Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
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 adequacy of financial support available through the benefits system to people with (a) inflammatory bowel disease and (b) other unseen disabilities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provide a contribution towards the extra costs that may arise from a long-term disability or health condition. These benefits are assessed on the basis of needs arising and not on the condition itself so are available to those with inflammatory bowel disease and other, hidden conditions.
The extra costs benefits are non-contributory, non-means-tested and can be worth over £9,500 a year, tax free. Individuals can choose how to use their benefit, in the light of their individual needs and preferences. The benefit can also be paid in addition to any other financial or practical support someone may be entitled to such as Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, NHS services, free prescriptions, help with travel costs to appointments or the Blue Badge scheme. The benefits have been consistently uprated in line with inflation since they were introduced and were, like other benefits, increased by 6.7% from 8 April 2024.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to (a) extend Statutory Adoption Pay to self-employed individuals and (b) introduce an equivalent benefit that provides guaranteed financial support to self-employed individuals.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Government very much values people who come forward to take on the challenging but rewarding role of being an adoptive parent. That is why there is provision for Local Authorities to make discretionary payments, equivalent to Maternity Allowance, to self-employed adopters who do not qualify for Statutory Adoption Pay, where they satisfy the relevant criteria. This payment is means-tested and ensures that resources are targeted at those adopters who need it most, as part of a package of post-adoption support.
Prospective adopters and the child or children that they intend to adopt are also entitled to an assessment of their family’s needs. This includes a whole host of support including discretionary means-tested financial support, advice, information and counselling, and support services.
Depending on individual circumstances, additional financial support, such as Universal Credit and Child Benefit, as well as the Sure Start Maternity Grant (a lump sum payment of £500) may also be available to new parents.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Jobcentre Plus to signpost people to digital inclusion services.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Jobcentre work coaches will consider the range of barriers faced by claimants to best support them into work and to progress in their careers. Digital inclusion is amongst the challenges that some claimants may experience and work coaches are encouraged to take action to address issues relating to poor digital skills and/or digital connectivity (access).
Where claimants have poor Essential Digital Skills, work coaches will consider referral to locally available skills provision to help them address these needs.
Where claimants are digitally excluded due to issues relating to access to digital equipment or connectivity, work coaches are able to use the Flexible Support Fund to procure devices, internet dongles, talk time, and broadband in the home on the basis that this will support labour market progression.
DWP has also ensured that all operational staff in Jobcentres, Universal Credit service centres, Pension Centres, and partnership managers who engage with claimants and stakeholders are able to signpost to information promoting broadband social tariffs.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
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 improve support for employers who hire people with autism.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting autistic people to thrive as part of the workforce. Our current support to employers includes the Disability Confident scheme and a digital information service for employers which offers tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace.
In our plan to Make Work Pay, we committed to raising awareness of neurodiversity in the workplace. Our forthcoming employment White Paper considers how to improve employment outcomes and experiences for disabled people and people with health conditions. We are exploring how we can build on the earlier, independent, Buckland Review which was focused more narrowly on autism and employment, to improve understanding and support for all neurodivergent people at work.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to deliver a long-term (a) funding settlement and (b) strategy for local crisis support when the Household Support Fund ends in March 2025.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government announced funding to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) for a further 6 months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.
As set out by the Chancellor in July, the Government has inherited a number of significant pressures within public spending and took immediate action to reduce spending in-year and set out a clear process to a Budget this autumn and a full Spending Review to follow. The Government will set out its overall fiscal and spending plans then.