>
<\/p>
From 2025, we are reforming the WCA to reflect new flexibilities in the labour market and greater employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, whilst maintaining protections for those with the most significant conditions. Claimants who currently have no work-related requirements, except in some very limited circumstances, will not be reassessed or lose benefit because of these changes.<\/p>
<\/p>
When making decisions on changes to the WCA, we carefully considered over 1300 consultation responses, including from disabled people, people with health conditions, and the organisations that represent and support them. We also engaged directly with clinical experts, employer groups and disability organisations across the country.<\/p>
<\/p>
With these changes to the WCA criteria, 371,000 fewer people will be assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity by 2028-29 and will receive personalised support to help them move closer to employment. A further 29,000 individuals will be found fit for work by 2028-29 and will receive more intensive support to search for and secure work than would be the case under the current WCA rules. These figures are not based on specific conditions. This is because the WCA considers the impact that a person\u2019s disability or health condition has on their ability to work, not the condition itself.<\/p>
The department routinely engages with a wide range of organisations that represent and support disabled people and people with health conditions, including people living with Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mims Davies"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Sussex"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mims Davies"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "20626"} , {"_value" : "20661"} , {"_value" : "20662"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-16T15:51:17.347Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Social Security Benefits: Parkinson's Disease"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will hold discussions with (a) the hon. Member for North Tyneside and (b) Parkinson's UK on the potential impact of the social security system on people living with Parkinson's disease.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4126", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mary Glindon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Tyneside"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mary Glindon"} ], "uin" : "20627"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }