Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Personal Independence Payment assessors have (a) medical experience or (b) expertise on (i) strokes and (ii) other conditions.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Assessment providers are required to ensure that all health professionals (HPs) carrying out Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments have training and knowledge of the clinical aspects and overall functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments. This includes the disabling effects of strokes on a claimant’s life.
The department does not believe it is necessary for providers to allocate HPs to assessments based on whether they are specialists in the specific conditions or impairments of the claimants they are assessing. Instead, the focus is on ensuring that HPs are experts in disability analysis, with emphasis on the effects of health conditions and impairments on the claimant's daily life.
HPs can access a wide range of clinical resources to research any conditions presented. This includes evidence-based protocols, e-learning modules or case studies, as well as keeping knowledge up to date through Continuous Professional Development (CPD). Both PIP providers have a condition insight report on strokes and their effects on claimants’ lives.
The department is committed to improving our services and works continuously with providers to improve the assessment process. The Shaping Future Support: The Health and Disability Green Paper, explored how the welfare system can better meet the needs of claimants now and in the future. The aim is to improve claimant experience of our services, including accessibility, enabling independent living, and increasing employment outcomes. We are considering all the responses to the Green Paper proposals and what future policy changes might look like. These will be set out in the White Paper later this year.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what input Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessors have on shaping the PIP assessment to ensure it is fit for purpose.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Where there is sufficient available evidence, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments are carried out via a paper-based review (PBR), without the need for a formal consultation. Health Professionals (HPs) can also seek additional information from claimants, GPs or other supporting health professionals where this might help them complete a PBR, where it is appropriate to do so. Where a consultation is necessary, the PIP Assessment Guide (section 1.6) informs HPs to adapt their approach to the needs of the particular claimant, not take a prescriptive approach and ensure that claimants are able to put across the impact of their health condition or impairment in their own words.
Assessment providers are required to ensure that all HPs carrying out PIP assessments have training and knowledge of the clinical aspects and overall functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on (a) opinion polling and (b) focus groups in each month since January 2019.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Opinion polls and focus groups are routinely used to gather insight on communication campaigns to inform the strategic approach to DWP’s employment, benefits and pensions campaigns and to ensure these campaigns have impact, benefit the public and demonstrate good value for money.
In this case opinion polling for communication campaigns has been taken to mean all quantitative research which measures attitudes, behaviours and campaign recall.
Spending on opinion polling and related activities since January 2019 is as follows:
March 2019 | £157,979 |
October 2019 | £47,500 |
February 2020 | £52,875 |
March 2020 | £42,875 |
Spending on focus groups for communication campaigns since January 2019 is as follows:
July 2019 | £29,850 |
August 2019 | £48,000 |
December 2019 | £51,000 |
April 2020 | £10,475 |
Spending on focus groups for social research projects since January 2019 is as follows:
March 2019 | £6,500 |
October 2019 | £19,000 |
September 2019 | £4,000 |
April 2020 | £4,500 |
To note: The costs for the social research focus groups for the primary research projects are estimates, as the costs for research methods are usually combined (for example, by phase of the project); so the cost of one particular methodology wouldn’t necessarily be itemised by the contractor.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans exempt young adult carers from the 21-hour study in relation to the carer’s allowance.
Answered by Sarah Newton
This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by all carers, young or old in supporting some of the most vulnerable in society including pensioners and those with disabilities.
The Government thinks it is important that carers can maintain links with the education system and so carers are able to undertake part-time education and still receive Carer’s Allowance. However, there are no plans to change the current 21 hour study rule as we think it is right that people in full-time education should be supported by the educational maintenance system, via its range of loans and grants, rather than the social security benefit system. That is why, as a general principle, full-time students are usually precluded from entitlement to income-related and income-maintenance benefits. Many college courses are provided on the basis of 16 hours a week supervised study so we have been working with the Learning and Work Institute and colleges to increase awareness of the Carer’s Allowance study rules.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who were entitled to the higher rate of the (a) care component and (b) mobility component of disability living allowance receive the (i) standard and (ii) enhanced rate of the (A) daily living component and (B) mobility component of personal independence payment.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The latest available data covering claimants who were reassessed from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be found in the statistical tables “Personal Independence Payment: DLA to PIP reassessment outcomes, October 2017” published in December 2017 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-october-2017
Table 8A (i): (DLA to PIP Reassessment Outcomes - Comparison of DLA and PIP entitlement) shows claimants’ level of care and mobility award under DLA compared to their level of daily living and mobility award under PIP. The latest date for which published data is available is 31st October 2017 and comparisons of DLA and PIP awards for reassessment claimants are published annually.
The latest available data on PIP claims in payment, including volumes of claims broken down by level of daily living and mobility awards, are published on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people received the (a) standard and (b) enhanced rate of the (i) daily living component and (ii) mobility component of personal independence payment in each year since the beginning of its roll-out.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The latest available data covering claimants who were reassessed from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be found in the statistical tables “Personal Independence Payment: DLA to PIP reassessment outcomes, October 2017” published in December 2017 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-october-2017
Table 8A (i): (DLA to PIP Reassessment Outcomes - Comparison of DLA and PIP entitlement) shows claimants’ level of care and mobility award under DLA compared to their level of daily living and mobility award under PIP. The latest date for which published data is available is 31st October 2017 and comparisons of DLA and PIP awards for reassessment claimants are published annually.
The latest available data on PIP claims in payment, including volumes of claims broken down by level of daily living and mobility awards, are published on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that claimants of benefits remain eligible for the Motability scheme as a result of the change from disability living allowance to personal independence payment.
Answered by Sarah Newton
When PIP was first introduced, the Government worked with Motability to design an extensive £175 million Transitional Support package to support Motability customers who have not been awarded the enhanced mobility component on reassessment from DLA to PIP. This is paid for by the Motability charity at no cost to the taxpayer.
Claimants who joined the Motability Scheme before 1 January 2014 can keep their vehicle for up to 3 months after finding out their claim is unsuccessful and are offered a one-off payment of between £2,000 and £1,000. If a claim is pending appeal then the claimant is offered a 26- week lease extension and a smaller one-off payment. In addition, claimants have the option to buy their old Scheme vehicle, and can obtain help to adapt any new, non-Scheme vehicle.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have had a reduction in the amount of their benefit entitlement as a result of the transfer from disability living allowance to personal independence payment.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The latest available data covering claimants whose benefit entitlement was reduced as a result of the transfer from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be found in the statistical tables “Personal Independence Payment: DLA to PIP reassessment outcomes, October 2017” published in December 2017 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-october-2017
Table 8B (Summary of DLA to PIP Reassessment Outcomes) shows the volume of claimants who have had their awards increased, unchanged and decreased after reassessment from DLA to PIP. The latest date for which published data is available is 31st October 2017 and comparisons of DLA and PIP awards for reassessment claimants are published annually.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claims for employment and support allowance were refused following a work capability assessment were subsequently allowed after (a) mandatory reconsideration and (b) appeal to tribunal in Bradford South constituency in each of the last three years.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Information on Employment and Support Allowance, outcomes of Work Capability Assessments and Mandatory Reconsiderations are published at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics.
Constituency level information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have waited longer than (a) three, (b) six and (c) 12 months for a work capability assessment from the date of making a claim for employment and support allowance in Bradford South constituency in each of the last three years.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Information on Employment and Support Allowance, outcomes of Work Capability Assessments and Mandatory Reconsiderations are published at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics.
Constituency level information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.