Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training personal independence providers receive on the effect of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease on a claimant's ability to work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a non-means-tested benefit available to disabled people regardless of their employment status. The PIP assessment focuses on a claimant’s ability to carry out a range of activities which are fundamental to living an independent life. It is designed to help working aged people with the extra costs associated with their disability. It does not assess a claimant's ability to work.
PIP assessment providers (APs) are required to ensure that all health professionals (HPs) carrying out assessments undergo comprehensive training in the functional assessment to become experts in disability analysis, focusing on the effects of health conditions and impairments on the individual claimant's daily life.
Whilst HPs do not receive specific training relating to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, they have access to a range of resources as well as experienced clinicians who can support them in assessing individuals with conditions that they may not be familiar with. HPs also keep their knowledge up to date through continuous professional development and APs engage with medical experts, charities, and relevant stakeholders to strengthen their training programmes.
The Health and Disability White Paper committed to developing the skills of HPs. In addition, we have started a small-scale proof-of-concept test matching certain claimants' primary health condition to an existing HP with relevant clinical experience. As part of this, we are exploring opportunities for HPs to undertake additional training.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will undertake a review of the suitability of Personal Independence Payment descriptors when assessing people with fluctuating conditions.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment criteria account for fluctuations by considering an individual’s ability to undertake 12 specific daily activities over a 12-month period. It is essential for the assessment to accurately reflect the impact of variations in an individual's level of impairment - this is important for all health conditions and impairments, not only those which more typically fluctuate. For each activity, if a descriptor applies more than 50 per cent of the time, that descriptor should be chosen.
All health professionals are required to assess individuals in line with the statutory requirements, including: whether an individual can complete each of the 12 activities; the manner in which they can do it; and whether they can complete each activity “safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period”.
Many of the changes set out in Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper aim to improve our assessment of fluctuating conditions, such as the way we use medical evidence, and developing the capability of our assessors. We will also explore options for introducing a new way of gathering evidence of fluctuation in a person’s condition before their assessment.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Personal Independent Payment assessors using informal observations for claimants with Parkinson's disease on the number of mandatory reconsiderations.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We have not made such an assessment.
Entitlement to PIP is assessed based on the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability, not the health condition or disability itself. The PIP Assessment Guide, used by health professionals who conduct PIP assessments, sets out how informal observations of functional limitations should be used.
Informal observations can be a way to reveal abilities and limitations not mentioned in the claimant questionnaire. However, they are only part of the suite of evidence considered by health professionals during an assessment. They must also consider the invisible nature of some symptoms such as fatigue and pain, which may be less easy to identify through observation.
Informal observations included in a health professional’s advice to DWP are not viewed in isolation, they are considered alongside all other available evidence to determine PIP entitlement.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the training provided to Personal Independence Payment assessors on helping claimants with Parkinson's disease.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Health Professionals (HPs) receive comprehensive training in assessing functional capability relating to physical and mental health conditions, including Parkinson's disease. Condition specific information on Parkinson’s disease is also available to HPs, which has been quality assured by relevant external experts.
Assessment quality is a priority for both providers and the department. The department works extensively with providers to make improvements to guidance, training, and audit procedures, to ensure a high standard is always maintained. The independent audit function continually monitors performance and provides feedback to providers.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the underpayment rate of personal independence payments for people with Parkinson's disease.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
No such estimate has been made. 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 based on the needs arising from the health condition or disability, rather than a diagnosis of the health condition or disability itself. Any information that a claimant wishes to submit in support of their claim can be considered where that would help establish the needs arising.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the legal basis is for the requirement that a Personal Independence Payment claimant must have fluctuating symptoms present for 50% of a month to receive financial support.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Regulation 7 of the PIP 2013 regulations sets out the legal requirements relating to assessments for those with a fluctuating condition; this is reflected in the PIP Assessment Guide.
For each activity, if a descriptor applies on more than 50 per cent of the days in a 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.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
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 ensure that (a) jobseekers and (b) people on low incomes develop the skills required for local net zero delivery.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DWP works across government and with industry to identify green job opportunities and ensure the right skills and employment support are in place to help people into them. This includes work coach interventions and targeted provision including Sector-based Work Academy Programmes, DfE Skills Bootcamps and other provision. This means jobseekers and people on low incomes can develop skills to match the needs of the labour market.
DWP sits on the BEIS-chaired Green Jobs Delivery Group with other representatives from across government and industry. This is supporting government’s plans for green jobs and skills and helping to deliver a net zero economy. The latest meeting was on the 06/12/2022 led by the Minister of State, Graham Stuart MP.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of requests for reasonable adjustments in the workplace by a menopausal employee result in a reduction in hours.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Department does not hold this information.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure employers are aware of reasonable adjustments they could introduce in the workplace to support menopausal employees.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Government’s response to the Health is Everyone’s Business (HiEB) consultation was published in July 2021 and sets out some of the measures we will take to protect and maintain progress made to reduce ill-health related job loss.
The measures Government is taking forward: provide greater clarity around employer and employee rights and responsibilities; address the need for employers to have access to clear and compelling information and advice that is easy to understand, trustworthy and accessible; and encourage more employers to provide access to expert support services such as Occupational Health (OH).
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to limit the numbers of women leaving the workforce as a result of the menopause.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
With women over 50 representing the fastest growing segment of the workforce, there are few workplaces where the menopause is not being experienced by staff.
The Minister for Employment commissioned the roundtable on older workers to look at the menopause and employment as an issue, emphasising the importance of the support and understanding by employers. An independent menopause and the workplace report was published and the Government’s response was outlined in July.
The Department does not collect such data on the impact of the menopause on employees leaving the workforce or reducing their hours.