Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rosena Allin-Khan and Justin Tomlinson

Monday 13th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Tooting) (Lab)]

11. What steps her Department is taking to support people with disabilities in employment.

[The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Justin Tomlinson)]

We support disabled people in employment through initiatives such as Access to Work, which last year approved support for nearly 34,000 disabled people; Disability Confident, to which almost 12,000 employers are now signed up; and the £55 billion we will spend on benefits this year to support disabled people, including those who are in employment.

[Dr Allin-Khan]

Sarah Jeffers in Tooting requires a specialist wheelchair owing to her cerebral palsy. The Department for Work and Pensions has told her that she is required to pay £17,000 to fund the replacement of her broken wheelchair. Sarah’s job each day is to get disabled people back into work. However, without her wheelchair, she herself cannot work. The DWP has also stated that it cannot provide further funds for her wheelchair because she already receives support for her car from the Motability scheme. Will the Minister meet Sarah and me to discuss this complicated case?

[Justin Tomlinson]

The hon. Lady has been working brilliantly to support her constituent, whom we all want to remain in employment. From the details given to me already, it sounds as if Access to Work would have the potential to help with the funding towards her constituent’s wheelchair. I am happy to look into the details of the case as quickly as possible.

[Dr Allin-Khan]

Will he meet us?

[Justin Tomlinson]

And I would be very happy to meet the hon. Lady and her constituent.

[Dr Allin-Khan]

Thank you!