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Written Question
Social Security Benefits: Encephalitis
Friday 16th September 2022

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to benefit claimants who (a) are suffering from Encephalitis and (b) have limited capacity for work.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

People whose capability for work is affected because they are disabled or have a health condition, including people who have encephalitis, may be eligible for New Style Employment and Support Allowance and/or Universal Credit, subject to satisfying their eligibility conditions. The Work Capability Assessment determines an individual’s capability for work. For people found to have limited capability for work, their Jobcentre work coach uses their discretion to set work-related activity, appropriate to the claimant's circumstances and capability, to help them prepare to start work when they are able. People who have limited capability for work and work-related activity are not required to carry out any work-related activity, but can do so if they wish.

People who have encephalitis may also be eligible for Personal Independence Payment, to help meet the extra costs of living faced by disabled people and people with health conditions.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment
Thursday 1st March 2018

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has in place to ensure that (a) people are informed when their personal independence payment assessment meeting is cancelled and (b) such meetings are re-arranged as soon as possible.

Answered by Sarah Newton

The PIP Assessment Providers are responsible for the scheduling and management of face to face assessments. While both Providers endeavour to avoid cancellations, unfortunately there will be situations where this is unavoidable, for example if an assessor is ill. When an assessment is cancelled both Providers will contact claimants as soon as possible to reschedule the assessment.


Written Question
Work Capability Assessment: Parkinson's Disease
Wednesday 31st January 2018

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to involve people with Parkinson's disease in the process of improving the work capability assessment.

Answered by Sarah Newton

We are committed to working with a comprehensive range of external stakeholders including disability charities, academics, people with disabilities and their advocates. As part of this, I am pleased to note that I am scheduling a meeting with representatives of Parkinson’s UK.


Written Question
Housing Benefit
Tuesday 5th December 2017

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the 12-month grace period to protect individuals from a reduction in housing benefit when someone who lived with them passes away is being implemented effectively.

Answered by Caroline Dinenage

A grace period exists in Housing Benefit to help protect those suffering a bereavement for a period of 12 months. This applies not only in respect of the claimant or their partner but to people linked to them, such as a family member who lives in the same household. This means that housing benefit entitlement is protected from any consequential decrease in their eligible rent for a year from the date of a death.

It is however the responsibility of individual local authorities to assess individual benefit claims and apply the specific rules which is laid out in regulations and guidance.


Written Question
Children: Maintenance
Wednesday 22nd February 2017

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment into the potential merits of amending the Child Maintenance Services' (CMS) variation rules to (a) better reflect the financial capacity of a person to pay and (b) include categories of wealth which fall outside the CMS criteria.

Answered by Caroline Nokes

Within the 2012 scheme of child maintenance, a broad spectrum of taxable income can be taken into account in the maintenance calculation as part of a variation.

We believe all parents have a responsibility to financially contribute to their children’s upbringing and the best way we have of establishing a fair contribution is a calculation of their liability based on their income level.

The definition of income within variations is designed to make the best use of additional sources of taxable income captured by self-assessment, referred to as ‘unearned income’. This includes income from property, savings and investments and other miscellaneous sources.

Receiving ‘unearned income’ information directly from HM Revenue and Customs makes it more difficult for individuals to seek to minimise the amount of child maintenance they pay. A variation can also be considered if a receiving parent has evidence that a paying parent is diverting income.

We have no plans to widen our variation categories further.


Written Question
Statutory Sick Pay: Small Businesses
Monday 7th November 2016

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the capacity of small businesses to pay statutory sick pay for up to 28 weeks.

Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

It is important that employers are responsible for providing employees with a measure of income replacement when they are unable to work rather than the cost falling to the tax-payer through the State benefits system.

Before introducing regulations that affect small businesses, all Departments are required to consult with them. This includes an assessment of the likely costs of complying with the change and enables unnecessary burdens to be identified before decisions are made on whether to proceed.

The Government recognises the challenges that are faced by employers and that there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution on the health and work agenda. On Monday 31st October the Government published “Improving Lives, the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper”. This starts a consultation that will run until 17th February 2017.

We will use the Green Paper as an opportunity to understand how best we can help employers of all sizes take action on a range of areas. This includes seeking views on whether Statutory Sick Pay should be reformed to encourage supportive conversations between the employer and employee and make it easier for people to have a phased return to work. Any proposals for change following consultation will include an assessment of the impact on business.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
Wednesday 7th September 2016

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policy on the uprating of the pensions of British people living abroad of the UK leaving the EU.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

We are about to begin negotiations for Britain’s future relationship with Europe and it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions in advance. At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
Wednesday 7th September 2016

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the uprating of British pensions for UK state pension holders living abroad.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

We are about to begin negotiations for Britain’s future relationship with Europe and it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions in advance. At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions: Self-employed
Thursday 9th June 2016

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of self-employed people who have private pensions made state pension contributions in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Mental Illness
Tuesday 29th March 2016

Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what work his Department is undertaking to support people with mental health conditions who are subject to the personal independent payments assessment process.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

Claimants identified as having mental health issues can access additional support at any point in the assessment process. At the new claim stage: if they do not return their claim form, we will arrange for the claimant to be referred directly to the assessment provider for their assessment without the need for completing the form. At the assessment stage: we would support any claimant with mental health issues to have company with them for their assessment.

Additionally, Atos and Capita both employ Mental and Cognitive Champions to provide advice and support to their health assessors on conditions and disabilities affecting mental, cognitive and behavioural function. We also work closely with disability organisations to develop training and increase awareness of these conditions amongst health assessors.