Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of work stations available for people employed by his Department on departmental premises.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The total number of workstations available for colleagues to use across the Department is currently 110,750. This figure includes the 991 workstations in the Department’s headquarters in London Caxton House and the 1,215 in Leeds Quarry House as provided in an earlier response.
On 17 March 2022, a statement was made to Parliament outlining the Department’s intention to consolidate its estate as it has too much space. As such, these figures will reduce over time.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work stations were available for civil servants to use in the headquarters of her Department on 11 October 2022.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
London Caxton House 991 workstations
Leeds Quarry House 1,215 workstations
This is consistent with our cabinet office return.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will ensure continuity in the payment of Child Maintenance Service during a review of those payments so that parent in receipt continues to be financially supported.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Where paying parents experience a change in income, the Child Maintenance Service can review their case and check if the liability should change. Paying parents are legally obliged to continue making payments while the case is being reviewed.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many letters have been sent from her Department in the last 12 months that ask GPs to no longer provide their patients who claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) with fit notes, as they have been found fit for work by the DWP.
Answered by Chloe Smith
We have taken your question to refer to the ESA65B letter which is normally automatically issued to GPs by the Department’s IT system in every case where an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found ‘fit for work’ following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).
If a claimant states that they do not agree to information about the determination of their WCA being shared with their GP, the claim will be maintained clerically and the papers noted that the letter is not to be issued.
A revised version of the ESA65B letter went live in June 2019. The revised letter states the circumstances in which fit notes are required including to support Employment and Support Allowance appeals, where a claimant’s condition has worsened or if the claimant has developed a new health condition or disability.
The Department does not hold information on the number of ESA65B letters sent to GPs.
The latest ESA statistics, which show the number of claimants found fit for work, can be found here: ESA: Work Capability Assessments, Mandatory Reconsiderations and Appeals: March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the reasonable adjustments her Department has made for blind and sight impaired universal credit claimants to ensure that those claimants are able to access universal credit services online or by phone.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Universal Credit has been designed with accessibility in mind. We have automated accessibility tests continuously running and we regularly test the service with assistive technology, including screen readers and screen magnifiers. The claimant-facing side of Universal Credit was audited by the RNIB in 2016 and passed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines at an AA standard. In 2020/2021, we again linked up with RNIB to trial and roll out external learning for our work coaches and disability employment staff in Universal Credit. This focused on providing additional support for our agents when working with sight loss customers and the support RNIB can offer. We are committed to further improving the service we provide and a further external accessibility audit is currently taking place.
Our system generated letters are available in a variety of alternative formats, such as large print or Braille. We regularly review our communication products and are committed to providing personalised support for all claimants. If a claimant is unable to make a digital claim, they can make and maintain their claim via our Freephone Universal Credit helpline. A phone claim is also clearly marked on the service to remind DWP staff to use alternative channels to communicate information with a claimant and the claimant’s monthly award statement will be sent via post.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) Canada, (b) Australia and (c) other governments on the uprating of the UK state pension overseas.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions on the up-rating of the UK State Pension overseas with her counterparts in Canada, Australia, and governments of other countries where up-ratings are not paid. Up-ratings are paid where there is a legal requirement to do so. This is a longstanding policy and the Government has no plans to change it.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government’s frozen pensions policy on members of the Windrush generation.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The policy on up-rating UK state pensions overseas is a long-standing one of successive post-war Governments. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is up-rated where there is a legal requirement to do so. There are no plans to change this.
No assessment has been made.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has plans to form new reciprocal agreements to uprate the state pensions of British pensioners overseas.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has no plans for new reciprocal agreements on pensions uprating with countries where pensions are not currently uprated.