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Written Question
Employment and Support Allowance: Coronavirus
Thursday 28th January 2021

Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the 365 payment period for people affected by covid-19 and claiming new style or contributions based employment and support allowance and who have not had a decision made on their capability for work in that time.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) temporary Coronavirus regulations mean that everyone infected with covid-19, or who is required to self-isolate in line with Government guidelines, will be treated as having Limited Capability for Work in ESA without the requirement for fit notes or a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). These measures also apply to clinically extremely vulnerable people who are unable to work from home and have been advised to shield in line with the relevant public health advice in England, Wales and Scotland.

There are no plans to extend the time limit for people claiming contributory ESA who are affected by covid-19, and reach their 365-day limit. The majority of the covid-19 related claims will not reach this limit as they are for short periods.

Where an individual requires further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.

Written Question
Industrial Health and Safety: Coronavirus
Monday 4th May 2020

Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance she has issued to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on the discharge of HSE's responsibilities during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Secretary of State and I have had regular meetings with senior officials from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in order to assess in what ways the Department can support HSE on the work it is doing to support the Government during the COVID-19 outbreak. Since the COVID–19 outbreak started the Department has received a weekly written update on the work HSE is doing, this includes:

  • maintaining its wide ranging regulatory functions, in particular continuing to investigate work related fatalities and the most serious major injuries, dealing with reported concerns and regulating major hazard industries. Undertaking regulatory activities that do not require site visits such as approvals and permissioning work. Whilst some of HSE’s regulatory intervention work can be done remotely, where it is necessary to provide public assurance that hazards are being effectively managed and to secure compliance with the law, site visits are being made;

  • working with Public Health England (PHE), other Government departments and Devolved Administrations to ensure the country is geared up to treat people in Great Britain diagnosed with the COVID-19. HSE continues to offer information and advice on workplace and workforce issues to support the government’s response, including technical advice on personal protection equipment to ensure that healthcare workers and others are adequately protected;

  • working closely with stakeholder groups including trade unions to develop practical guidance to support businesses to continue to operate and, where currently closed, to return to operation whilst ensuring the safety of workers; and

  • where it comes to HSE’s attention that employers are found not to be complying with PHE’s guidelines taking appropriate action, ranging from specific advice through to serving enforcement notices, so as to ensure that practicable measures are implemented to protect workers and others.