Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will record the number of autistic people in employment as part of the Labour Force Survey; and what steps his Department has taken to ensure that autistic people are benefitting from increased employment rates.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Over a number of years employment data on people with specific long term health conditions has been collected by the Office for National Statistics using the Labour Force Survey. This important survey has allowed the Department to produce useful time series statistics on the employment rates of individuals with long term health conditions, where this information is collected. The Labour Force Survey includes a large range of health conditions that survey respondents can report they experience; however this does not currently include autism as one of the named health conditions and there are no plans to begin collecting this data.
DWP is working with Autism Alliance UK on a national training programme for Jobcentre Plus staff (so that they can better support claimants with autism into work). In addition, the Department has helped to develop a Disability Passport - About Me - to support disabled people, including those with autism, who are seeking jobs and those helping them. Disabled people can share it with their work coach or adviser, to help improve communication and put any reasonable adjustments in place at the earliest opportunity.
Additionally, Improving Lives – the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper sets out the Government’s proposals for improving work and health outcomes for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. We are now considering consultation responses and the next steps for longer term reform.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will launch a national programme to promote the employment potential of autistic people to employers.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Department is actively promoting the employment potential of all disabled people across Britain, including those with autism, to employers via the Disability Confident Scheme. To further support employers, the Hidden Impairments National Group, established by DWP, provides an “Uncovering Hidden Impairment toolkit” which is free of charge to employers.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on behalf of DEC, Compaq and Hewlett Packard pensioners with pre-1997 pension contributions in resolving their case.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
I have met senior representatives from the company to present the pensioners’ arguments and make clear my interest in the matter.
However, the company is meeting its legal obligations.
Any increases to pensions in payment are likely to mean significant additional expenditure for any scheme and its sponsoring employer. Therefore, the Government has no plans to require all schemes to pay increases on pre-1997 pensions.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice his Department issues to personal independence payment claimants on their right to have a recorded home assessment.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Any claimant can request a home consultation for Personal Independence Payment, however a claimant may specifically require a home consultation where their diagnosis suggests extreme difficulty travelling to an assessment due to their health condition or impairment.
All PIP claimants are entitled to use their own equipment to record assessments, within an assessment centre or at their home. This equipment should meet DWP standards. You can find standards for recording PIP assessments, for each Assessment Provider, on their respective websites, or by using the following links:
Atos: http://www.atoshealthcare.com/pip/faq_view/recording_my_consultation
Capita: http://www.capita-pip.co.uk/en/assessment-process.html
The Health Professional does not need to separately consider the recording of a recorded assessment, as they will have conducted the assessment themselves and produced a report; however a copy the recording will be held securely for 14 months following. The Department will consider evidence from the recorded home assessment report in the same way it considers all PIP assessments; by treating people as individuals, considering the impact of their impairment or health condition on their everyday life and how each claimant has personally adapted to living with a disability.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department uses to determine eligibility for recorded home assessments for personal independence payment; what support his Department provides for vulnerable claimants who require home assessments; and what processes are undertaken by his Department to consider the evidence from recorded home assessments.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Any claimant can request a home consultation for Personal Independence Payment, however a claimant may specifically require a home consultation where their diagnosis suggests extreme difficulty travelling to an assessment due to their health condition or impairment.
All PIP claimants are entitled to use their own equipment to record assessments, within an assessment centre or at their home. This equipment should meet DWP standards. You can find standards for recording PIP assessments, for each Assessment Provider, on their respective websites, or by using the following links:
Atos: http://www.atoshealthcare.com/pip/faq_view/recording_my_consultation
Capita: http://www.capita-pip.co.uk/en/assessment-process.html
The Health Professional does not need to separately consider the recording of a recorded assessment, as they will have conducted the assessment themselves and produced a report; however a copy the recording will be held securely for 14 months following. The Department will consider evidence from the recorded home assessment report in the same way it considers all PIP assessments; by treating people as individuals, considering the impact of their impairment or health condition on their everyday life and how each claimant has personally adapted to living with a disability.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the findings of the reports from (a) the National Audit Office on Benefit Sanctions, published on 30 November 2013 and (b) the oral evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee of 28 November 2016, HC56, on the disability employment gap, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting (i) disabled people and (ii) those experiencing mental ill health from the benefit sanctions regime.
Answered by Damian Hinds
Sanctions are only used in a very small percentage of cases and as a last resort. They are an important part of our benefits system and encourage claimants to stick to their agreed commitments to prepare for or find work, based on their individual needs and circumstances. The sanction system is under continuous review to ensure that it functions effectively and fairly - where we identify an issue, we act to put it right.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Seventh Report of the Work and Pensions Committee, Disability Employment Gap, HC56, if he will make it his policy to postpone the introduction of the new rate of employment and support allowance for people in the work-related activity group until new programmes to support such people are introduced.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
We intend to proceed with our reforms to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) because we believe they are the best way to ensure that we provide the right support for those who are unable to work due to a health condition or disability. That support is not limited to just money, but also practical help for ESA claimants to take steps towards and into work, while keeping an important safety net in place for those who are vulnerable or unable to work.
This change will only apply to new claims from 3 April 2017 and will only affect those in the ESA Work Related Activity Group
Existing ESA claimants with a current claim prior to 3 April will not be affected and will continue to get the same level of financial support, with additional protections, including when reassessed and placed in the Work Related Activity Group, set out in regulations.
A key part of our reforms is the allocation of a total of £330m for new, voluntary employment support for people with limited capability for work, over four years starting from April 2017, and an extra £15 million through a top up to the existing Flexible Support Fund in both 2017/18 and 2018/19.
This additional funding means that from April 2017 we will be offering people newly placed in the Work Related Activity Group, and it’s Universal Credit equivalent, more assistance to move closer to the labour market and when they are ready into work.
As well as the £330m set out above, the 2015 Spending Review announced the new Work and Health Programme, which will focus support on people with a disability or health condition. In addition to beginning a commercial process to let contracts with a total value in excess of £400m for the Work and Health Programme in the rest of England and Wales, the Department has announced its intention to provide around £100m of funding to London and Greater Manchester to develop, procure and deliver localised versions of the new Work and Health Programme to fit the needs of their residents. We are also in discussion with the Scottish Government about devolving an appropriate level of funding for equivalent support they may wish to offer.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the financial allocation to the Work and Health Programme by his Department will be in each of the next five years.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Department announced on 30 January our intention to provide around £100m of funding to London and Greater Manchester to develop, procure and deliver localised versions of the new Work and Health Programme to fit the needs of their residents. In addition, the Department has launched a commercial process to let contracts with a total value in excess of £400m for the Work and Health Programme in the rest of England and Wales. We are also in discussion with the Scottish Government about devolving an appropriate level of funding for equivalent support they may wish to offer.
At this point we cannot confirm the financial allocation for each of the next five years as this will be dependent on the outcomes of the commercial process and agreements with HMT on funding beyond the current Spending Review period.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) other Departments and (b) Motability on extending the Motability scheme to personal independence payment claimants not receiving the highest rate of mobility support; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Department continues to work closely with Motability and other Departments to explore ways to better support disabled people, including those PIP claimants who are not in receipt of the enhanced-rate mobility component of PIP. We have had a range of discussions on this issue.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library the written correspondence between his Department and Motability from the last three months on possible changes to the Motability scheme.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Motability is an independent charitable organisation and it would not be appropriate to publish communications between Motability and the Department that were sent in confidence.