Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
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 additional number of benefits recipients who will be subject to eligibility verification notices under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill as a result of her welfare reforms.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The reforms in the Green Paper are still the subject of consultation and will undergo further development once responses have been considered.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to publish an assessment of the potential impact of the decision to means test the winter fuel payment on the number of excess deaths in winter 2024-25.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Targeting Winter Fuel Payments was a difficult decision, but the right decision given the challenging public finances. The Government is, however, protecting pensioners on the lowest incomes. Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or other qualifying means-tested benefits or tax credits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 or over.
A very wide range of factors impact changes in mortality. Details of excess winter deaths in England and Wales can be found at: Winter mortality in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to publish algorithmic transparency records for (a) the Universal Credit Advances model and (b) other decision making algorithms used by her Department on the Algorithmic Transparency Reporting Standard Hub.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are working with colleagues in The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to finalise the publication of algorithmic transparency records for existing tools as well as tools being considered for future deployment in the DWP.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time is to process a Personal Independence Payment appeal in Dewsbury and Batley constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The average time to process a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeal for all PIP appeals registered in the Dewsbury and Batley constituency since PIP was introduced can be found below.
Mean appeal processing time (weeks) | Median appeal processing time (weeks) |
31 | 29 |
Source: PIP Administrative Data
Notes:
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department plans to take to support vulnerable claimants through upcoming changes to the Personal Independence Payment assessment process.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There will be no immediate changes. Our intention is that the new eligibility requirement in Personal Independence Payment in which people must score a minimum of four points in one daily living activity in to be eligible for the daily living component, will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
We recognise that as a department we come into contact with some claimants who have complex needs or are vulnerable. The department already has processes in place to support and safeguard people who use our services, and we will continue to provide this support as changes are taken forward. We want to go further so that there is a clear and transparent process in place to ensure vulnerable individuals are adequately supported. In the Green Paper Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working published on 18 March we have committed to undertaking a thorough review of our current approach to safeguarding, with the aim of developing and implementing a new departmental wide approach.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
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 impact of proposed changes to Personal Independence Payments on disabled people in the Dewsbury and Batley constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course with some information published this week alongside the Spring Statement.
A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.