Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
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 adequacy of funding to (a) Salford City Council and (b) all local authorities to meet their statutory requirements on benefits.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides core funding for local authorities (LAs) to deliver Housing Benefit through the Housing Benefit Administration Subsidy (HBAS). This provides a contribution to the total cost of the service.
In addition, DWP provides additional funding in line with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government New Burdens Doctrine. This ensures that, where central government requires or exhorts that LAs do something new or additional, there is no additional pressure on Council Tax payments.
DWP is proactive in assessing and monitoring the level of funding and costs to LAs and continues to work with LAs to determine the total cost of delivering Housing Benefit.
DWP has established a new consultation forum called the LA Funding Group in conjunction with the Local Authority Associations. The aim of the group is to provide adequate time to discuss funding related issues and includes LA Chief Finance Officers on the group to gain stronger LA financial input and to explore funding methodologies
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the basic training qualifications for industrial divers in the offshore oil and gas and wind sectors in enabling those employees to transfer their skills between the two sectors.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Health and Safety Executive has responsibility for enforcing the Diving at Work Regulations 1997, which apply to all diving carried out in Great Britain where at least one person who is taking part is at work. These regulations specify the requirement for divers to hold an approved qualification for the type of diving that is being conducted.
The regulations are supported by 5 Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) which cover different dive industry sectors. The ACOPs were reviewed and revised in 2014 in consultation with the diving industry. The Commercial Diving Projects Offshore ACOP applies to all work associated with the oil and gas industry and some parts of the wind industry. The Commercial Diving Projects Inland/Inshore ACOP applies to all work in the wind sector that doesn’t fall under the Commercial Diving Projects Offshore ACOP.
Diving qualifications are transferable between sectors if the type of diving being undertaken in the particular sector is covered by the diving qualification held. A diver with a qualification appropriate for working in the offshore oil and gas industry would be able to work in the offshore wind industry. However, a diver holding a qualification for certain work in the wind industry may find that they need extra training before they can work in the offshore oil and gas industry. This is due to the different types of diving techniques used.
For further information on diving, please see HSE’s website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/diving/index.htm.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Cabinet Office of 15 January 2018, on Carillion, if she will place the annual reports of the 14 pension schemes forming part of the Carillion Group in the Library.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Government Ministers do not have access to the annual reports of the pension schemes forming part of the Carillion Group. This would be a matter for the pension schemes’ trustees.
The trustees of defined benefit schemes are required to let members know that the scheme’s annual report and accounts are available on request within seven months of the end of each scheme year. The report must include a copy of the audited accounts and auditor's statement, details of the trustees and how they are appointed and removed, an investment report, including how the investments have performed and the actuary's certification of the adequacy of the schedule of contributions.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people had personal independence payment awards reduced or removed as a result of reassessment in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017 to date in each parliamentary constituency in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The attached table shows the numbers of DLA to PIP Reassessments cleared in 2016/17 (April 6th to October 31st 2016 - the last date for which data is available). Data is published annually with the next update due in December 2017 and this will include data to October 31st 2017.
For each individual who has a PIP reassessment outcome their PIP entitlement has been compared to their DLA entitlement at the time of their PIP reassessment registration.
'Award Increased' means the Department have made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is higher than the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component).
'Award Unchanged' means the Department have made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is the same as the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component).
'Award Decreased' means the Department have made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is less than the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component).
'Disallowed post-referral to the assessment providers (AP)' includes claims that have been disallowed following the assessment due to the claimant not scoring enough points at the assessment to be awarded the benefit, or the claimant failing to attend the assessment without good reason.
'Disallowed pre-referral to the assessment providers (AP)' includes claims that have been disallowed due to failure of basic eligibility criteria or non-return of the Part 2 form within the time limit and have not been marked as requiring additional support.
'Withdrawn' includes all claims that have been withdrawn by the claimant prior to a decision being made. This can take place at any point in the claimant journey following registration of a claim.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people had personal independence payment awards reduced or removed as a result of reassessment in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017 to date in each parliamentary constituency in the UK.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The attached table shows the numbers of DLA to PIP Reassessments cleared in 2016/17 (April 6th to October 31st 2016 - the last date for which data is available). Data is published annually with the next update due in December 2017 and this will include data to October 31st 2017.
For each individual who has a PIP reassessment outcome their PIP entitlement has been compared to their DLA entitlement at the time of their PIP reassessment registration.
'Award Increased' means the Department have made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is higher than the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component).
'Award Unchanged' means the Department have made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is the same as the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component).
'Award Decreased' means the Department have made a decision to award PIP and the total monetary value of the PIP award (Daily Living plus Mobility component) is less than the total monetary value of the DLA award (Care component plus Mobility component).
'Disallowed post-referral to the assessment providers (AP)' includes claims that have been disallowed following the assessment due to the claimant not scoring enough points at the assessment to be awarded the benefit, or the claimant failing to attend the assessment without good reason.
'Disallowed pre-referral to the assessment providers (AP)' includes claims that have been disallowed due to failure of basic eligibility criteria or non-return of the Part 2 form within the time limit and have not been marked as requiring additional support.
'Withdrawn' includes all claims that have been withdrawn by the claimant prior to a decision being made. This can take place at any point in the claimant journey following registration of a claim.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment assessment appeals were taken to the tribunal stage in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18 to date.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The latest available data on volumes of appeals, volumes overturned and volumes upheld can be found in quarterly published statistics from the Ministry of Justice in tables SSCS.1 and SSCS.3 of: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics#history
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment assessment decisions were (a) overturned as a result of an appeal tribunal and (b) maintained in (i) 2016-17 and (ii) 2017-18 to date.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The latest available data on volumes of appeals, volumes overturned and volumes upheld can be found in quarterly published statistics from the Ministry of Justice in tables SSCS.1 and SSCS.3 of: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics#history
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Salford and Eccles constituency had personal independence payment awards reduced or removed in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18 to date as a result of reassessment.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The table below shows the number of individuals in Salford and Eccles constituency who were previously in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and who underwent a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Reassessment between 6th April 2016 and 31st October 2016 resulting in either a reduced reward or removal of award.
Re-assessment Outcome | 2016/17 Apr 6th to Oct 31st 2016 |
Award Decreased | 190 |
Disallowed post referral to the AP | 160 |
Disallowed pre referral to the AP | 20 |
Withdrawn | # |
Total | 380 |
October 2016 is the latest published data available. Later data is available on DWP systems but has been withheld as it will be published as part of official statistics in December 2017.
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. ‘#’ indicates a total of less than 5. Columns may not sum due to rounding.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
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 merits of extending widower's pension allowance to widowed partners who were (a) engaged and due to be married, (b) co-habiting and (c) co-habiting with children.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Marriage and civil partnerships are legal contracts that are associated with certain rights, including inheritance, recognition in the tax system and entitlement to certain benefits.
A key principle of the National Insurance system is that all rights to benefits derived from another person’s contributions are based on the concept of legal marriage or civil partnership. This is a long-standing position in bereavement benefits which the Government has no plans to change.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what research his Department has conducted on the health effects on claimants of the imposition of benefit sanctions and the processes related to the mandatory reconsideration and appeal of such sanctions.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Department has published the following research reports which are available on GOV.UK in line with our standard process.
Department for Works and Pensions, A review of the JSA sanctions regime: Summary research findings. Research Report No 313. 2006
Department for Works and Pensions, Qualitative research exploring the Pathways to Work sanctions regime. Research Report No 475. 2008
Oakley, Independent review of the operation of Jobseeker’s Allowance sanctions validated by the Jobseekers Act 2013. 2014
These reports collect information on the health and disability status of claimants, and examine the impact of sanctions and the sanctions and appeals process on claimants.