Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure its telephone lines are accessible to the public without incurring undue delays.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP plans resourcing according to forecasted telephony demand in an effort to keep wait times down. Wait time performance and forecasted demand is frequently reviewed, and where DWP’s telephony is delivered by an outsourced provider we use the Key Performance Indicator of percentage of calls answered which are published quarterly on gov.uk.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the technical issues that have been outstanding since 2018 to award National Insurance credits to Universal Credit claims will be resolved.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The technical issues referenced were identified, and DWP have taken the steps to correct them.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the value for money of the Government’s funding of Motobilty in the context of waiting times for recipients entitled to Motability Allowance to be assessed for a licence renewal.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Department works closely with Motability, and is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme. Motability is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme, along with oversight of Motability Operations. Motability benefits from government support through tax concessions and the direct payment of mobility allowances.
There have been several external reports, including one by the National Audit Office (NAO) in December 2018, on the Motability Scheme. The Department agrees with the NAO’s finding that the Motability scheme provides an excellent service and that the Scheme is focused on delivering value for money. The Department continues to work with Motability the charity, who set the strategic policies and direction of the Scheme, to ensure that disabled people receive a value for money service with high standards for customer service.
The Department is unable to comment on waiting times for licence renewal as this is outside our remit.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 11 July 2022 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, reference POSCMP2022/53996.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DWP provided a telephone response to the office of Gerald Jones MP on 5 September 2022 in relation to his constituent’s enquiry and a full written response has also been issued today.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the impact of delays in processing driving licence renewal applications on the quality of life of people with long-term medical conditions who have an entitlement to the Motability Scheme but are unable to drive while they await their licence.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I have regular discussions with colleagues across Government in my role as Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work.
The Department is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability scheme. Motability is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the contract for lease of a car and the administration of the Motability scheme.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the enquiry of 7 June 2022 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, reference POSCMP2022/44277.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department aims to respond to Hon. Member’s correspondence within 20 working days where possible, although complex issues may mean it will take longer.
All complaints and enquiries are investigated fully. A member of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Complaints team contacted your constituency office on 14th July 2022 to provide an update and details of their investigations. They aim to provide a full response by Friday 22nd July.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the enquiry of 24 May 2022 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, reference POSCMP2022/40477.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DWP provided a telephone response to the office of Gerald Jones MP on 14 July 2022 in relation to his constituent’s enquiry and a full written response has also been issued today.