Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is available to British residents returning to the UK who face a requirement which had not been in place when they left the UK to quarantine in a hotel on public health grounds but who lack the financial resources to pay for the hotel.
Answered by Lord Kamall
Where British residents returning to the United Kingdom from a ‘red list’ country believe they will suffer severe financial hardship as a result of paying the full cost of managed quarantine in advance, they may qualify for hardship arrangements. This includes repayment plans, where the fees are repaid in monthly instalments and in exceptional circumstances, fee reductions and waivers may be granted.
Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people entering the UK can be accommodated in official quarantine hotels under current arrangements; what plans they have to increase capacity levels in future; and if they have any such plans, by how much.
Answered by Lord Bethell
There are currently over 19,000 guests quarantining in hotels. We are working to ensure enough hotel capacity available to meet any further demand from arrivals from ‘red list’ countries. We have ongoing agreements with a number of hotels moving into the summer and we will closely match future demand with available hotel capacity as required.
Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Care Quality Commission (CQC) (1) holds, and (2) publishes, data identifying those nursing homes where residents have died from COVID-19 during the pandemic; and if so, whether the CQC shares that data with those who process claims to the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regularly shares data on notifications of deaths in individual care homes with the Department and other partners, including the Office of National Statistics, in order to monitor, plan and respond to the pandemic. The CQC does not publish mortality data by location.
The NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme provides a safety net for the families of National Health Service and social care staff who die from coronavirus contracted through the course of their work. The scheme does not cover residents of care homes and does not receive data regarding care home resident deaths.
Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 24 November 2020 (HL9950), how many claims the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme has received; how many payments have been made by that Scheme; and what was the total value of those payments.
Answered by Lord Bethell
As of 27 January, the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme (England) has received 307 claims, of which 268 have been accepted. Payment has been made for 175 of these claims, with a further 92 accepted for payment pending proof of probate from the claimant and one case in the course of payment. Two cases have not been accepted and the remainder are going through the stages of being processed and assessed. The total value of accepted claims is £16,080,000.
Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support is available to the estates of deceased frontline workers who are not eligible for the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme provides a safety net for the families of National Health Service and social care staff who have no life insurance cover provided by their employer or a pension scheme. For those who do, it provides an extra level of financial protection in addition to death in service benefits they have bought though their pension scheme.
NHS staff receive good quality death in service benefits through the NHS Pension Scheme, providing a lump sum and survivor pensions for a partner and dependents for qualifying members. NHS staff who claim their pension are guaranteed five years’ worth of pension payments plus ongoing survivor pensions. Around 90% of NHS staff participate in the scheme.
The ‘What to do when someone dies’ online resource provides a step by step guide on what to do after a death, including how to manage financial issues. This guide covers the financial support available to help with paying for a funeral and how to check entitlement to bereavement benefits. For those in receipt of income related benefits or tax credits, the Department for Work and Pensions Funeral Expense Payments scheme can offer a significant contribution to the cost of a funeral. Also, the Bereavement Support Payment provides short-term financial support to working age people whose deceased spouse or civil partner has paid sufficient National Insurance contributions. It is intended to help with the immediate costs of bereavement and can be paid to both widows and widowers.
Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) NHS employees, and (2) social care workers, have died as a result of COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Office for National Statistics publish mortality data for deaths involving COVID-19 for healthcare workers and social care workers in England and Wales. The last iteration of this release showed that in England there were 305 deaths involving COVID-19 among healthcare workers; and 307 deaths involving COVID-19 among social care workers registered between 9 March and 12 October 2020 in England, of those aged 20-64 years, using last known occupation. The definition of healthcare workers used will include not only those employed in the National Health Service but wider healthcare sector workers
Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications have been (1) made to, and (2) accepted by, the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme.
Answered by Lord Bethell
As of 4 November, the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme (England) has received 236 claims. Payment has been made for 96 of those claims. A further 109 have been accepted for payment pending proof of probate from the claimant, and the remainder are going through the stages of being processed and assessed. The total value of accepted claims is £12,300,000.
Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many payments have been made by the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme; and what was the total value of those payments.
Answered by Lord Bethell
As of 4 November, the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme (England) has received 236 claims. Payment has been made for 96 of those claims. A further 109 have been accepted for payment pending proof of probate from the claimant, and the remainder are going through the stages of being processed and assessed. The total value of accepted claims is £12,300,000.
Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any decision by an employer not to certify an application to the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme concerning a deceased employee falls within the remit of (1) the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, (2) the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, or (3) any other ombudsman or regulator.
Answered by Lord Bethell
A claim can be made without employer involvement. The NHS Business Services Authority, as the scheme administrator, can assist the next of kin with the claims process. So far, no claims have been received without input from employers.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is the decision maker for the scheme. Any complaint regarding a decision would fall within the remit of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Asked by: Baroness Sherlock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether an employer’s decision not to certify an application to the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme concerning a deceased employee can be challenged; and if so, how.
Answered by Lord Bethell
A claim can be made without employer involvement. The NHS Business Services Authority, as the scheme administrator, can assist the next of kin with the claims process. So far, no claims have been received without input from employers.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is the decision maker for the scheme. Any complaint regarding a decision would fall within the remit of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.