Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on the use of Braille to communicate with benefit claimants.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. We will always provide the best tailored service possible. If claimants express a preference for receiving the information in Braille, this will be provided.
Guidance on how to get documents for claimants or customers in Braille using the contracted provision the Department has in place is available for all staff via the Department’s intranet.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances disability living allowance is payable for a child who has dyslexia.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance is not linked to particular conditions such as dyslexia but is assessed on the extent to which an individual person has personal care needs and/or mobility difficulties as a result of their disability.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, under what circumstances a deaf person can be provided with an interpreter under the Access to Work Scheme.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
All Access to Work applications are looked at on an individual basis and support is awarded based on a person’s disability, their job role and tasks alongside the barriers they face at work. An Access to Work adviser would work closely with the applicant and their employer to identify the type, extent and appropriate level of communication support required.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the latest performance rating assigned to universal credit by the Major Projects Authority is.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
In June 2014, the CEO of the Major Projects Authority (MPA) reported to Public Accounts Committee that the Universal Credit Programme was stable and on track.
Going forward, the MPA Authority reports will give a delivery confidence assessment. The next assessment is due in November 2014,
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which organisations collect subscriptions through the employers' payroll service in his Department and its agencies.
Answered by Mike Penning
The table below shows a Treasury Approved list of organisations to which employees can pay subscriptions and premiums through voluntary deductions to their salary.
The Department is unable to determine which of these are specifically subscriptions as per the question asked so for completeness this list details all potential voluntary deductions operated within the Department.
Description |
Benenden Healthcare Society |
The following are covered under British Hospitals Contributory Association:- - Bolton and District - BUPA Cash Plan - CreweHospital - GwentHospital - Leicester & County - Mercia Health - Patients Aid - Premier Health Benefits - Provincial Hosp Service - Simply Health - Sovereign Health - Transport Hosp Fund – Healthshield - Wakefield Health Scheme - Western Provident Asscociation |
BirminghamHospital Sat Fund |
Charity Trust |
Civil Service Benevolent Fund |
Civil Service Club |
Civil Service Retirement Fellowship |
Civil Service Sports Council |
CSBF Recovery Of Loans |
Customs Annuity Ben Fund |
FDA |
Forester Health |
HASSRA |
HASSRA National Lottery |
Health Scheme |
Health Sure Group |
Hosp Savings Assoc Crown |
Hosp Savings Assoc Individual |
Hospital Saturday Fund |
Leeds Hospital Fund Ltd |
Merseyside Health |
NorwichUnion |
PCS |
Post Office Insurance Soc |
Prospect |
Scottish Benevolent Fund |
Sun Life Assurance Society |
Transport and General Workers Union |
UK Civil Service Benefit Society |
Welsh Hosp and Health Servs Association |
Westfield Health Scheme Discretionary |
Westfield Health Scheme Fixed |
Give As You Earn . G.A.Y.E |
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
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 effect of the under occupancy penalty on households where children have been removed by children's services on a temporary basis under child protection regulations.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Children who have been temporarily taken into care under child protection regulations are not assessed as part of the household with regards to the size criteria in both the social and private rented sectors.
This means a bedroom will not be allocated for any children taken into protective care. However, a child can be treated as a member of the claimant's household if they spend part of a benefit week in a claimant's house and the local authority considers it reasonable to include them as part of that household.
Where people are temporarily under occupying, they can apply for additional help through Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) scheme for which we have provided funding of £345 million over the last 2 years. Guidance to Local Authorities on awarding a DHP covers circumstances where a child is temporarily away from home. Where appropriate, claimants could therefore apply for a DHP in child protection cases.