David Linden

A reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member was sent on 21 April.

This contract replaces an existing contract, which is coming to an end.

The Health Transformation Programme is developing a new Health Assessment Service through our Health Transformation Area. This is a controlled safe environment where we can develop the service at small scale, exploring ideas from claimants, stakeholders and DWP staff. The healthcare professionals who deliver WCA and PIP assessments within the Health Transformation Area, are directly employed by the DWP.

The new contract provides additional healthcare professionals, providing us with the flexibility to supplement the capacity as required to ensure we can continue to provide a stable service to meet the needs of claimants and to continue to test and build the new service.

In addition to the response to question 166319 on 20^th March, we have also looked at the second and third oldest application, and both are also awaiting information from the customer, employer, and/or outcome of workplace assessment, for the case manager to proceed with the application.

We currently have 7282 applications with case managers. It would be considerably resource intensive to look through all of these to identify the oldest that is not awaiting information from an external source. I can confirm that we do conduct internal checks on the older cases to ensure they are not unnecessarily delayed and that the average clearance time in February for all applications was 58 working days, with 42% of applications having a decision in 25 days.

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.

Where payments are stopped and then reinstated, this is due to late return or non-return of a life certificate rather than from anything incorrect on the part of DWP. The number of payments stopped as a result of late return or non-return are:

The Management Information used has been taken from the same operational source data systems as our published administrative data. However, as this Management Information is not a recognised National or Official Statistic, it has not been subjected to the same level of Quality Assurance. As a result, these figures should be treat with caution.

The Department for Work and Pensions confirmed in writing to the Canadian High Commission in London on 24 August 2022 that measures had been implemented to enable the clearing of life certificates by telephone and that pensioners who had been impacted were encouraged to contact the International Pension Centre. It was confirmed that suspended payments would be backdated and that the Department had extended the period in which Canadian customers could return life certificates because of issues with the Canadian Postal System.

This information is only available at disproportionate cost to The Department for Work & Pensions as the Department does not have a business requirement for this information to be retained.

The longest outstanding Access to Work application was received on 19^h January 2022. This application is currently on hold at the request of the customer to allow them time to gather information to support the application.

The Access to Work average wait times, from application to a decision being made, for February 2023, was 58 working days.

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.

Yes.

Work Coaches are vital to getting people into jobs and supporting people to earn more. They are central to a number of the measures announced at Budget, including stepping up Jobcentre support for parents, disabled people and people with health conditions.

We are reviewing our internal plans to ensure we grow our capacity appropriately and effectively, this will include further recruitment to support delivery of these measures.

Work Coaches are vital to getting people into jobs and supporting people to earn more. They are central to a number of the measures announced at Budget, including stepping up Jobcentre support for parents, disabled people and people with health conditions.

We are reviewing our internal plans to ensure we grow our capacity appropriately and effectively, this will include further recruitment to support delivery of these measures.

Work Coaches are vital to getting people into jobs and supporting people to earn more. They are central to a number of the measures announced at Budget, including stepping up Jobcentre support for parents, disabled people and people with health conditions.

We are reviewing our internal plans to ensure we grow our capacity appropriately and effectively, this will include further recruitment to support delivery of these measures.

Work Coaches are vital to getting people into jobs and supporting people to earn more. They are central to a number of the measures announced at Budget, including stepping up Jobcentre support for parents, disabled people and people with health conditions.

We are reviewing our internal plans to ensure we grow our capacity appropriately and effectively, this will include further recruitment to support delivery of these measures.

We have carried out Equality Impact Assessments for the proposed changes to the requirements for lead carers of children aged 1 to 12 years.

Data is already in the public domain about the In-Work Progression Randomised Control Trial (RCT), which found that more intensive support delivered by Jobcentre Work Coaches helped claimants to increase their earnings. See link Universal Credit: in-work progression randomised control trial - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

It demonstrated the importance of the relationship between the claimant and their Work Coach, with more regular engagement more likely to result in positive steps being taken to progress.

Data is already in the public domain about the In-Work Progression Randomised Control Trial (RCT), which found that more intensive support delivered by Jobcentre Work Coaches helped claimants to increase their earnings. See link Universal Credit: in-work progression randomised control trial - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

It demonstrated the importance of the relationship between the claimant and their Work Coach, with more regular engagement more likely to result in positive steps being taken to progress.

here are no plans to automate either decision making or the application of the sanctions regime which will continue to be undertaken by Work Coaches and Decision Makers. However, we are automating the creation of the referral form for claimants who miss mandatory appointments. The referral form will then be reviewed by the Work Coach and submitted to the Decision Maker to take the ultimate decision, in the normal way.

There are no plans to automate either decision making or the application of the sanctions regime which will continue to be undertaken by Work Coaches and Decision Makers. However, we are automating the creation of the referral form for claimants who miss mandatory appointments. The referral form will then be reviewed by the Work Coach and submitted to the Decision Maker to take the ultimate decision, in the normal way.

The department is committed to the continuous upskilling of all Work Coaches to ensure a consistent application of sanctions policy and protection of claimants. As with all changes to process that are undertaken, Work Coaches will be provided with guidance and support as required.

There are no plans to automate the decision making or the application of the sanction’s regime, which will continue to be undertaken by Work Coaches and Decision Makers.

However, feedback from Work Coaches tells us that to create the original referral form for claimants that missed mandatory appointments is very slow and requires them to manually input all the required information. Any data input incorrectly would invalidate the referral meaning any associated decision could not be progressed. So, we are automating the creation of this form. The referral form will then be reviewed by the Work Coach and submitted to the Decision Maker to take the ultimate decision, in the normal way.

We continually use a range of evidence to make improvements in our processes and in turn save taxpayers money.

The Secretary of State took into account evidence and statistics held in the department, the views of stakeholders, the wider economic climate, public funds and the circumstances of capped households were also considered. At the new levels the cap will continue to incentivise work, particularly at a time of high vacancies.

We have made no such assessment.

The Secretary of State has complied with his duties under the Equality Act 2010 in respect of the statutory review of the benefit cap levels and the changes that will come into force from 1 April 2023.

The Department has completed an Equality Analysis for both of the changes made to the Administrative Earnings Threshold.

There are currently no plans to undertake further research on sanctions.

There are no plans to publish the data used to inform the review of the Benefit Cap levels carried out under S96A of the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

We do not hold the information requested.

We will provide updates on progress of the investigative work through the quarterly bulletins and the DWP Statistical Work Programme.

We do not hold the information requested.

We will provide updates on progress of the investigative work through the quarterly bulletins and the DWP Statistical Work Programme.

The Touchbase newsletter was previously published online monthly as well as being shared by email to those who had subscribed for updates.

At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, a decision was made to create a weekly version of the email. Digital resources were focussed on updating online guidance available for everyone. The online version was no longer published to avoid any confusion with historical versions giving out of date messages.

The weekly email version of Touchbase still continues and anyone can subscribe to these updates. Touchbase editions after March 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The Department have always made it clear these sites are temporary, linked to the Plan for Jobs, and the interventions needed due to impact of the pandemic, and that we would look to decommission them at the appropriate time and move back into business as usual – as set out in two updates to Parliament on 23 March 2021 and 20 July 2022.

To that end, the Department’s governance process, and decision to decommission the temporary Jobcentres listed in the Written Statement of 8 February 2023, was finalised on 10 January 2023.

The Department shared the decision to decommission the temporary Jobcentres with the relevant staff for the sites listed in that Written Statement as soon as it was ready to do so – this took place via co-ordinated announcements at 9am on 8 February 2023.

We are monitoring the implementation of the changes in the Administrative Earnings Threshold in order to gather insights into how to best support people in work to increase their earnings. The impact evaluation of the September AET rise will not take place for some time, as it will take a while for earnings increases to materialise given claimants need time to discuss their goals and situation with their Work Coach, consider their options with their employer and family, and take the necessary steps to grow their income.

It is not possible to answer with precision at this stage. Data on the impact of the change in the AET change on claimant earnings will not be available for some time. This is due to the time it takes for the policy to have an effect on claimant earnings, and the time it will take to conduct a robust analysis of that data.

We are constantly seeking feedback from Work Coaches across the business on any changes that might impact claimants.

The Department has an established programme of publication and publishes a large amount of data per year. The department currently releases around 40 Official and National statistics series each year, as well as collaborating to support a number of cross-government publications.

The Department complies with the overall intent of FOI Act and the Cabinet Office Code of Practice and keeps under consideration its approach to process and publication of information.

As mentioned in response to Question 131311, many Freedom of Information responses are automatically put in the public domain by the WhatDoTheyKnow website making them freely available to everyone.

The Department’s Workplace Transformation programme business case published in March 2022, did not include the cost of the temporary Jobcentre estate. The costs associated with the temporary Jobcentre estate were considered under its own additional Face to Face Capacity Programme. The funding secured from HMT was time limited for the current Spending Review period only.

No explicit decision has ever been made. This was simply a change in process that occurred naturally over time.

DWP has made significant improvements to the complaints services since 2021 moving to a single tier model, with the aim of simplifying the process and prioritising vulnerable customers. We continually monitor complaints including the volumes and, where needed we have introduced further improvement including developing a consistent approach to complaints through new quality standards. We are committed to learning from complaints, using insight to support further improvements.

Complaint volumes were slightly lower in 2021-22, and whilst the data published on 31 January 2023 represents the first three quarters of 2022/23, volumes remain much lower than pre-pandemic levels. Overall volumes continue to represent less than 1% of the customer caseload.

We are closely monitoring the implementation of the September change. The majority of claimants impacted by the change of regulations now have a tailored Claimant Commitment agreed with their work coach.

Further to question 132435 answered in the House of Commons on 30 January 2023 and question 127881 answered in the House of Commons on 24 January 2023, the Department has not made any formal announcements to staff regarding decommissioning temporary Jobcentres as part of its ongoing review of the Jobcentre estate.

The review is in progress and the Department will communicate outcomes with Jobcentre staff when a decision has been made on any sites that may impact them. MPs will be contacted should a decision regarding a Jobcentre estate be made that could affect their constituents.

A full list of the temporary Jobcentre sites can be found on GOV.UK.

Data for the period stated is not available.

Data for the period stated is not available.

The Department is always working with Work Coaches and JCP local area managers on any change. It is too early for us to evaluate the impact on claimants at this stage.

On 10 January, the department published Completing the move to Universal Credit: Learning from the Discovery Phase - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which details our approach in contacting claimants during the Earliest Testable Service (ETS). We will continue to test and learn what claimants need to enable them to move to UC, as we go forward.

The latest available statistics show, in August 2022, there were around 170,000 single under 25 year olds on Universal Credit in payment and entitled to the housing element indicating they pay their own rent and do not live with family members or as a couple.

Further to question 127881 answered in the House of Commons on 24 January 2023, the Department can confirm that it continues to review its Jobcentre estate with a view to start returning to its pre-pandemic size.

Once the Department is ready to provide more information on proposed closure locations, and dates, it will share the news with staff first and I can assure the House that all MPs will be contacted when a decision has been made on any sites that may impact on their constituents.

A full list of the temporary sites can be found on GOV.UK.

The Department takes its obligations under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act very seriously. However, it is not a requirement to publish FOI responses.

All FOI requests that are submitted via WhatDoTheyKnow.com, automatically have their responses published on that site.

The Department has publicly committed to returning the Jobcentre estate to its pre-pandemic size, restated in a Written Ministerial Statement in July 2022. The Department is currently reviewing the ongoing business need for these temporary Jobcentres.

The Department will provide more information in due course.

DWP can make a consolatory payment to a claimant in recognition for when gross inconvenience has been caused.

The table below shows the total amount spent on consolatory payments per calendar year (January to December) as requested.

*Please note: The figure for 2022 has not yet been finalised, as the figures are reported quarterly, therefore the 2022 figure above represents the first nine months only.

As a Department, DWP has continuously improved the complaints process and recognises the increase in the amount of consolatory payments paid is indicative of the departments complaints process better acknowledging when things haven’t gone as they should, and where appropriate to compensate the customer.

The estimated amount recovered in benefit overpayments as a result of claimants dying in the financial year 2021-22 was £63 million.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member for Glasgow East by the Minister for Work and Pensions (Lords), on behalf of the Secretary of State, on 2 December 2022.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member for Glasgow East by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Director for Disability Service, Decision Making and Working Age, on behalf of the Secretary of State, on 16 November 2022.

DWP provided a full written response to the office of David Linden MP on 20 July 2022 in relation to his constituent’s enquiry.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member by the Director for Disability Services, Decision Making and Working Age on behalf of the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work on 11 July 2022.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member by the Director for Disability Services, Decision Making and Working Age on behalf of the Secretary of State, on 13 May 2022.

A telephone response was provided to the office of David Linden MP on 1 April 2022.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member by the Area Director for Universal Credit, on behalf of the Secretary of State, on 26 March 2022.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has not completed his investigation. It would not be appropriate to comment whilst the investigation is ongoing; and section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.

When individuals make a claim to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) they are encouraged to provide relevant evidence which they already have. This can include information from a GP. We do not advise claimants to request additional documents as this may slow down their claim, or incur a cost. GPs can charge their patients for producing additional supporting evidence and they may not always be best placed to provide evidence of a claimant’s functional capabilities.

Part 1 of the PIP Assessment Guide (PIPAG) - Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment guide for assessment providers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) - for Health Professionals who carry out PIP assessments, includes guidance at section 1.4 requiring them to review each claim to determine whether further evidence is needed. It also advises on the most appropriate source of further evidence considering a range of professionals who may be involved in supporting the claimant.

The headline findings from the Uses of Health and Disability Benefits research give an insight into how health and disability benefits are used by recipients alongside other sources of provision and support to meet health and disability related needs.

We are currently considering a range of policy options, drawing on wide evidence, research, analysis and the responses to the Green Paper consultation. We will bring forward our proposals in our Health and Disability White Paper due later this year.

The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) is the main measure of UK inflation. CPI in the year to September (published by the Office for National Statistics in October) is the latest figure that the Secretary of State can use to allow sufficient time for the required legislative and operational changes before new rates can be introduced at the start of the new financial year. From April 2022 benefits and pensions will increase by 3.1%, in line with the CPI.

Disability benefits are not means–tested, non-contributory and thus paid regardless of any income or savings. PIP and DLA were not subject to the benefits freeze.

The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) is the main measure of UK inflation. CPI in the year to September (published by the Office for National Statistics in October) is the latest figure that the Secretary of State can use to allow sufficient time for the required legislative and operational changes before new rates can be introduced at the start of the new financial year. From April 2022 benefits and pensions will increase by 3.1%, in line with the CPI.

Disability benefits are not means–tested, non-contributory and thus paid regardless of any income or savings. PIP and DLA were not subject to the benefits freeze.

The Health and Disability Green Paper explored how we can improve assessments, including how they capture the impact of fluctuating conditions and how we reduce unnecessary assessments for people whose conditions are unlikely to improve. We are now analysing the over 4,500 responses we received and will be bringing forward a White Paper with detailed proposals later this year.

Through the Severe Conditions criteria, we have stopped repeat assessments on ESA/UC for people with the most severe and lifelong conditions.

We have committed to testing a new Severe Disability Group (SDG) for people who have severe and lifelong conditions that will not improve. These people could then benefit from a simplified process without ever needing to complete a detailed application form or go through an assessment. We will consider these test results once complete to influence thinking on the next stages of this work.

The Department does not maintain a list of sources used and so the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 125429.

The Secretary of State regularly discusses a range of issues relating to her portfolio with Cabinet colleagues.

As we learn to live with Covid-19, government is continuing to take a broader look at the role of SSP and is keeping the system under review. SSP should not be looked at in isolation. Government support through the welfare system, including Universal Credit, is also available for those on low incomes who need extra financial help when they are sick or incapable of work for an extended period.

No assessment has been made.

The Social Security Advisory Committee will continue its role to scrutinise statutory regulations and provide advice whilst continuing to have access to sanction statistics.

No assessment has been made.

The Department publishes regular Benefit Sanctions statistics and whilst some of the statistics are temporarily unavailable they will be restored as soon as possible.

DWP engages with staff and their Union representatives routinely where there are material changes in the duties and functions of staff. We recognise the importance of the role that meaningful consultation can play, as the Way to Work campaign does not represent a change to the role of the Work Coach we did not undertake discussions with PCS Union prior to its announcement.

We continue to monitor the operation of all our policies and processes to ensure they remain clear, fair and effective in promoting positive behaviours and have carefully considered the impact of implementing Way to Work on Jobcentre staff.

The Way to Work campaign aims to help job-ready claimants into work more quickly, utilising strong relationships with employers to help fill the hundreds of thousands of vacancies in the economy. Way to Work is not a new sanctions policy.

The expectations of a claimant are agreed with them and clearly set out in their Claimant Commitment at the beginning of their Universal Credit (UC) claim. This includes both mandatory and voluntary actions the claimant has agreed to undertake. Any work-related requirements are set in discussion with the claimant and will always be tailored to an individual claimant’s capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable.

Way to Work is specifically for those placed in the Intensive Work Search (IWS) conditionality group while on UC. Claimants with health-related support needs will undertake a Work Capability Assessment to determine their conditionality group and, where appropriate, may receive support through the Work and Health Programme.

We know the longer a person is out of work, the harder it is for them to get back into work. These changes are intended to accelerate the rate at which people who lose their current job are helped back into employment.

The investigation of sanction durations is ongoing and involves the extensive examination and rewriting of complex code to ensure that the methodology is robust. We will provide updates on progress within the bulletin and inform users of the outcome of our investigations once these are complete. We aim to revise the complete series for sanction duration and median sanction length statistics using the improved methodology in line with the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Statistics as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, due to an internal error the Department did not receive the letter of 10 January 2022 until 24 February. It is being taken forward and a reply will be issued.

There are internal minutes for the meeting held on the 13 July 2021 with the Business Leaders Group.

There are no formal minutes, but a record of key points and actions was taken for the meeting held on the 13 July 2021 with Sense, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People and on the 14 July 2021 with the National Autistic Society and Mencap and Disability Rights UK.

DWP has recently moved to a new data platform to store and process data. During our live running process an issue was identified with the availability of software required to process Universal Credit full service (UCFS) sanction decisions data. This is currently being investigated and we aim to reinstate the decisions measure as soon as possible. We expect to provide a further update in late March 2022.

Statistics for Universal Credit (UC) durations and median sanction length remain suspended, and we will continue to publish the UC rate for UC Full Service only from April 2019. This is to allow for investigations to continue into the code used to produce these statistics in order to ensure methods are robust. We will keep users updated on progress via the Benefit Sanctions statistics page, and further details are available in section 5 of the latest Benefit Sanctions statistics bulletin.

Statistics for Universal Credit (UC) durations and median sanction length remain suspended, and we will continue to publish the UC rate for UC Full Service only from April 2019. This is to allow for investigations to continue into the code used to produce these statistics in order to ensure methods are robust. We will keep users updated on progress via the Benefit Sanctions statistics page, and further details are available in section 5 of the latest Benefit Sanctions statistics bulletin.

No assessment has been made. There is a statutory duty for the Secretary of State to review the benefit cap levels once in each Parliament.

Households receiving disability benefits and/or entitled to carer benefits are exempt to ensure the most vulnerable are supported.

We continue to monitor the operation of all our policies and processes to ensure they remain clear, fair and effective in promoting positive behaviours and have carefully considered the impact of implementing Way to Work on jobcentre staff.

Our Jobcentre teams are committed to ensuring all claimants receive the best possible support to meet their individual circumstances. Jobcentre caseload sizes are closely monitored at both a national and sub national level to allow DWP to plan workforce numbers required. The frequency of interventions Work Coaches undertake with claimants is determined by the individual circumstances of the claimant, the duration of their claim, and the level of support required at that time. Maintaining an effective Work Coach diary is a joint responsibility between a team leader and the Work Coach; and is managed collaboratively through regular discussion and agreement.

Way to Work is a new concerted national drive to help half a million people claiming benefits into jobs by the end of June 2022, supporting them to take their next step to building a more secure and prosperous future. While we have more people on company payrolls than before the pandemic, latest figures show there are around 1.2 million vacancies across the economy, including many in key sectors.

Through Way to Work we will work with employers and claimants to support people into work more swiftly. This isn’t a new sanctions policy.

What’s changing is the time people have to limit their search for jobs in their preferred sector. Claimants with skills and experience for a specific type of role will be permitted up to four weeks to secure employment in that sector rather than the previous 13 weeks. Sanctions are only ever used where someone fails to comply with reasonable and appropriate commitments that have previously been agreed, without good reason. These steps are agreed with the claimant, outlined in the claimant commitment and followed up during discussions with Work Coaches.

If, after 4 weeks, claimants refuse to widen their job search and apply for a broader range of roles, attend interviews or take up paid work outside of their preferred sector without good reason, then they may be referred for a sanction.

Sanctions are only used when jobseekers fail to meet their agreed requirements or refuse to take up or stay in employment without good reason. The latest statistics show the sanctions rate at 2.37% which is below pre-pandemic levels.

Publicly available international studies indicate that benefit systems supported by conditionality are effective at moving people into work. Some of these studies are synthesised in a report by Griggs and Evans (2010), Foundation on Sanctions within conditional benefit systems: A review of evidence.

We have no plans to undertake further research on sanctions.

The decision not to publish the sanctions evaluation report was made on 15 October 2020 by the Secretary of State.

The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February and will be available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up--2. These will cover the financial year 2019/20.

The estimates for financial year 2018/19 show take-up has increased, not fallen.

The Government is committed to alleviating pensioner poverty. Latest figures show 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty, after housing costs, compared to 2009/10.

The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February. These will cover the financial year 2019/20. Due to the sample size used to estimate Pension Credit take-up statistics, figures cannot be broken down to a constituency level.

Since then, the Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit, encourage pensioners to check their eligibility, and to make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC and Age UK.

Our initial internal management information suggests new claims for Pension Credit in the past twelve months to December 2021 were around 136,000, representing an increase of around 30% compared to the 12 months to December 2019 when they were around 105,000. It also suggests that we have been receiving consistently high volumes of claims over recent months, at around 3,300 per week.

This management information has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but are provided here in the interests of transparency.

The impact of these claim volumes on numbers of successful awards and on Pension Credit take-up will take longer to establish given the usual cycle involved in producing those statistics.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends.

We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.

We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families.

Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February and will be available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up--2. These will cover the financial year 2019/20.

The estimates for financial year 2018/19 show take-up has increased, not fallen.

It is not feasible to undertake such an assessment.

The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit, including using proactive press activity and social media posts, the annual uprating mailing to over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain and our work with stakeholders.

No. Formal, structured meetings are usually minuted, however, not all meetings need to be minuted. It is expected that the general guidance that departments give to their staff will help officials make judgements as to what meetings need to be minuted, noting their Civil Service Code obligation to ‘keep accurate official records’. Specific procedures are in place for external meetings involving Ministers. These are publicly available and can be found in the Guidance on the management of Private Office Papers.

It is not necessary to review the expected daily travelling time as DWP is well placed to support the Levelling Up agenda. We do this by helping individuals across the nation to take full advantage of job opportunities within their local areas.

Typically, a claimant who is expected to be available and looking for work will be required to look for work that is within daily travelling time of their home. There is a maximum limit set at 90 minutes travel time from their home, Work coaches have the flexibility to tailor this taking into consideration a claimant’s circumstances, for example, location of childcare, schools, available work and public transport links

Flexible Support Fund is available to help with the cost of attending interviews and can support travel costs for up to 3 months of the claimant starting work

The decision not to publish the sanctions evaluation report was made on 15 October 2020 as part of routine departmental business, which is not required to be minuted.

The 2019 sanctions evaluation used UC administrative data to look at the impact a sanction has on an individual’s likelihood of entering work and on their earnings once they are in work. It was not an assessment of poverty levels. Currently we have no plans to undertake further research on this aspect of sanctions.

Way to Work is a drive to support 500,000 people into work swiftly. As part of this campaign we are changing the period in which a claimant can limit their job search to their usual occupation to promote wider employment opportunities, supporting people into work more quickly. We know the longer a person is out of work, the harder it is for them to get back into work.

Claimants on work-related benefits are generally expected to undertake certain activities which help them to prepare for, look for and move into work. We have strong UK-specific evidence through Randomised Control Trials and from a broad body of international studies that benefit systems supported by conditionality are effective at moving people into work. Sanction on UC remain low at 0.78%.

The decision not to publish the sanctions evaluation report was made on 15 October 2020 as part of routine departmental business, which is not required to be minuted.

The 2019 sanctions evaluation used UC administrative data to look at the impact a sanction has on an individual’s likelihood of entering work and on their earnings once they are in work. It was not an assessment of poverty levels. Currently we have no plans to undertake further research on this aspect of sanctions.

Way to Work is a drive to support 500,000 people into work swiftly. As part of this campaign we are changing the period in which a claimant can limit their job search to their usual occupation to promote wider employment opportunities, supporting people into work more quickly. We know the longer a person is out of work, the harder it is for them to get back into work.

Claimants on work-related benefits are generally expected to undertake certain activities which help them to prepare for, look for and move into work. We have strong UK-specific evidence through Randomised Control Trials and from a broad body of international studies that benefit systems supported by conditionality are effective at moving people into work. Sanction on UC remain low at 0.78%.

The decision not to publish the sanctions evaluation report was made on 15 October 2020 as part of routine departmental business, which is not required to be minuted.

The 2019 sanctions evaluation used UC administrative data to look at the impact a sanction has on an individual’s likelihood of entering work and on their earnings once they are in work. It was not an assessment of poverty levels. Currently we have no plans to undertake further research on this aspect of sanctions.

Way to Work is a drive to support 500,000 people into work swiftly. As part of this campaign we are changing the period in which a claimant can limit their job search to their usual occupation to promote wider employment opportunities, supporting people into work more quickly. We know the longer a person is out of work, the harder it is for them to get back into work.

Claimants on work-related benefits are generally expected to undertake certain activities which help them to prepare for, look for and move into work. We have strong UK-specific evidence through Randomised Control Trials and from a broad body of international studies that benefit systems supported by conditionality are effective at moving people into work. Sanction on UC remain low at 0.78%.

The decision not to publish the sanctions evaluation report was made on 15 October 2020 as part of routine departmental business, which is not required to be minuted.

The 2019 sanctions evaluation used UC administrative data to look at the impact a sanction has on an individual’s likelihood of entering work and on their earnings once they are in work. It was not an assessment of poverty levels. Currently we have no plans to undertake further research on this aspect of sanctions.

Way to Work is a drive to support 500,000 people into work swiftly. As part of this campaign we are changing the period in which a claimant can limit their job search to their usual occupation to promote wider employment opportunities, supporting people into work more quickly. We know the longer a person is out of work, the harder it is for them to get back into work.

Claimants on work-related benefits are generally expected to undertake certain activities which help them to prepare for, look for and move into work. We have strong UK-specific evidence through Randomised Control Trials and from a broad body of international studies that benefit systems supported by conditionality are effective at moving people into work. Sanction on UC remain low at 0.78%.

Way to Work is a concerted drive across the UK to help half a million people currently out of work into jobs in the next five months. While we have more people on company payrolls than before the pandemic, latest figures show there are around 1.2 million vacancies across the economy, including many in key sectors.

For new claimants, we are reducing the “permitted period” where a claimant has previously carried out work of a particular nature, or at a particular level of remuneration from a maximum of 3 months to a maximum of 4 weeks. A claimant must normally be willing to travel 90 minutes each way to work. This has not changed with the introduction of Way to Work.

Flexible Support Fund is available to help with the cost of attending interviews and can support travel costs for up to 3 months of the claimant starting work.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 77445.

Universal Credit statistics uses the term ‘conditionality regime’ in place of conditionality groups and labour market regime. The intensive work search group is part of the labour market regime.

The latest available information on the number of people on Universal Credit by conditionality regime, is published and can be found in Table 1 of the ‘People on Universal Credit’ dataset on Stat-Xplore at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

No. Formal, structured meetings are usually minuted, however, not all meetings need to be minuted. It is expected that the general guidance that departments give to their staff will help officials make judgements as to what meetings need to be minuted, noting their Civil Service Code obligation to ‘keep accurate official records’. Specific procedures are in place for external meetings involving ministers. These are publicly available and can be found in the Guidance on the management of Private Office Papers.

The consultation ‘Health is Everyone’s Business' proposed a broad package of measures which aimed to reduce ill-health related job loss, including reform of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). As part of this, the Government sought views on the impact of the rate and length of SSP on employee and employer behaviour and decisions.

In the response to the consultation, the Government made clear that the pandemic was not the right time to introduce changes to the rate of SSP.

As of the 14^th January 2022, the number of applications received from gateways (on behalf of employers) and directly from individual employers to the Kickstart Scheme was 65,000. Of these, 31,000 applications were approved and 32,000 were rejected. The number of approved and rejected applications do not sum to the total amount of applications received as some were withdrawn prior to a decision being made. No applications are awaiting a decision. We are unable to disclose details regarding refused applications due to suspected fraud. If cases are under investigation, releasing any information could impede that.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

The Department has published the list of temporary Jobcentres on https://www.gov.uk/guidance/temporary-jobcentres-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic and, in the next week, opening dates will be included for those sites that have already opened. The Department will continue to update https://www.gov.uk/guidance/temporary-jobcentres-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic as more sites open. The date a site opens is dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, lease signing dates, planning approvals and completion of the building work required.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 22 December 2021.

My Department is currently considering a range of policy options, and it is right to protect the private space within which Ministers and their policy advisers can develop policies without the risk of premature disclosure.

The Publication Protocol for Government Social Research provides guidance on the publication of social research, but it is important that Ministers consider research and its publication on a case by case basis and in the best interests of Government policy formation.

My Department is currently considering a range of policy options, and it is right to protect the private space within which Ministers and their policy advisers can develop policies without the risk of premature disclosure.

The Publication Protocol for Government Social Research provides guidance on the publication of social research, but it is important that Ministers consider research and its publication on a case by case basis and in the best interests of Government policy formation.

My Department is currently considering a range of policy options, and it is right to protect the private space within which Ministers and their policy advisers can develop policies without the risk of premature disclosure.

The Publication Protocol for Government Social Research provides guidance on the publication of social research, but it is important that Ministers consider research and its publication on a case by case basis and in the best interests of Government policy formation.

My Department is currently considering a range of policy options, and it is right to protect the private space within which Ministers and their policy advisers can develop policies without the risk of premature disclosure.

The Publication Protocol for Government Social Research provides guidance on the publication of social research, but it is important that Ministers consider research and its publication on a case by case basis and in the best interests of Government policy formation.

The Government considers a broad range of analysis and evidence to support the formation of all its policy.

DWP has no responsibility for the administration of war pensions; this lies with the Ministry of Defence.

The information is not available. This is because Universal Credit is a unitary concept. Whilst there are different elements in the determination of the gross entitlement, Universal Credit is paid as one single payment. As such it is not possible to describe the benefit cap deduction as a deduction from a particular increase to an element of the Universal Credit award, such as the £20 uplift.

The benefit cap restores fairness between those receiving working age benefits and taxpayers in employment and encourages people to move into work, where possible.

The first Ministerial Disability Champions were appointed in summer 2020, at the request of the Prime Minister, to drive the development and delivery of the National Disability Strategy.

Their role, as set out on GOV.UK, includes championing disabled people and driving the delivery of the National Disability Strategy in their respective departments. All champions contributed a statement of intent, and a specific range of commitments published in the Strategy.

The Strategy committed to publishing an annual report in summer 2022, which will detail the progress made against the commitments. The Ministerial Disability Champions will have direct input into the annual report.

An updated list of Departmental Ministerial Disability Champions will be published on GOV.UK in due course. The next ministerial champions meeting is due to happen this month.

The first Ministerial Disability Champions were appointed in summer 2020, at the request of the Prime Minister, to drive the development and delivery of the National Disability Strategy.

Their role, as set out on GOV.UK, includes championing disabled people and driving the delivery of the National Disability Strategy in their respective departments. All champions contributed a statement of intent, and a specific range of commitments published in the Strategy.

The Strategy committed to publishing an annual report in summer 2022, which will detail the progress made against the commitments. The Ministerial Disability Champions will have direct input into the annual report.

An updated list of Departmental Ministerial Disability Champions will be published on GOV.UK in due course. The next ministerial champions meeting is due to happen this month.

There have been 23 Jobcentres that were fully closed using a circuit break between the beginning of the pandemic and Sept 30 2021 as a result of possible direct workplace transmission. Circuit breaks are tight restrictions and/or closures designed to stop the spread and bring the number of cases down. The Department has prioritised the safety of our workforce and claimants throughout the pandemic.

Universal Credit is based on a strong system of support and an agreed relationship where both sides endeavour to do the best they can to achieve positive work outcomes and prevent a slide into welfare dependency. Our evidence shows that Work Coach support is effective at reducing the amount of time claimants spend on benefit and that Work Coaches can help working claimants overcome barriers to taking on more or better work.

As part of this exercise we are prioritising cases of terminally ill claimants. The remainder of cases will be reviewed in chronological order, starting with the earliest cases first. I can also confirm it is the Department’s policy to review cases where the claimant is now deceased to ensure that their next of kin receive payments.

As part of this exercise we are prioritising cases of terminally ill claimants. The remainder of cases will be reviewed in chronological order, starting with the earliest cases first. I can also confirm it is the Department’s policy to review cases where the claimant is now deceased to ensure that their next of kin receive payments.

We are committed to ensuring that claimants receive the PIP support they are entitled to. The Department is contacting claimants who may be affected and we may ask for further information about the help they needed. We want to ensure we have all the relevant evidence when making a decision and get the right outcome for claimants when reviewing their claim, as part of the administrative exercise.

We recognise that the Department comes into contact with some claimants who are potentially very vulnerable. That is why claimants with a severe mental health or behavioural condition, learning disability, developmental disorder or cognitive problems, who may have difficulty engaging with the process, and with no support network in place, can be provided with additional support during the process if they need it.

This support can include arranging to speak to a representative, carer or other support worker at a convenient time and allowing additional time to provide further information. Where we identify there may be an impact on health, safety and wellbeing of an individual when they receive an arrears payment as part of the exercise, we will work with claimants to understand their needs and seek to help them in identifying and accessing the help that they require.

We currently estimate between 320,000 and 340,000 claimants will need their claims to be reviewed as a result of the MM judgment. Early estimates are subject to uncertainty and we will be refining this estimate as the exercise progresses. The exercise includes claims that were in payment on 6 April 2016 (the date of the original Upper Tribunal decision) as well as claims where DWP made a decision on or after 6 April 2016, including some claims where we did not award PIP. Where these claimants have made more than one claim for PIP each claim will need to be reviewed. The Department published updated guidance implementing the judgment from 17 September 2020, so new PIP decisions from that date already reflect the judgment and will not be reviewed as part of the exercise.

We are not planning to invite claimants for an assessment. However, we may contact them for more information, so that we can make a decision on their claim. We will write to all claimants whose claim(s) we review. Claimants entitled to more PIP following a review will have their award increased and will receive backdated payments.

It is too early for us to give a date by which we expect to have completed all the reviews.

We currently estimate between 320,000 and 340,000 claimants will need their claims to be reviewed as a result of the MM judgment. Early estimates are subject to uncertainty and we will be refining this estimate as the exercise progresses. The exercise includes claims that were in payment on 6 April 2016 (the date of the original Upper Tribunal decision) as well as claims where DWP made a decision on or after 6 April 2016, including some claims where we did not award PIP. Where these claimants have made more than one claim for PIP each claim will need to be reviewed. The Department published updated guidance implementing the judgment from 17 September 2020, so new PIP decisions from that date already reflect the judgment and will not be reviewed as part of the exercise.

We are not planning to invite claimants for an assessment. However, we may contact them for more information, so that we can make a decision on their claim. We will write to all claimants whose claim(s) we review. Claimants entitled to more PIP following a review will have their award increased and will receive backdated payments.

It is too early for us to give a date by which we expect to have completed all the reviews.

The Adjustment Passport pilots have recently commenced with Contractors and Freelancers and are due to go live with young disabled people leaving University and Veterans leaving the Armed Forces at the end of October 2021. The pilots will enable us to gain an understanding of whether the passport reduces the need for assessments where the customer’s needs remain the same, and if it empowers the passport holder to have conversations with future employers about adjustments. Following an evaluation, if the pilots prove successful, the passport will be made available to support all people with disabilities and health conditions providing a transferable record of adjustments and reduce the need for unnecessary assessments.

We are taking a range of steps to continue to raise awareness of Access to Work among people with a disability or long-term health condition.

We regularly promote the scheme through the Department’s social media channels, signposting people to the Access to Work pages on the JobHelp website and on gov.uk.

We are also ensuring advisers who work with potential customers, including Jobcentre Plus, health professionals and advisory groups, have the information and tools to act as advocates for the scheme.

In addition, we are continuing to work with stakeholders, partners and employer associations to raise awareness of Access to Work through communications to their customers, and we have produced a communications toolkit to help them raise awareness.

We are continuing to promote Access to Work to employers as part of the Disability Confident scheme.

I refer the honourable member to the response to PQ UIN 42013 [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-09-03/42013].

I refer the honourable member to the response to PQ UIN 43124 [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-09-06/43124].

The Government last received correspondence from the Canadian Government in November 2020.

The Department does not routinely place its correspondence with foreign Government officials in the Library. However, the Department responded to Canadian officials explaining the Government’s longstanding policy position.

Departmental Ministers have not met Canadian Ministers to discuss the issue of frozen pensions and there are no plans for such a meeting.

The Government last received correspondence from the Canadian Government in November 2020.

The Department does not routinely place its correspondence with foreign Government officials in the Library. However, the Department responded to Canadian officials explaining the Government’s longstanding policy position.

Departmental Ministers have not met Canadian Ministers to discuss the issue of frozen pensions and there are no plans for such a meeting.

The Government last received correspondence from the Canadian Government in November 2020.

The Department does not routinely place its correspondence with foreign Government officials in the Library. However, the Department responded to Canadian officials explaining the Government’s longstanding policy position.

Departmental Ministers have not met Canadian Ministers to discuss the issue of frozen pensions and there are no plans for such a meeting.

The Government last received correspondence from the Canadian Government in November 2020.

The Department does not routinely place its correspondence with foreign Government officials in the Library. However, the Department responded to Canadian officials explaining the Government’s longstanding policy position.

Departmental Ministers have not met Canadian Ministers to discuss the issue of frozen pensions and there are no plans for such a meeting.

The Government last received correspondence from the Canadian Government in November 2020.

The Department does not routinely place its correspondence with foreign Government officials in the Library. However, the Department responded to Canadian officials explaining the Government’s longstanding policy position.

Departmental Ministers have not met Canadian Ministers to discuss the issue of frozen pensions and there are no plans for such a meeting.

Since Kickstart jobs commenced in November, we are pleased that by 8 September 2021 over 69,000 young people had started in jobs created by the scheme. There was an average of 2,800 more starting each week between 18/08/2021 and 08/09/2021. We are confident that we will can continue to fill tens of thousands over the coming months. Employers across Great Britain have provided thousands of roles so that young people can choose a job that is right for them. There are also jobs opening up for young people in the wider economy as it recovers from the global pandemic, between August 2020 and August 2021 there was a 381,000 increase in pay rolled employees under 25 years old.

A Kickstart job can start at any time over the lifetime of the scheme and some employers choose to delay the commencement of roles for a variety of reasons. Our data indicates that between the 27/07/2021 and 08/09/2021 the average time between receipt of an application by DWP to confirmation of its approval was 14 days. Within the same period the average time between receipt of an application and the job being made available for young people to apply for was 43 days. A significant portion of this time includes engagement with employers to return grant funding agreements and job description templates promptly so that applications can be progressed.

We are ensuring as many eligible young people as need it get a chance to experience the Kickstart Scheme. We are promoting vacancies on various platforms, including social media and using initiatives such as Kickstart Quickstart to match young people to jobs in some cases on the same day they are referred to the scheme. In addition, Jobcentres are inviting Kickstart employers into their centres to job match Kickstart opportunities with young people.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Since Kickstart jobs commenced in November, we are pleased that by 8 September 2021 over 69,000 young people had started in jobs created by the scheme. There was an average of 2,800 more starting each week between 18/08/2021 and 08/09/2021. We are confident that we will can continue to fill tens of thousands over the coming months. Employers across Great Britain have provided thousands of roles so that young people can choose a job that is right for them. There are also jobs opening up for young people in the wider economy as it recovers from the global pandemic, between August 2020 and August 2021 there was a 381,000 increase in pay rolled employees under 25 years old.

A Kickstart job can start at any time over the lifetime of the scheme and some employers choose to delay the commencement of roles for a variety of reasons. Our data indicates that between the 27/07/2021 and 08/09/2021 the average time between receipt of an application by DWP to confirmation of its approval was 14 days. Within the same period the average time between receipt of an application and the job being made available for young people to apply for was 43 days. A significant portion of this time includes engagement with employers to return grant funding agreements and job description templates promptly so that applications can be progressed.

We are ensuring as many eligible young people as need it get a chance to experience the Kickstart Scheme. We are promoting vacancies on various platforms, including social media and using initiatives such as Kickstart Quickstart to match young people to jobs in some cases on the same day they are referred to the scheme. In addition, Jobcentres are inviting Kickstart employers into their centres to job match Kickstart opportunities with young people.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

The Department for Work and Pensions will be monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart scheme throughout and after its implementation, and will continue to evaluate the longer term outcomes for participants after they have completed their Kickstart job.

The evaluation will include large scale surveys to capture the views and experiences of Kickstart participants and of employers and gateway organisations. The evaluation will consider how experiences and outcomes from the scheme vary and examine how participants’ and employers’ characteristics, local context and approaches to delivery effect experiences. Qualitative case-studies will provide a detailed understanding of how different aspects of the scheme interact and we will draw on available data and insights.

We will publish the findings of the evaluation once complete.

The Department for Work and Pensions will be monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart scheme throughout and after its implementation, and will continue to evaluate the longer term outcomes for participants after they have completed their Kickstart job.

The evaluation will include large scale surveys to capture the views and experiences of Kickstart participants and of employers and gateway organisations. The evaluation will consider how experiences and outcomes from the scheme vary and examine how participants’ and employers’ characteristics, local context and approaches to delivery effect experiences. Qualitative case-studies will provide a detailed understanding of how different aspects of the scheme interact and we will draw on available data and insights.

We will publish the findings of the evaluation once complete.

Of the 155,000 jobs that had been made available as of 21 July, 11,200 had been made available in Scotland representing approximately 7% of the total jobs made available across Great Britain at the time.

By 8 September, 188,000 jobs had been made available overall with 13,800 jobs made available in Scotland, representing approximately 7% of the total job made available across Great Britain.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

We are currently not able to publish a breakdown below the regional and national level although expect to be able to do so in due course, to do so now would be at a disproportionate cost due to the amount of data that would need to be collated and quality assured.

Of the 50,000 jobs that had been started as of 21 July, 4,400 have been started in Scotland as of 21 July, representing approximately 9% of the total job starts across Great Britain at the time.

By 8 September, 69,000 jobs had been started overall with 6,140 jobs starting in Scotland, representing approximately 9% of the total job starts across Great Britain.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Information relating to Kickstart grants will be published by the Cabinet Office on the Government website in due course, as is standard practice for all Government general grants. This information is normally published about a year after the financial year end and includes grant value and recipients.

Please refer to the table below for a regional breakdown of the number of Kickstart vacancies and starts since 14 July 2021 until 8 September 2021*.

*Vacancies have been rounded to the nearest 100 and Starts to nearest 10

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

As of 31st August, there were 280,000 jobs approved for funding by the Kickstart Scheme, of which over 17,000 of these were from applications that listed the employer address as based in Scotland. This equates to 6% of the total approved jobs.

It is worth noting, we do not hold information on the location of a job at the application approval stage as this information is only confirmed once a job is available to apply for. We do however, hold information on the locations listed on original employer application form though these are not necessarily where the Kickstart job will be based and in many cases represent the head office of a particular employer and not the location the Kickstarter will be working.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

Work Coaches receive training to support all claimants and have access to guidance, a complex needs toolkit and district provision toolkit, that provide local support for claimants who require additional and specialist support.

This guidance will be published under the latest version of National Provision and placed in the House of Commons Library early October 2021.

Any work related provision which will support the claimant is identified and can be a single activity or several activities which address problems like debt, health or basic skills.

No estimates have been made. We have recruited an additional 13,500 Work Coaches in our Jobcentres in the UK to help support people of all ages to find a job, retrain, or gain vital practical experience to move into better jobs from unemployment.

Young people on Universal Credit with a disability or health condition can access the Kickstart scheme and any reasonable adjustment they require with either a Work Coach, Youth Employability Coach or Disability Employment Adviser. If adjustments are required to enable the young person to take up a Kickstart job these are then discussed and agreed with the Kickstart employer.

If the young person does have a Work Coach assigned to them and they wish to find out more about Kickstart opportunities this can be arranged with their local Jobcentre.

The Kickstart Scheme was launched quickly and in response to the impact of the pandemic as part of a comprehensive package of support for young people. The scheme supports eligible 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit at risk of long term unemployment, regardless of disadvantage or disability. Mechanisms that record the number of disabled young people participating were not included within the initial design of Kickstart, however disability status is recorded on the wider Universal Credit systems.

The information requested is not currently collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. This is due to data being contained across multiple systems and in some cases being provided voluntarily, meaning it would require a significant level of gathering and quality assurance.

The Department of Work and Pensions plans to track the success of Kickstart amongst young people on the scheme who have a disability or health condition and will do this as part of the evaluation. The evaluation will include surveys to capture the views and experiences of Kickstart participants. It will look at their experiences within their Kickstart job and track changes in views, attitudes and employment status. We will publish the evaluation once it has been completed.

The Kickstart Scheme was launched quickly and in response to the impact of the pandemic as part of a comprehensive package of support for young people. The scheme supports eligible 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit at risk of long term unemployment, regardless of disadvantage or disability. Mechanisms that record the number of disabled young people participating were not included within the initial design of Kickstart, however disability status is recorded on the wider Universal Credit systems.

The information requested is not currently collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. This is due to data being contained across multiple systems and in some cases being provided voluntarily, meaning it would require a significant level of gathering and quality assurance.

The Department of Work and Pensions plans to track the success of Kickstart amongst young people on the scheme who have a disability or health condition and will do this as part of the evaluation. The evaluation will include surveys to capture the views and experiences of Kickstart participants. It will look at their experiences within their Kickstart job and track changes in views, attitudes and employment status. We will publish the evaluation once it has been completed.

The Kickstart Scheme was launched quickly and in response to the impact of the pandemic as part of a comprehensive package of support for young people. The scheme supports eligible 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit at risk of long term unemployment, regardless of disadvantage or disability. Mechanisms that record the number of disabled young people participating were not included within the initial design of Kickstart, however disability status is recorded on the wider Universal Credit systems.

The information requested is not currently collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. This is due to data being contained across multiple systems and in some cases being provided voluntarily, meaning it would require a significant level of gathering and quality assurance.

The Department of Work and Pensions plans to track the success of Kickstart amongst young people on the scheme who have a disability or health condition and will do this as part of the evaluation. The evaluation will include surveys to capture the views and experiences of Kickstart participants. It will look at their experiences within their Kickstart job and track changes in views, attitudes and employment status. We will publish the evaluation once it has been completed.

The Kickstart Scheme was launched quickly and in response to the impact of the pandemic as part of a comprehensive package of support for young people. The scheme supports eligible 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit at risk of long term unemployment, regardless of disadvantage or disability. Mechanisms that record the number of disabled young people participating were not included within the initial design of Kickstart, however disability status is recorded on the wider Universal Credit systems.

The information requested is not currently collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. This is due to data being contained across multiple systems and in some cases being provided voluntarily, meaning it would require a significant level of gathering and quality assurance.

The Department of Work and Pensions plans to track the success of Kickstart amongst young people on the scheme who have a disability or health condition and will do this as part of the evaluation. The evaluation will include surveys to capture the views and experiences of Kickstart participants. It will look at their experiences within their Kickstart job and track changes in views, attitudes and employment status. We will publish the evaluation once it has been completed.

Kickstart is aimed at young people on Universal Credit at risk of long term unemployment. Young people in receipt of legacy benefits may be less likely to benefit from Kickstart over other provision, as such Jobcentre Work Coaches identify those most in need of extra support and discuss with them the most appropriate path forward, this would include accessing Kickstart if they are eligible.

Kickstart is part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs and Youth Offer which allows Job Centre Plus Work Coaches to find the best route for each young person, this includes our Youth Employment Programme and dedicated Youth Employment Coaches and the Youth Hubs, which we aim to have 150 open by the end of the year. This combined offer ensures that young people looking for work have access to the support they need.

I refer the honourable member to the answer given for PQ 6284.

Between 06/05/2021 and 30/06/2021, over 39,400 new jobs were approved by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Kickstart Scheme. We are unable at present to provide data on the number of approved jobs by region, as at that stage in the process we do not hold information about the exact location of a job, only the head office of the employer.

Between 03/06/2021 and 30/06/2021 an average of 500 young people started a Kickstart job each working day.

The table below shows a breakdown of the increase in starts by location between 06/05/2021 and 30/06/2021. Figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

The Department has no record of receiving this correspondence, we will engage with the Hon Members office to discuss it.

As at 31^st March 2015, DWP had 10,101 employees based in Scotland.

The Department is committed to providing the best possible support for all claimants to meet their individual circumstances.

Jobcentre staff undergo a comprehensive learning journey which includes self-paced and facilitated classroom based learning, incorporating complex needs of individuals, to equip staff when engaging with claimants on the autistic spectrum.

Supporting information is also available in Guidance which incorporates all complex needs of different vulnerable groups, together with a short bitesized learning product which was launched as part of Autism Awareness Week in April 2019. All of which is available at the point of need for each individual personal requirement.

Support is also provided by Disability Employment Advisers and Work Psychologists. Work Coaches can refer individuals to personalised provision and support, such as the Work and Health Programme (available in England and Wales) or Fair Start Scotland (devolved programme available Scotland).

The provisions referred to provide for a decision to be superseded for a change of circumstances and the date from which that change takes effect. In terms of its effect on the decision which commenced the award, that of course will depend on whether it is a relevant change which does indeed affect that award. If the original award was that the claimant had Limited Capability for Work (LCW) and the change (confirmed or identified following a work capability assessment) had seen a deterioration in the same condition such that the claimant now had Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity, then the award would be superseded and increased effective from the appropriate date.

The Secretary of State has not personally held meetings with Public and Commercial Services Union. However, officials from her Department continue to meet with PCS representatives on a regular basis.

For commercial reasons, the Department is unable to provide any information on the cost of the Rapid Estates Expansion Programme at this stage.

The Department cannot say how long the new sites will remain open as they are being used to temporarily supplement the existing Jobcentre network to help meet the current increase in demand for services - ensuring that there is the space to operate safely in the interests of both colleagues and customers. The short term leases provide flexibility, which will enable the Department to ‘downsize / right-size’ as the economy recovers and / or social distancing requirements are eased. If any of the new sites offer better, more suitable, accommodation than our existing offices the Department may look to retain them.

As at 30^th April 2021, the Department had 8,841 employees based in Scotland. Figures for March 2011 are not available because the data retention policy for reporting of employee information at this level is for seven years.

The Department collates data of reported positive cases where the member of staff was last in the office in the preceding 72 hours. We do not however, have information to confirm whether any of these cases were VOC B1617.2 (the Delta variant, first identified in India).

All of our sites are COVID secure and we have extensive measures in place to protect staff and customers including social distancing and enhanced cleaning regimes.

The Department encourages and supports its staff, including Work Coaches, to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We do not, however, record the number of staff who have been vaccinated.

We are unable at present to provide data on the number of approved jobs by region, as at that stage in the process we do not hold information about the exact location of a job, only the head office of the employer. The table below lists by region the increase in the number of jobs started on the Kickstart Scheme between the 8^th of April and the 6^th May. Over this period, the total number of Kickstart job placements started increased by almost 9,000, to a total of over 20,000.

Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.

The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.

If the claimant applies for a change in their award on the grounds that they have LCWRA, the effective date of the change, that is, the date from which the decision is superseded, is the date of the application. If they move from LCW to LCWRA following a routine WCA then it will take effect from the date of decision.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The available statistics for ESA WCA by month of claim start (to June 2020) for initial assessment outcomes, including those still in progress, and assessment outcome by month of decision to September 2020, are published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2021

We recognise that Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) have unfortunately not been completed for some contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants as quickly as we would have liked due to the pressures presented by the pandemic.

The Honourable gentleman might be aware that face-to-face assessments for WCAs will resume from May across England and Scotland, and will do so in Wales from the point on their roadmap when socialising indoors is allowed. This will initially be for those who we have been unable to fully assess by other channels.

Throughout the pandemic we have continued to assess people on paper evidence as usual, using this route whenever possible. We also introduced telephone assessments in June 2020 in a phased approach, with limited outcomes in the first instance, that allowed us to build capability and improve processes. Since the beginning of February all outcomes have been available in telephone assessments, and we are now in the process of completing second telephone assessments for people who previously had a telephone assessment but no outcome. The combination of these assessment channels will enable us to ensure that claimants receive their correct benefit entitlement as quickly as possible.

If, following their assessment and the subsequent decision, an ESA claimant is entitled to a higher rate of benefit, payments are backdated where appropriate so that they do not lose out. Where an individual’s contributory ESA ends, if they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The available statistics for ESA WCA by month of claim start (to June 2020) for initial assessment outcomes, including those still in progress, and assessment outcome by month of decision to September 2020, are published here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2021

We recognise that Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) have unfortunately not been completed for some contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants as quickly as we would have liked due to the pressures presented by the pandemic.

The Honourable gentleman might be aware that face-to-face assessments for WCAs will resume from May across England and Scotland, and will do so in Wales from the point on their roadmap when socialising indoors is allowed. This will initially be for those who we have been unable to fully assess by other channels.

Throughout the pandemic we have continued to assess people on paper evidence as usual, using this route whenever possible. We also introduced telephone assessments in June 2020 in a phased approach, with limited outcomes in the first instance, that allowed us to build capability and improve processes. Since the beginning of February all outcomes have been available in telephone assessments, and we are now in the process of completing second telephone assessments for people who previously had a telephone assessment but no outcome. The combination of these assessment channels will enable us to ensure that claimants receive their correct benefit entitlement as quickly as possible.

If, following their assessment and the subsequent decision, an ESA claimant is entitled to a higher rate of benefit, payments are backdated where appropriate so that they do not lose out. Where an individual’s contributory ESA ends, if they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.

The Government is considering the timing of the response in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A response will be available as soon as possible.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

I refer the right honourable member to PQ 143815

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

No assessment has been made of the (a) rate of Universal Credit sanctions on claimants who have a mental health condition and (b) effect of those sanctions on those people.

We engage on an individual level with all of our claimants and are committed to tailoring support to their individual needs. This includes agreeing realistic and structured steps to encourage claimants into, or closer to, work, where appropriate. These conditionality requirements are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain appropriate for the claimant. This would include tailoring to reflect any mental health issues the claimant raised.

When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good reason, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.

Limited Capability for Work (LCW) and Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) apply both in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC). The law in relation to the dates from which determination of LCW or LCWRA applies is set out in Regulations made in 2013 (see SI2013/381). In relation to LCWRA specifically, the law says that the date from which the additional amount for having LCWRA will become payable, will be either the date of the decision maker’s decision or the date of the claimant’s application, whichever is appropriate. Those who have, or are treated as having, LCWRA from the start of their claim, will get the additional amount from week 14 for ESA or the 4^th assessment period for UC. That date is not dependent on the medical evidence received.

Limited Capability for Work (LCW) and Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) apply both in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC). The law in relation to the dates from which determination of LCW or LCWRA applies is set out in Regulations made in 2013 (see SI2013/381). In relation to LCWRA specifically, the law says that the date from which the additional amount for having LCWRA will become payable, will be either the date of the decision maker’s decision or the date of the claimant’s application, whichever is appropriate. Those who have, or are treated as having, LCWRA from the start of their claim, will get the additional amount from week 14 for ESA or the 4^th assessment period for UC. That date is not dependent on the medical evidence received.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

There are three mental health training products available for Work Coaches in job centres.

Since August 2018 mental health training has been included in the fundamental learning journey which is available to all new staff or those new to the role. This product is designed to improve learners’ understanding of mental ill health and states where to find further information regarding mental health for themselves and the customer.

During their initial technical learning, Work Coaches complete training in two sessions as part of their complex needs learning. In the first session Work Coaches cover a range of complex needs and the routes to take to support customers and themselves. They discuss what signs may alert them to a customer struggling with their mental health and how they can support them. In the second session Work Coaches consolidate what they learned in the first session by considering an example, recapping on the support they would offer to customers who have mental health issues.

There is further mental health training that has been specifically designed for Work Coaches which ideally takes place at around week 26 of their learning journey. In this learning, the Work Coaches explore their impact on customers, the steps needed to build relationships and learn how to respond appropriately to unexpected customer behaviour. This learning includes the opportunity for the Work Coach to practice the skills they have learned during the training.

The rollout of this specific Work Coach mental health learning began in November 2017 and was completed for existing work coaches in March 2018. In 2020, DWP paused this specific mental health training to divert resources to learning related to covid-19 impacts. Our ambition is to re start this training in 2021/22.

Universal Credit is designed to be a 'digital-first' service, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system, allowing our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support. Although the Department offers comprehensive support for claimants to use our digital service, there will be occasions when people are unable to make their claim online, so telephone applications are accepted.

Foreign Language interpreting help is available, in writing and by telephone, to assist claimants who may require additional support. Claimants can also access free telephony and web support through the Citizen's Advice Help to Claim service.

The Government’s economic response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been widely reported on and the Department has worked through external media channels to ensure we informed the largest possible audience as welfare-related decisions were made.

DWP benefit and pension rates for 2021 to 2022 are published on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-and-pension-rates-2021-to-2022 And, following the necessary legislation being laid, to reflect the decision announced in the Budget to extend the temporary uplift in the Standard Allowance for a further six months, this will be updated.

Additionally, at the end of each monthly assessment period, all Universal Credit claimants have access to a statement which includes information surrounding the rate of Standard Allowance awarded.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were increased in April 2020 to the 30th percentile of local rents costing almost £1 billion providing 1.5 million claimants with around £600 more housing support per year than they would otherwise have received. For 2021/22 LHA rates are to be maintained at their increased level, ensuring all claimants who benefited from the significant increase last year will continue to do so.

In addition, as announced on 3 March, we will be extending the exemption for care leavers and former residents of homeless hostels to all qualifying under 25 year olds from June 2021. This will bring forward the planned implementation of these previously announced changed by over 2 years.

For those who require additional support with housing costs Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. Since 2011 we have provided over £1 billion in DHP funding.

No such assessment has been made.

This Government champions the principle of work as the best route out of poverty and towards financial independence. Our approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risk of poverty and is underpinned by our Plan for Jobs which will support economic recovery through new schemes including the Kickstart Scheme, the Restart Scheme and our Job Entry Targeted Support Scheme. We are also on track to fulfil our commitment to recruit 13,500 Work Coaches this financial year. Through our Jobcentre network, these Work Coaches will provide our claimants with the tailored support they need to move into work.

Information and updates on temporary Jobcentres is currently being developed for GOV.UK, with plans to publish later in March. It should be noted however that, due to commercial sensitivities, information about any temporary Jobcentre can only be published once a lease is signed.

No such assessment has been carried out.

There is no objective way of deciding what an adequate level of benefit should be as everyone has different requirements. Income related benefit rates are not made up of separate amounts for specific items of expenditure such as food or fuel charges.

The Government is committed to helping people with the cost of living and providing a safety net for those that need it. We have injected billions into the welfare system for those most in need, including increases to the Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit standard allowances of up to £1040 this financial year, and uplifts to the Local Housing Allowance rates to cover the lowest 30% of market rents. The Covid Winter Grant Scheme builds on that support with an additional £170m for local authorities in England, to support families with children and other vulnerable people, with the cost of food and essential utilities this winter.

No such assessment has been carried out.

There is no objective way of deciding what an adequate level of benefit should be as everyone has different requirements. Income related benefit rates are not made up of separate amounts for specific items of expenditure such as food or fuel charges.

The Government is committed to helping people with the cost of living and providing a safety net for those that need it. We have injected billions into the welfare system for those most in need, including increases to the Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit standard allowances of up to £1040 this financial year, and uplifts to the Local Housing Allowance rates to cover the lowest 30% of market rents. The Covid Winter Grant Scheme builds on that support with an additional £170m for local authorities in England, to support families with children and other vulnerable people, with the cost of food and essential utilities this winter.

The Department welcomed the report by the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) and engaged openly with SSAC throughout the process. The Department is committed to ensuring that disabled people get the right support and will use the upcoming Health and Disability Green paper to further explore this area. SSAC’s Occasional Paper 23 made recommendations to the Department which included collaboration with colleagues in other government departments, and after some initial engagement giving consideration to the recommendations, the Department is currently in the process of formulating a formal response to SSAC.

DWP is exploring potential options to take premises, on a temporary basis, predominantly in large metropolitan areas where we expect to see increased demand for the Department’s services. The Department has opened three temporary Jobcentre sites to date in Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and Crawley.

DWP is currently negotiating leases for a significant number of retail and office properties, in major centres, that meet the planning requirements for a jobcentre, with public access, good transport links and accessibility for both colleagues and customers. Location plans cannot be confirmed until commercial negotiations for each site conclude, however as leases are signed we will write to local MPs and provide the details of all sites on GOV.uk.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) takes COVID-19 safety at work very seriously and is playing a critical role in the national response to the pandemic. The Government has provided additional funding of £14 million to HSE to strengthen its capacity to tackle COVID-19.

Since the start of the pandemic, HSE has carried out over 127,000 Covid-19 spot checks, responded to over 19,000 workplace COVID-19 concerns and 569 outbreaks. Spot checks have been specifically targeted in those industries where workers are most likely to be vulnerable to transmission risks. HSE’s experience is that more than 90% of businesses checked have either the correct precautions in place or are willing to make necessary changes promptly and without the need for formal enforcement action.

No prosecutions have yet been initiated for COVID-19 related breaches, though HSE will not hesitate to take such action, in accordance with our published Enforcement Policy Statement and the Code for Crown Prosecutors, where this is warranted.

Note: Figures extracted from HSE’s live operational database on 23^rd February 2021 and are liable to change, e.g. as it may take up to ten working days for data to be uploaded onto the system.

This is a question more appropriately directed to the Post Office.

UC childcare is a generous offer - eligible claimants can claim up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month compared to 70% in legacy benefits.

DWP’s internal analysis indicates that less than 5% of families/claimants hit the childcare costs cap of £646.35 for one child and £1108.04 for two children.

The Department has been granted permission to appeal. It is therefore not appropriate to comment at this time.

The policy of reimbursing actual childcare costs paid has, as intended, resulted in a significantly lower level of fraud and error than in the legacy system, which was based on projected costs.

There are currently no plans to publish these statistics.

Ministers continue to fulfil the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty and to monitor the current situation as it develops.

We have submitted a breakdown of spend to the WPSC for 2019/20 as agreed. This covers spend by geographic area and includes overall spend on childcare. This information will be published on the WPSC correspondence page on Parliament UK in due course

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/164/work-and-pensions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/

Universal Credit households are exempt from the benefit cap if they have monthly earnings of at least £604, which can include earnings from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. In addition, claimants with a sustained work record may be entitled to a nine-month grace period where their benefits are not capped.

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table below.

Flexible Support Fund – Budget allocations (£m)

The total figure shown is the allocation for England, Scotland & Wales.

Source : Hyperion

Numbers are rounded to the nearest £0.1m

Eligibility criteria is the same in all areas however Fair Start Scotland, Scottish Governments employability programme, may impact on expenditure. There are also other competing programmes with significant investment in Scotland which may impact on expenditure, as customers would not be eligible for FSF whilst participating on other programmes.

Flexible Support Fund – Expenditure breakdown (£’000)

Source: Hyperion

Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand.

Negative numbers are in () and may reflect accounting adjustments.

* Childcare is only reported as a separate category from October 2019. Childcare expenditure between April 19 – September 19 cannot be separately identified and is reported within the Removing Barriers category.

The Easterhouse and Parkhead offices were closed in 2017/18 as part of the department’s major transformation of its estate. It no longer leases either site.

DWP is currently evaluating the estates capacity needed to respond to the economic consequences of the pandemic, this is being done in line with recruitment, which is already underway. The response will take account of local demand, available accommodation and Jobcentre operating model changes. Further details will be provided to Parliament when our plans have been finalised.

There are 69 full time equivalent (FTE) staff employed at Shettleston Jobcentre. The details are:

I replied to the hon. Member on 11 June 2020.

The Department has recently experienced a large increase in Universal Credit claims as a result of COVID-19 outbreak and our priority is to ensure benefit payments are made on time to provide financial support.

We recognise our claimants have a diverse range of circumstances and requirements, so our system-generated letters are designed to be clear and easy to understand. They can be supplied in alternative formats, such as large print or Braille, which are best suited to an individual's circumstances where required. Contact details are provided in each letter issued, allowing questions and/or queries to be directed to the right team or person within the Department. This is in addition to the online messaging function within the Universal Credit journal.

The Department maintains a range of standardised Universal Credit letters to ensure claimants notifications are consistently and efficiently delivered. We regularly review our communication products and are always seeking to improve how we engage with our claimants.

Care leavers up to the age of 22 are exempt from the Local Housing Allowance shared accommodation rate in the Private Rented Sector. There are no current plans to extend this exemption to all care leavers.

For individuals who may require more support and whose circumstances may make it difficult for them to share accommodation, Discretionary Housing Payments are available.

The Secretary of State has visited a food bank since her appointment.

Customers previously served by Easterhouse and Parkhead Jobcentres are now served by Shettleston Jobcentre. A number of activities have been undertaken in Shettleston Jobcentre to improve digital access for customers including:

• Weekly sessions in the office’s “Digi Suite” to provide help with job searching using smartphones and tablets.
• On-going customer sessions on digitally compiling a CV.
• On-going customer sessions on managing their Universal Credit account.
• Daily Drop in sessions to help customers upload medical certificates.
• Customer sessions providing support for customers applying for on-line vacancies I.E. HMRC, Royal Mail and Community Jobs Scotland vacancies.
• Daily full-time digital support provided for customers with Universal Credit access problems I.E. lost log in details, navigating their account, how to use of journal message etc.
• 15 customer access computers available for drop in use.
• 8 computers in the “Digi Suite” are available for group sessions.

In addition, Shettleston Jobcentre has a number of partners located within the office to provide supplementary support to customers. This includes:

• Citizens Advice located in jobcentre for “Help to Claim “.
• Jobs and Business Glasgow provide additional support with CV’s, job searching, online support and confidence building.
• Momentum provide support with CV’s, Job searching, online support and confidence building.

All MPs are encouraged to visit and engage with their local Jobcentres and the Service Leaders to keep up to date with innovations.

Customers previously served by Easterhouse and Parkhead Jobcentres are now served by Shettleston Jobcentre. A number of activities have been undertaken in Shettleston Jobcentre to improve digital access for customers including:

• Weekly sessions in the office’s “Digi Suite” to provide help with job searching using smartphones and tablets.
• On-going customer sessions on digitally compiling a CV.
• On-going customer sessions on managing their Universal Credit account.
• Daily Drop in sessions to help customers upload medical certificates.
• Customer sessions providing support for customers applying for on-line vacancies I.E. HMRC, Royal Mail and Community Jobs Scotland vacancies.
• Daily full-time digital support provided for customers with Universal Credit access problems I.E. lost log in details, navigating their account, how to use of journal message etc.
• 15 customer access computers available for drop in use.
• 8 computers in the “Digi Suite” are available for group sessions.

In addition, Shettleston Jobcentre has a number of partners located within the office to provide supplementary support to customers. This includes:

• Citizens Advice located in jobcentre for “Help to Claim “.
• Jobs and Business Glasgow provide additional support with CV’s, job searching, online support and confidence building.
• Momentum provide support with CV’s, Job searching, online support and confidence building.

All MPs are encouraged to visit and engage with their local Jobcentres and the Service Leaders to keep up to date with innovations.

Customers previously served by Easterhouse and Parkhead Jobcentres are now served by Shettleston Jobcentre.

Our DWP estate announcement on 5 July 2017 confirmed that some smaller Jobcentres would merge with larger ones, and others would be co-located in local government premises. Merging our staff and services from some smaller or underutilised jobcentres, into larger Jobcentres nearby, makes better use of space and reduces costs to the taxpayer while still maintaining the same excellent level of customer service.

We are committed to retaining a Jobcentre Plus network and continuing to serve throughout GB to make sure they can continue to access the Jobcentre Plus services they need.

When closing or merging a Jobcentre, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) undertake an equality analysis as part of the detailed planning for service reconfiguration. This will include feedback from public consultation in those locations where this applied.

As part of the pre closure consultation work MPs and MSPs were invited to attend meetings with the local Service Leader as part of the consultation exercise to allow them to present constituent concerns; links were established with the hospital and Local Housing Associations to raise awareness of the closures; Customer Surveys were carried out to gather insight and to address any concerns; DWP staff attended meetings at the local Citizens Advice Scotland with key stakeholders, including providers and landlords, with a view to communicating the change.

In addition, to this stakeholder events were held giving all our stakeholders the opportunity to feed in concerns.

Outreach work continues in Easterhouse at Greater Easterhouse and John Wheatly College Supporting Hands. Employer Advisers attend to weekly to provide updates on local vacancies and to help customers who wish to apply for these.

In Parkhead, we have set up a partnership with Cranhill Development Trust who attend Shettleston Jobcentre staff meetings and our staff also attend their meetings. This is a continual exchange of information on jobs and benefits to ensure the local community in Parkhead is supported.

Customers previously served by Easterhouse and Parkhead Jobcentres are now served by Shettleston Jobcentre.

Our DWP estate announcement on 5 July 2017 confirmed that some smaller Jobcentres would merge with larger ones, and others would be co-located in local government premises. Merging our staff and services from some smaller or underutilised jobcentres, into larger Jobcentres nearby, makes better use of space and reduces costs to the taxpayer while still maintaining the same excellent level of customer service.

We are committed to retaining a Jobcentre Plus network and continuing to serve throughout GB to make sure they can continue to access the Jobcentre Plus services they need.

When closing or merging a Jobcentre, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) undertake an equality analysis as part of the detailed planning for service reconfiguration. This will include feedback from public consultation in those locations where this applied.

As part of the pre closure consultation work MPs and MSPs were invited to attend meetings with the local Service Leader as part of the consultation exercise to allow them to present constituent concerns; links were established with the hospital and Local Housing Associations to raise awareness of the closures; Customer Surveys were carried out to gather insight and to address any concerns; DWP staff attended meetings at the local Citizens Advice Scotland with key stakeholders, including providers and landlords, with a view to communicating the change.

In addition, to this stakeholder events were held giving all our stakeholders the opportunity to feed in concerns.

Outreach work continues in Easterhouse at Greater Easterhouse and John Wheatly College Supporting Hands. Employer Advisers attend to weekly to provide updates on local vacancies and to help customers who wish to apply for these.

In Parkhead, we have set up a partnership with Cranhill Development Trust who attend Shettleston Jobcentre staff meetings and our staff also attend their meetings. This is a continual exchange of information on jobs and benefits to ensure the local community in Parkhead is supported.

Under long-standing national guidance issued to all Jobcentres, staff can signpost benefit claimants to a local food back provided all sources of formal support have been considered. Although staff are not required to keep records of the number of signposting slips issued, they may set up a process for recording the issue of signposting slips for authentication purposes only, if the local food banks asks them to do so. Staff can make local arrangements to reflect any specific restrictions set by their food bank around the use of their services; however, any decision to award a food parcel is a matter for the food bank alone.

The staff in Shettleston Jobcentre continue to work closely with local food bank managers to ensure vulnerable people get the support they need.