Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to increase the availability of assistive technology in jobcentres.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to PQ 185497 on 24 May.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
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 disabled jobseekers can access specialist support while looking for work.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
A range of Government initiatives are supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work. These include:
To tackle rising economic inactivity due to long-term sickness, we announced a wide-reaching package at the Spring Budget to support disabled people and people with health conditions to work. New investment will provide faster access to joined-up work and health support, including for mental health and musculoskeletal conditions, the two leading causes of economic inactivity due to long-term sickness.
Jobcentre staff also have access to information on services and support available in their local area and will signpost claimants to national and local organisations who can provide additional specialist support.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
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 reduce the disability employment gap.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
In the recent Health and Disability White Paper, the Government reaffirmed our commitment to close the disability employment gap. To support this ambition, the Government announced a wide-reaching package at the Spring Budget to support disabled people, and people with health conditions, to stay in, and return to, work. New investment broadens access to additional Work Coach support for disabled people and people with health conditions, introduces a new supported employment programme and focuses on providing faster access to joined-up work and health support, including for mental health and musculoskeletal conditions.
This new investment builds on our existing package of support to help disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in, work. These include increasing Work Coach support in Jobcentres; Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres; the Work and Health Programme and Intensive Personalised Employment Support, Access to Work grants; Disability Confident; the Information and Advice Service; and work to further join up employment and health systems, including Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to provide safeguarding processes for (a) victims of modern slavery and (b) other vulnerable adults arriving in the UK.
Answered by Sarah Dines
Protecting the vulnerable and tackling MSHT is a top priority for Border Force. As First Responders, frontline Border Force Officers play a key role in identifying both victims and perpetrators of human trafficking as they seek to cross the UK border. Border Force work to prevent exploitation from happening, to safeguard and protect vulnerable persons and in collaboration with other law enforcement colleagues seek to bring to justice those who commit MSHT crime. All frontline Border Force officers are trained to spot the signs of MSHT and make necessary safeguarding referrals. Border Force also has a cadre of over 500 specialist Safeguarding & Modern Slavery (SAMS) officers.
All Border Force safeguarding and Modern Slavery training is reviewed and updated to ensure it continues to fulfil those ICIBI (Independent Chief Inspector for Borders & Immigration) and IASC (Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner) expectations which the Home Office has accepted.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Sense report entitled Research on the employment support available to people with complex disabilities, if he will work with (a) disabled people and (b) disability charities to assess the adequacy of assistive technology in jobcentres.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I would refer to the answer already given at PQ 181920 in relation to the support provided to customers in our Jobcentres.
As part of its commitment to make services accessible to all customers, the Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres which have assistive technology built into them and are managed separately from the wider DWP IT estate. The Department also provides a range of peripheral items in each Jobcentre such as alternative keyboards. This provision has funding identified and ring-fenced within the current spending review period.
The DWP have also improved access to our Wi-Fi services in all Jobcentres, allowing customers to use their own personal devices if they prefer.
DWP Work Coaches undergo comprehensive learning to support customers with additional or complex needs, particularly disabilities. As part of their learning DWP provides the Work Coach with an understanding of assisted digital, and how they can effectively coach claimants who find using digital services a challenge.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to provide £5 million of funding to a fund to quip all Jobcentre Plus's with specialist assistive technology.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I would refer to the answer already given at PQ 181920 in relation to the support provided to customers in our Jobcentres.
As part of its commitment to make services accessible to all customers, the Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres which have assistive technology built into them and are managed separately from the wider DWP IT estate. The Department also provides a range of peripheral items in each Jobcentre such as alternative keyboards. This provision has funding identified and ring-fenced within the current spending review period.
The DWP have also improved access to our Wi-Fi services in all Jobcentres, allowing customers to use their own personal devices if they prefer.
DWP Work Coaches undergo comprehensive learning to support customers with additional or complex needs, particularly disabilities. As part of their learning DWP provides the Work Coach with an understanding of assisted digital, and how they can effectively coach claimants who find using digital services a challenge.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to take steps to help disabled people to use computers in jobcentres to look for work.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I would refer to the answer already given at PQ 181920 in relation to the support provided to customers in our Jobcentres.
As part of its commitment to make services accessible to all customers, the Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres which have assistive technology built into them and are managed separately from the wider DWP IT estate. The Department also provides a range of peripheral items in each Jobcentre such as alternative keyboards. This provision has funding identified and ring-fenced within the current spending review period.
The DWP have also improved access to our Wi-Fi services in all Jobcentres, allowing customers to use their own personal devices if they prefer.
DWP Work Coaches undergo comprehensive learning to support customers with additional or complex needs, particularly disabilities. As part of their learning DWP provides the Work Coach with an understanding of assisted digital, and how they can effectively coach claimants who find using digital services a challenge.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of expanding the eligibility for the electricity rebate available to people who run medical equipment at home.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues.
As we explore possible approaches to consumer protection from April 2024, the Government is working with disability organisations, considering the costs for disabled people, and assessing the need for specific support for disabled people using medical equipment in the home. I am attending the next quarterly meeting of the Disability Charities Consortium on Wednesday 24th May, and I am meeting my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on 6th June to discuss consumer protection for people with disabilities.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial support with the cost of energy for disabled people who run medical equipment at home.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As we explore possible approaches to consumer protection from April 2024, we are working with disability organisations, considering the costs for disabled people, and assessing the need for specific support for disabled people using medical equipment in the home.
I am attending the next quarterly meeting of the Disability Charities Consortium on Wednesday 24th May, and I am meeting my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on 6th June to discuss consumer protection for people with disabilities.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support people with complex disabilities who run medical equipment at home with the cost of energy.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As we explore possible approaches to consumer protection from April 2024, we are working with disability organisations, considering the costs for disabled people, and assessing the need for specific support for disabled people using medical equipment in the home.
I am attending the next quarterly meeting of the Disability Charities Consortium on Wednesday 24th May, and I am meeting my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work on 6th June to discuss consumer protection for people with disabilities.