Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has her Department made of the barriers facing people with complex disabilities looking to work more hours to meet the rising cost of living.
Answered by Chloe Smith
There are a range of DWP initiatives that support disabled people and people with health conditions to live independent lives and start, stay and succeed in employment. These include the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, Access to Work, Disability Confident and support in partnership with the health system, including Employment Advisers in NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services.
The Green Paper explored how the benefits system can better meet the needs of claimants now and in the future, by improving claimant experience of our services, enabling independent living, and improving employment outcomes. We remain committed to responding to this Green Paper consultation with a White Paper later this year.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits for people with complex disabilities of an exceptional uprating of benefits in line with the current inflation rate.
Answered by Chloe Smith
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 increased by 3.1%, in line with the CPI.
In addition, claimants will also get one-off support worth up to £1,200 this year including a new £650 cost of living payment for people on means-tested benefits and £150 for people on disability benefits to help them with their additional costs. These payments will be exempt from tax, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.