Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to (a) directly invite the views of disabled people and (b) directly engage with stakeholder groups on the Pathway to Work proposals.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government strongly values the input of disabled people and representative organisations, and that is why we have brought forward this Green Paper and opened a public consultation. The consultation welcomes all views, and we hope that a wide range of voices will respond before it closes on the 30 June 2025.
We have published a full suite of accessible versions of the Green Paper to ensure that everyone can engage. Our schedule of virtual and in-person public consultation events across the country will further facilitate input and help us to hear from disabled people and stakeholders directly. The events accommodate any reasonable adjustments for individuals who wish to attend, including re-imbursing travel costs and arranging accessible venues and accessibility requirements such as BSL interpreters or stenographers for attendees.
We are continuing to facilitate other ways to involve stakeholders and disabled people in our reforms. In addition to the consultation itself, we will establish ‘collaboration committees’ that bring groups, including disabled people and other experts, together for specific work areas. Our wider review of the PIP assessment, led by myself, will also bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure the consultation events on the Pathway to Work are accessible to people with disabilities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government strongly values the input of disabled people and representative organisations, and that is why we have brought forward this Green Paper and opened a public consultation. The consultation welcomes all views, and we hope that a wide range of voices will respond before it closes on the 30 June 2025.
We have published a full suite of accessible versions of the Green Paper to ensure that everyone can engage. Our schedule of virtual and in-person public consultation events across the country will further facilitate input and help us to hear from disabled people and stakeholders directly. The events accommodate any reasonable adjustments for individuals who wish to attend, including re-imbursing travel costs and arranging accessible venues and accessibility requirements such as BSL interpreters or stenographers for attendees.
We are continuing to facilitate other ways to involve stakeholders and disabled people in our reforms. In addition to the consultation itself, we will establish ‘collaboration committees’ that bring groups, including disabled people and other experts, together for specific work areas. Our wider review of the PIP assessment, led by myself, will also bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to apply for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal from the Upper Tribunal judgement Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v MJ [2025] UKUT 035 (AAC).
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In relation to the recent judgment in Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v MJ [2025] UKUT 035 (AAC), the Secretary of State will not be seeking permission to appeal the outcome.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to hold consultation events in Northern Ireland on the Pathways to work Green Paper.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do.
In the Green Paper, we have announced that we will set up collaboration committees to develop parts of our reforms further. This will involve bringing together disabled people and other experts with civil servants around specific issues to collaborate, provide ideas, challenge, and input into recommendations.
We intend to run a number of accessible virtual and face-to-face events on the Green Paper to hear from stakeholders, including disabled people and their representative organisations, directly. The Department will be holding a consultation event in Northen Ireland and is working with officials there on the planning stages.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Northern Ireland will be impacted by changes proposed to the Work Capacity Assessment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Social security is transferred (devolved) to the Northern Ireland Executive where it is administered by the Department for Communities.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will review the Government's policy on uprating the State Pension for people living overseas.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no plans to review the policy on up-rating the UK State Pensions Overseas.
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.
The policy on the uprating of UK State Pensions paid overseas is a longstanding one.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral evidence provided by the Minister for Pensions to the Work and Pensions Committee on defined benefit pension schemes on 10 January 2024, Session 2023-24, HC 144, what plans she has to review the (a) indexation, (b) 90% compensation cap and (c) potential merits of other changes to the Pension Protection Fund; and whether she plans to consult on potential changes to that Fund during this Parliament.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
I have heard about the problems experienced by Defined Benefit pension scheme members adjusting to an income in retirement which may be less than they were expecting following the insolvency of their employer. I recognise the importance of these issues for members and will consider this further in the coming months.
Pension Protection Fund compensation payments based on benefits accrued on or after 6 April 1997 are increased in line with the Consumer Price Index, capped at 2.5 per cent. Before 6 April 1997, there was no general statutory requirement for defined benefit pensions to be increased when in payment, apart from any Guaranteed Minimum Pension element earned on or after 6 April 1988.
There is no cap to Pension Protection Fund compensation. Compensation is calculated at the date of employer insolvency and, at that date, is initially either 100 per cent of their accrued pension benefits for members over their scheme's normal pension age or 90 per cent of their accrued pension benefits for members below their scheme’s normal pension age.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the UK's progress on implementing the recommendations made in the report entitled Concluding observations on the initial report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2017.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and improving disabled people’s lives in all aspects of life.
The previous Government’s latest response to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was submitted in 2022, and published on GOV.UK with accessible formats in December 2022. This report and previous ones can be found here.
As requested by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Government will submit a report by March 2029 with information on how we are implementing the Committee’s recommendations outlined in their latest report published in April 2024. The Government, through the Disability Unit in the Cabinet Office, has already begun considering the recommendations from this report.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report into women’s State Pension age changes, published on 21 March 2024, if she will take steps to introduce compensation for women affected by changes to the State Pension age.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.
This Government respects the work of the Ombudsman. Now the election has concluded we need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides.
The issues outlined in the report are significant and complex, as such they require serious deliberation. Once this work has been undertaken, the Government/we will be in a position to outline its approach.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to help tackle issues with using (a) Irish passports and (b) Northern Ireland driving licences for online verification for Universal Credit.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The new National Digital Identity GOV.UK One Login will enable citizens to use Northern Ireland Driving Licenses and Republic of Ireland Passport when proving their identity online, where this is appropriate. DWP are working towards a convergence plan for GOV.UK One Login. However there are no confirmed dates yet for when this will be implemented for Universal Credit.