Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report into women’s State Pension age changes, published on 21 March 2024, if he will hold discussions with the Leader of the House on enabling Members to vote on the Government's financial redress proposals before 23 July 2024.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In laying the report before Parliament at the end of March, the Ombudsman has brought matters to the attention of this House, making it clear that Parliament has a role in responding to the report. The Government intends to engage fully and constructively with Parliament. The Secretary of State has also committed to provide a further update to the House once the report's findings have been fully considered.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's statistical release Unfulfilled eligibility in the benefit system: financial year 2023 to 2024 estimates, publish on 16 May 2024, whether his Department has made an assessment of the reasons for unfulfilled Personal Independence Payment eligibility.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support in a timely manner and understand the importance of paying people their correct entitlement. For PIP, we encourage all claimants in our communications with them and on Gov.UK to inform us if their needs have changed for better or worse. We are also prioritising claims where a claimant reports a change in their needs to ensure we are paying individuals the right amount.
The statistical release notes that all unfulfilled eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) awards was due to claimants failing to inform the department they needed more help or their condition had deteriorated.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's statistics entitled Unfulfilled eligibility in the benefit system: financial year 2023 to 2024 estimates, published on 16 May 2024, what steps his Department is taking to tackle unfulfilled Personal Independence Payment eligibility.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support in a timely manner and understand the importance of paying people their correct entitlement. For PIP, we encourage all claimants in our communications with them and on Gov.UK to inform us if their needs have changed for better or worse. We are also prioritising claims where a claimant reports a change in their needs to ensure we are paying individuals the right amount.
The statistical release notes that all unfulfilled eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) awards was due to claimants failing to inform the department they needed more help or their condition had deteriorated.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in the Sunday Telegraph, when he expects the Office for Nuclear Regulation to cancel its contract with Lisa Ellis Training for diversity and inclusion training, procurement reference ONR/T974; and whether a notice period will be required under the provisions of that contract.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The ONR contract with Lisa Ellis of Bespoke Business Solutions for diversity and inclusion training was implemented in January 2024 for a period of three years to deliver 24 courses per annum with a total value of £36k over the three-year period. ONR has no plans to terminate this contract.
As a public corporation, ONR sits outside the civil service and is not subject to the Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality for Civil Servants, published on 14 May.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of Universal Credit who were (a) in the intensive work-search labour market regime, (b) assessed to have limited capability for work and (c) assessed to have limited capability for work and work-related activity were (i) in and (b) not in work in each month for which data is available since April 2013.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statistics for people on Universal Credit at the second Thursday of each month are published monthly on Stat-Xplore. The latest statistics are available in the People on UC dataset for the conditionality regime category of ‘searching for work’, by employment status monthly from April 2015 to March 2024.
Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.
The monthly statistics from April 2019 to December 2023 are provided in the attached spreadsheet. Monthly caseload statistics for the same time period are available in the UC Health caseload dataset on Stat-Xplore.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the longest wait time was between an person submitting an Access to Work application and receiving initial contact from his Department in the last (a) six and (b) 12 months.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested for the longest wait time between an individual submitting an Access to Work application and receiving initial contact from his Department in the last (a) six and (b) twelve months is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
However, the Access to Work statistics includes how many applications result in provision being approved from 2007/08 to 2022/23. Please see Table 3 of the Access to Work statistics.
The latest Access to Work statistics can be on the Access to Work statistics on GOV.UK
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobs have been filled as a result of the Work and Health Programme since its inception.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We publish Work and Health Programme (WHP) statistics quarterly on GOV.UK and they include the number of people who enter employment and gain job outcomes within two years since starting on the WHP. The next release of published statistics is planned for 30 May 2024.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that adequate support is in place for jobseekers with (a) health conditions and (b) disabilities in the period between the end of referrals to the Work and Health Programme in Autumn 2024 and the start of Universal Support in 2025.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
When referrals to the Work and Health Programme (WHP) end in September and before Universal Support begins its rollout from Autumn 2024 there will still be services available for disabled people and those with health conditions who have employment support needs. These include Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme for disabled people and those with mild to moderate mental and physical health conditions.
It also includes, for example, the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme for people with drug and alcohol dependency and the Local Supported Employment (LSE) programme for people who are learning disabled, neurodivergent or Autistic as well as locally led employment support delivered through Jobcentres.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2024 to Question 24972 on Universal Credit: Employment, what the criteria are for classifying people as live fit note (pre-wca).
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
People on the Universal Credit Health caseload are in the ‘Live fit note (pre-wca)’ stage if they have accepted medical evidence of a restricted ability to work, usually a statement of fitness for work (or ‘fit note’), on the caseload date, and have not yet had a Work Capability Assessment or received a Work Capability Assessment decision.
More information about the Universal Credit Health caseload, process and WCA official statistics can be found in the published UC WCA stats background information document.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that people over the age of 50 receive adequate support through the Back to Work Plan.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government offers comprehensive support for eligible older jobseekers across the UK through the 50 Plus Choices Offer. This includes the provision of over 70 50plus Champions who play a key role in supporting delivery of a comprehensive package of support across the country.
The 2.5 billion Back to Work Plan, announced in the Autumn Statement 2023 includes measures to support all customers, including the over 50s, to find a job, progress in work and thrive in the labour market.
Through this Plan, the Government is boosting four key programmes, NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support, Restart and Universal Support – to benefit up to 1.1 million people over the next five years and help those with mental or physical health conditions stay in or find work.
On 7 May, we announced that 15 areas across England will be piloting a new health support service as part of the Government’s plan to help people with health conditions back to work.