Asked by: Flick Drummond (Conservative - Meon Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of (a) alcohol abuse, (b) obesity and (c) viral hepatitis on (i) unemployment levels and (ii) job absenteeism in each of the last five years.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold this information.
Asked by: Flick Drummond (Conservative - Meon Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to employers of (a) alcohol abuse, (b) obesity and (c) viral hepatitis in each of the last five years.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold this information.
Asked by: Flick Drummond (Conservative - Meon Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women in Portsmouth South constituency born on or after 6 April 1951 have been affected by the equalisation of state pension age for women and men.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1953 were affected by State Pension age equalisation under the Pensions Act 1995.
The Pensions Act 2011 accelerated the equalisation of State Pension age, and included transitional arrangements limiting State Pension age delays, affecting women born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953. It also brought forward the increase in State Pension age from 65 to 66 which affected women born between 6 December 1953 and 5 April 1960.
Information on the numbers affected by constituent country or parliamentary constituency is not held by the Department for Work and Pensions. However, the most recent population breakdowns for England and its parliamentary constituencies by age can be found here:
Asked by: Flick Drummond (Conservative - Meon Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress he has made in ensuring that the claim process for personal independence payments is accessible to (a) deaf people who do not use a telephone and (b) other deaf people.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Department is currently trialling a process where deaf claimants or their representative organisations can email to ask for a paper claim. In addition work is continuing to design and introduce a PIP digital claim as part of the wider PIP service. We are working closely with the Cabinet Office to ensure this meets the government standards for digital services which focuses on the needs of users and will be accessible. We are looking to invite a small number of claimants to use the digital service in 2015. This will allow us to test and learn and continually improve the service before wider deployment.
Asked by: Flick Drummond (Conservative - Meon Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects that deaf people will be able to begin a claim for personal independence payments (a) by email and (b) online.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Department is currently trialling a process where deaf claimants or their representative organisations can email to ask for a paper claim. In addition work is continuing to design and introduce a PIP digital claim as part of the wider PIP service. We are working closely with the Cabinet Office to ensure this meets the government standards for digital services which focuses on the needs of users and will be accessible. We are looking to invite a small number of claimants to use the digital service in 2015. This will allow us to test and learn and continually improve the service before wider deployment.
Asked by: Flick Drummond (Conservative - Meon Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure that deaf young people aged 16 to 19 are treated appropriately during assessments for personal independence payments.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) consultations are undertaken by Health Professionals trained in disability assessments and understanding the complex effects of living with a health condition or disability. Our providers will meet any reasonable request to accommodate all claimants, including 16 – 19 year olds, who have additional requirement such as deaf-language interpreters. Claimants can also bring their own interpreter to the consultation.