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Written Question
Personal Independence Payment
Monday 5th June 2023

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people who were in receipt of the Disability Living Allowance for children have had their applications to transfer to Personal Independence Payments on turning 16 refused since April 2022.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The number of people who were in receipt of Child Disability Living Allowance (DLA) that had their application to transfer to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) refused on turning 16, from April 2013 to October 2022, can be found on Stat-Xplore.  In particular, the requested data can be found by applying the following filters to the ‘Child DLA to PIP reassessments’ dataset:

  • Select the following dataset ‘Child DLA to PIP reassessment outcomes by month’; and
  • Filter for all ‘Disallowed’ outcomes in ‘PIP reassessment Outcomes’.

Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here. An account is not required to use Stat- Xplore; the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of applications for Personal Independence Payments were initially denied and subsequently granted following a successful appeal in each month since April 2022.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Number and proportion of PIP initial decisions that are initially disallowed and are successful following an appeal

Date of initial PIP decision

Number of PIP initial decisions, initially disallowed that are successful following an appeal

Proportion of initial decisions, that were initially disallowed that were successful following an appeal

Apr-22

1,180

2.0%

May-22

850

1.5%

Jun-22

630

1.1%

Jul-22

560

0.8%

Aug-22

410

0.6%

Sep-22

220

0.3%

These figures include appeal decisions at tribunal hearing up to 31st December 2022, the latest date for which published data is available. Note that more appeals could be made and completed after December 2022, so numbers could go up as it can take some time for an appeal to be lodged and then cleared after the initial decision.


Please note:

  • Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and percentages to 1 decimal place.
  • Data for England and Wales (excluding Scotland) has been provided in line with the latest published figures on PIP.
  • These figures include initial decisions following assessment for PIP New Claims and Reassessments from 1st April 2022 – 30th September 2022, the latest data for which published data is available.
  • “Successful following an appeal” includes claims that had an appeal lapsed or overturned at tribunal.
  • The proportion figure uses the total PIP initial decisions for the relevant month as the denominator.
  • Prior to tribunal, appeal claimants must have requested a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) from DWP. Some of those disallowed following assessment will have their decision changed at this stage and take the dispute no further. In some cases, a claimant who has their Disallowed decision changed at MR will continue to appeal for a higher PIP award, and these cases could be included in the figures reported.
  • A lapsed appeal is where DWP changed the decision in the customer’s favour after an appeal was lodged, but before it was heard at a tribunal hearing.

Written Question
Personal Independence Payment
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many requests for reviews of existing awards of Personal Independence Payments her Department has received since 1 August 2021.

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

The latest available data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reviews initiated by the claimant, Change of Circumstances, can be found on Stat-Xplore.

The relevant data set is ‘PIP Award Review Registrations’, which can be filtered using the Intervention Indicator for Change of Circumstances.

Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here.


Written Question
Department for Work and Pensions: Public Appointments
Wednesday 26th January 2022

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department seeks references for candidates appointed to public positions which fall under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Candidates that reach interview stage for public appointments are asked to provide referees which are followed up by the Department.

In line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, candidates are also asked to declare relevant interests which are discussed at interview stage.

The Advisory Assessment Panel must satisfy itself that all candidates for appointment can meet the Seven Principles of Public Life and adhere to the Code of Conduct for Board members of Public Bodies.


Written Question
Members: Correspondence
Tuesday 6th July 2021

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many items of written correspondence from hon. Members sent to Ministers in her Department have been (a) received and (b) replied to since 1 April 2020; and how many of those responses were responded to by (i) Ministers and (ii) officials.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Cabinet Office is currently compiling data on the timeliness of responses to Hon. and Rt Hon. members from Government Departments and Agencies. This data will be released, and made available to Members, in due course.


Written Question
Employment: Pregnancy
Monday 19th April 2021

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to ensure that all employers adhere to (a) the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and (b) guidance issued by the Government on pregnant workers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Employers are required to carry out risk assessments for all pregnant workers and protect them from harm. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website has guidance on managing the risks for pregnant workers. Protecting new and expectant mothers at work - HSE

Employers have a legal duty, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations sec 16(4) to act in accordance with the results of their risk assessment for pregnant workers. Where employers are not doing so, workers can contact the HSE to raise their concerns which will be followed up.

HSE has specific guidance for employers to protect vulnerable workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, which includes the health and safety responsibilities for pregnant workers. Protect vulnerable workers - Working safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (hse.gov.uk)


Written Question
Employment: Pregnancy
Monday 19th April 2021

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Health and Safety Executive holds employers to account on the protection of pregnant workers.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Employers are required to carry out risk assessments for all pregnant workers and protect them from harm. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website has guidance on managing the risks for pregnant workers. Protecting new and expectant mothers at work - HSE

Employers have a legal duty, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations sec 16(4) to act in accordance with the results of their risk assessment for pregnant workers. Where employers are not doing so, workers can contact the HSE to raise their concerns which will be followed up.

HSE has specific guidance for employers to protect vulnerable workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, which includes the health and safety responsibilities for pregnant workers. Protect vulnerable workers - Working safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (hse.gov.uk)


Written Question
Employment: Pregnancy
Monday 19th April 2021

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to ensure that employers are aware of their responsibilities in relation to the protection of pregnant workers.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Employers are required to carry out risk assessments for all pregnant workers and protect them from harm. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website has guidance on managing the risks for pregnant workers. Protecting new and expectant mothers at work - HSE

Employers have a legal duty, under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations sec 16(4) to act in accordance with the results of their risk assessment for pregnant workers. Where employers are not doing so, workers can contact the HSE to raise their concerns which will be followed up.

HSE has specific guidance for employers to protect vulnerable workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, which includes the health and safety responsibilities for pregnant workers. Protect vulnerable workers - Working safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (hse.gov.uk)


Written Question
Pension Credit
Monday 3rd February 2020

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how her Department has promoted Pension Credit since June 2019.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government wants to ensure that older people receive the support and help available to them. It is important to highlight that there are already 1.6 million people claiming some £5.4 billion in Pension Credit but some people may be missing out.

We want to make sure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled. That is why we are currently considering options for raising awareness of Pension Credit, including working with our stakeholders, to help dispel some of the misconceptions that people might have about Pension Credit eligibility. For example, we want to make it clear that having savings, a pension or owning a home are not automatic barriers to receiving Pension Credit.

Of course DWP continues to use a wide range of channels including information on www.gov.uk, in leaflets and by telephone to communicate information about benefits including Pension Credit to potential claimants. We target activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or Attendance Allowance or report a change in their circumstances which may mean that they could be eligible for Pension Credit. In addition, the Pension Credit calculator https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator enables potential claimants to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive

We know that often the best ways to reach eligible pensioners is through trusted stakeholders working in the community. The Pension Credit toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit


Information on how much has been spent on raising awareness of the availability of pension credit since June 2019 is not available.


Written Question
Pension Credit
Monday 3rd February 2020

Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money from the public purse has been spent on raising awareness of the availability of pension credit since June 2019.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government wants to ensure that older people receive the support and help available to them. It is important to highlight that there are already 1.6 million people claiming some £5.4 billion in Pension Credit but some people may be missing out.

We want to make sure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled. That is why we are currently considering options for raising awareness of Pension Credit, including working with our stakeholders, to help dispel some of the misconceptions that people might have about Pension Credit eligibility. For example, we want to make it clear that having savings, a pension or owning a home are not automatic barriers to receiving Pension Credit.

Of course DWP continues to use a wide range of channels including information on www.gov.uk, in leaflets and by telephone to communicate information about benefits including Pension Credit to potential claimants. We target activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or Attendance Allowance or report a change in their circumstances which may mean that they could be eligible for Pension Credit. In addition, the Pension Credit calculator https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator enables potential claimants to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive

We know that often the best ways to reach eligible pensioners is through trusted stakeholders working in the community. The Pension Credit toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit


Information on how much has been spent on raising awareness of the availability of pension credit since June 2019 is not available.