Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
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 recent trends in the number of women in employment.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The number of women in employment has increased by 229,000 over the past year. The female employment rate, at 69.8%, is at a record high.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consultations the Joint Work and Health Unit has undertaken with external groups on its work since its creation.
Answered by Priti Patel
The Work and Health Unit has been established to lead the drive for improving work and health outcomes for people with disabilities and long term health conditions, as well as improving prevention and support for people absent from work through ill health and those at risk of leaving the workforce.
Since Q1 2014 the number of disabled people in employment has increased by around 365,000 people, with a total of 3.3million disabled people now in work as of Q1 2016.
The Unit will build on this progress by improving integration across healthcare and employment services as well as supporting employers to recruit and retain more disabled people and people with long term health conditions. We have set up work-streams focused on delivery workforce, fitness for work, culture change and stakeholder engagement, employers and building the evidence base through developing a ‘test and learn’ approach.
We have been seeking and listening to the views of people that use current health, care and employment services, engaging with charities and other stakeholders, to understand what works and what needs to change and will continue to engage at all levels over the coming months.
The Work and Health Unit is leading the process for preparing a green paper which will be published later this year that will begin the consultation about how to improve support for people with disabilities and long term health conditions.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what workstreams have been established by the Joint Work and Health Unit; and when each such workstream is expected to report.
Answered by Priti Patel
The Work and Health Unit has been established to lead the drive for improving work and health outcomes for people with disabilities and long term health conditions, as well as improving prevention and support for people absent from work through ill health and those at risk of leaving the workforce.
Since Q1 2014 the number of disabled people in employment has increased by around 365,000 people, with a total of 3.3million disabled people now in work as of Q1 2016.
The Unit will build on this progress by improving integration across healthcare and employment services as well as supporting employers to recruit and retain more disabled people and people with long term health conditions. We have set up work-streams focused on delivery workforce, fitness for work, culture change and stakeholder engagement, employers and building the evidence base through developing a ‘test and learn’ approach.
We have been seeking and listening to the views of people that use current health, care and employment services, engaging with charities and other stakeholders, to understand what works and what needs to change and will continue to engage at all levels over the coming months.
The Work and Health Unit is leading the process for preparing a green paper which will be published later this year that will begin the consultation about how to improve support for people with disabilities and long term health conditions.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress the Joint Work and Health Unit has made on its priority of (a) productivity and growth in the economy, (b) halving the disability employment gap and (c) reducing health inequalities relating to gender, age and geographies; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Priti Patel
The Work and Health Unit has been established to lead the drive for improving work and health outcomes for people with disabilities and long term health conditions, as well as improving prevention and support for people absent from work through ill health and those at risk of leaving the workforce.
Since Q1 2014 the number of disabled people in employment has increased by around 365,000 people, with a total of 3.3million disabled people now in work as of Q1 2016.
The Unit will build on this progress by improving integration across healthcare and employment services as well as supporting employers to recruit and retain more disabled people and people with long term health conditions. We have set up work-streams focused on delivery workforce, fitness for work, culture change and stakeholder engagement, employers and building the evidence base through developing a ‘test and learn’ approach.
We have been seeking and listening to the views of people that use current health, care and employment services, engaging with charities and other stakeholders, to understand what works and what needs to change and will continue to engage at all levels over the coming months.
The Work and Health Unit is leading the process for preparing a green paper which will be published later this year that will begin the consultation about how to improve support for people with disabilities and long term health conditions.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment the Government has made of the benefit to businesses of a healthy workforce.
Answered by Priti Patel
There is a good evidence base for the benefits to business of a healthy workforce, for example, workers who are in good health can be up to three times as productive as those in poor health. Conversely there are high costs to business from ill health: ‘Health at Work – an independent review of sickness absence’ found that the costs to employers of sick pay were £9bn per year.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to extend occupational pensions to include widows from same sex married couples in the same way as widows from other married couples are currently included.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is considering the findings of the statutory review into survivor benefits in occupational pension schemes that was required by section 16 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. The Review provided important information on the benefits, costs and other effects of eliminating or reducing differences in survivor benefit provision.
The Government will respond to the Review in due course.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department will provide a definition of the term vulnerable group for the purposes of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill; and with whom his Department will consult on that definition.
Answered by Priti Patel
Our reforms aim to ensure that work always pays more than a life on benefits; that the system is fair to those who pay for it, as well as those who benefit from it; and that support is focused on the most vulnerable which is why we are protecting pensioner benefits and payments for the additional costs of care and disability.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to improve employment support for homeless people.
Answered by Priti Patel
We are exploring how we can best deliver future tailored employment support as part of the Spending Review. We will continue to do all we can to help all individuals, including homeless people, find, and stay in, work.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department provides to people with hearing difficulties in finding work.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
People with hearing difficulties can benefit from the same support to find work as other disabled people through provision such as the Work Programme and Work Choice.
In addition we are launching a new programme, Specialist Employability Support (SES), in September. It focuses on helping those for whom other provision such as Work Choice or Work Programme is not suitable and one of the programme providers will support people with hearing difficulties in preparing for work.
SES replaces the Residential Training contracts and is expected to double the number of people supported at the same cost.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements exist to support those who have fallen behind with national insurance contributions in fully accessing contributory benefits.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
National Insurance credits are generally available to people who are unable to work and pay contributions for example if they are unemployed, incapable of work or caring for others.
National Insurance credits are awarded automatically with qualifying social security benefits; otherwise applications are required to determine eligibility.
The Government is introducing a new credit for those who reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. It will be available to the spouses and civil partners of members of HM Forces for past periods spent accompanying their Service partner on postings outside the UK.
Those not eligible for National Insurance credits may be able to fill gaps in their record to protect certain benefits by paying voluntary contributions. These are subject to time limits; and higher rate provisions when paid late.
For those who would like further information on their National Insurance record they should go to the GOV.UK website https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions