Oral Answers to Questions

Callum McCaig Excerpts

Monday 2nd November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vara]

Pension Wise is there to give impartial and free advice. When necessary, it will direct people towards professional advisers. The Money Advice Service has on its books a directory of some 2,300 firms throughout the country. In Scotland, there are 162 firms. The total number of advisers is more than 6,000. We are trying to make sure that the public have proper access whenever advice is required.

[Callum McCaig (Aberdeen South) (SNP)]

2. If he will make an assessment of the potential effect of benefit sanctions on claimants’ mental health.

[Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP)]

7. If he will make an assessment of the potential effect of benefit sanctions on claimants’ mental health.

[The Minister for Employment (Priti Patel)]

Many factors affect an individual’s mental health. To assess the effect of sanctions in isolation of all other factors would be misleading. A number of checks are built into the system to support all claimants, including those with mental health concerns.

[Callum McCaig]

That answer is disappointing. Opposition Members are concerned about the terrible damage that the ideological cuts being made by the Government are doing to the most vulnerable in our society. For the last two weeks at Prime Minister’s questions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) has asked the Prime Minister about suicides following benefit reductions. Will the Minister publish the details of the investigations forthwith?

[Priti Patel]

The Department carries out reviews to identify whether any lessons can be learned. I should emphasise that the Information Commissioner has considered this issue and upheld the Department’s decision not to publish the details because of the level of personal information they contain. For that reason, it would be unlawful to release this information.