Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward the second £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment to winter 2022-23.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
No such assessment has been made. We will be bringing forward legislation for the 23/24 Cost of Living Payments in due course.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
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 economic benefits of assisting people with severe asthma to participate fully in the labour market.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government recognises the important economic contribution of disabled people in the labour market and is committed to seeing 1 million more disabled people in work. DWP delivers a range of programmes to support disabled people, including those with severe asthma, to stay in or move into work.
These include the Work and Health Programme, Intensive Personalised Employment Support, Access to Work, Disability Confident and initiatives in partnership with the health system, including Employment Advice in NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services and Individual Placement and Support.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 21 April 2021 to Question 179362, if she will make an assessment of the causes of inequality in pay and job prospects for people with severe asthma.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Analysis published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that disabled employees are generally under-represented in higher skilled and typically higher paying occupation groups, while they are over-represented in lower-skilled and lower paying occupations when compared to non-disabled employees. Disabled workers are also less likely to move into and be in work, as well as more likely to move out of work.
Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith is currently leading a commission looking at how DWP, wider Government and employers can best support people to progress out of low pay, especially for those groups more likely to be in persistent low pay, such as disabled workers.
The Government is committed to ensuring that everybody, including people with asthma, has equal access to employment opportunities and offers a range of support to help disabled people to stay in or move into work.
In 2019, the Government consulted on ways to support and encourage employers to minimise the risk of ill-health related job loss among their employees in Health is Everyone's Business: proposals to reduce ill-health related job loss. Our response is due shortly.
The Government will also publish a National Strategy for Disabled People which will focus on issues that disabled people say affect them the most in all aspects of life, including employment.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference Demos' report entitled the economic cost of uncontrolled asthma, published February 2021, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people with asthma are able to stay in work.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities and health conditions are able to stay in work and offers a range of support. Access to Work (ATW) is a demand-led, discretionary grant scheme administered by Jobcentre Plus (JCP). The scheme facilitates recruitment and retention of disabled people for employers by contributing towards covering the costs of employment –related support above the level of reasonable adjustment. The scheme can fund up to £60,700 worth of flexible, personalised support per person per year.
In 2019, the Government consulted on ways to support and encourage employers to minimise the risk of ill-health related job loss among their employees in Health is Everyone's Business. Our response is due shortly.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families with children have received the £20 per week uplift in universal credit standard allowance payments in Blaydon in each month since that uplift was introduced.
Answered by Will Quince
The available information on the number of households with children with Universal Credit in payment, by parliamentary constituency, is published and can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
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 the maintenance of the triple lock on pensions in the 2019 Parliament.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Government is committed to ensuring that older people are able to live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and the State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people.
In April 2020, both the basic and new State Pensions (excluding protected payments) increased by 3.9%, in line with average earnings. The full yearly basic State Pension is worth over £1,900 more in 2020/21 than it was in 2010.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon and Consett)
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 help ensure that mental health support is available for people who (a) have recently become unemployed and (b) are experiencing long-term unemployment in order to prevent suicide associated with job loss.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
A range of mental health support is available. We have delivered mental health training to all work coaches to support claimants with mental health conditions. The Department has developed an enhanced mental health training programme, which has been delivered to all work coaches and managers. Work Coaches will tailor the support to the needs of the individual and work closely with local organisations that provide additional specialist support.
NHS mental health services have remained open for business throughout the covid-19 pandemic, and have used digital tools to connect with people and provide ongoing support. For those with severe needs or in crisis, NHS England has instructed all NHS mental health trusts to establish 24/7 mental health crisis lines and every mental health provider has at least one line. The Government is also working with the NHS and a wide range of stakeholders to assess potential need in all areas over the coming weeks and months and to plan accordingly.