Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 impact of existing social security policies on children in poverty in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change.
The Strategy will look at all available levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, including considering social security reforms, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments.
The numbers of children living in low income families before housing costs by local areas are published annually in the Children in Low Income Families Publication, available here: Children in low income families: local area statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
In 2022/23, 9,973 children aged under 16 (17.6% of all children aged under 16) were in relative poverty before housing costs (BHC) in Stockport.
In 2022/23, 179,814 children aged under 16 (30.4% of all children aged under 16) were in relative poverty before housing costs (BHC) in Greater Manchester.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 effectiveness of national economic policies on addressing the root causes of child poverty.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change. The causes of child poverty are deep-rooted and complex, and the Taskforce is exploring all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty.
The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2024 to Question 21862 on Cost of Living Payments: Disability, what estimate he has made of the average financial impact per claimant of the discontinuation of Disability Cost of Living Payments.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
No estimate has been made about the discontinuation of Disability Cost of Living Payments.
As of April 2024, the rate of inflation has slowed, and the Government has also implemented uprating to benefits to reflect increased costs. We also increased extra costs disability benefits by 10.1 per cent from April 2023 and by 6.7% from April 2024 in line with the Consumer Price Index.
For 2023/24 we estimate that nearly 60 per cent of individuals who received an extra costs disability benefit would have received the means-tested benefit Cost of Living Payments, worth up to £900. Over 85 per cent would have received either or both of the means-tested and the £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment.
An evaluation of the Cost of Living Payments is underway. This will seek to understand their effectiveness as a means of support for low-income and vulnerable household.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the ending Disability Cost of Living Payments on people with disabilities.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Government has no plans to extend the Disability Cost of Living Payments past the 2023/24 round. Cost of Living Payments enabled us to target further support quickly during the rising cost of living pressures.
As of March 2024, the rate of inflation has slowed, and the Government has also implemented uprating to other benefits to reflect increased costs.
An evaluation of the Cost of Living Payments is underway. This will seek to understand their effectiveness as a means of support for low-income and vulnerable households.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an estimate of the number of people with disabilities in the UK that (a) stopped receiving a mobility allowance and (b) lost access to the Motability Scheme as a result of reaching state pension age in 2023.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) before reaching state pension age, are still entitled to their award after reaching state pension age.
No claimant over state pension age will lose their mobility component or access to the Motability scheme providing they continue to meet the qualifying conditions of the benefit.
During 2022-23, an average of 226,000 PIP claimants of pension age received the enhanced mobility award in England & Wales. Any claimant in receipt of enhanced rate mobility can choose to exchange this for a lease on a Motability car, powered wheelchair or scooter.
We do not hold data on how many PIP claimants over state pension age choose to use the Motability scheme.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 adjusting the National Insurance (NI)/State Pension scheme rules so that any NI payments made before State Pension age are taken into account so that they can contribute to gaining a Full NI Qualifying Year.
Answered by Paul Maynard
No such assessment has been made.
A person's working life is the period from the beginning of the tax year (6 April) in which they are aged 16, to the end of the tax year (5 April) before the one in which they reach State Pension age (known as the Final Relevant Year).
National Insurance contributions made during an individual’s Final Relevant Year count towards their National Insurance record however, contributions made in the tax year someone reaches State Pension age do not. This is because the administration of National Insurance records is carried out in line with tax years – from 6 April one year to 5 April the next year.
Over a working life, most people will build enough Qualifying Years to maximise their state pension.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the letter of 4 August, 2023 from the hon. Member for Stockport on behalf of a constituent, reference NM21431, on his Department’s criteria for the calculation of carers’ allowance.
Answered by Paul Maynard
DWP provided a telephone and email response to the office of Navendu Mishra MP on 23 August 2023 in relation to his constituent’s enquiry, and a copy has also been issued today by email.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 merits of providing funding for (a) legal and (b) other expert support at benefits tribunals.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
At the First-tier Tribunal, proceedings are designed to be straightforward and accessible to all. The tribunal panel is trained and experienced in dealing with a wide range of appellants with individual needs. Accordingly, the Department does not consider that it needs to provide any advocacy funding at this level.
Legal Aid, which is administered by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), is still available for advice and assistance on welfare benefits appeals to the Upper Tribunal, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. At the First-tier Tribunal, Legal Aid may be available through the exceptional case funding scheme, if failure to provide Legal Aid may risk a breach of an individual’s human rights.
At all appellate stages, claimants are able to appoint a representative to assist with their appeal and there is helpful signposting to free support available on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/appeal-benefit-decision/submit-appeal
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to support the delivery of mental health first aid in the workplace.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the Health and Safety (First-Aid Regulations) 1981 which require employers to provide first aid to employees who are injured or become ill at work.
The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations are designed to help individuals who require immediate intervention or support where necessary until professional emergency care arrives. They require employers to consider mental health alongside physical health when undertaking a first aid needs assessment.
An employer’s assessment of first aid needs requires a risk based approach and should consider whether training employees in mental health first aid is necessary in their workplace.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing terminally ill people to claim their state pension early.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The principle of having a State Pension age that is the same for everybody is fundamental in the UK. Unlike a personal or workplace pension, which can potentially be drawn earlier, it has always been the case that nobody can claim their State Pension early, before they reach their State Pension age. We have no current plans to change this principle.
For those at the end of their life, the Government’s priority is providing financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way that the Department does this is through special benefit rules, sometimes referred to as “the Special Rules”. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit. For many years, the Special Rules have applied to people who have 6 months or less to live and now they have been changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live.