Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to people who suffer with disabilities after retirement.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Attendance Allowance (AA) is a weekly benefit for those over State Pension age who require care or supervision as a result of a physical or mental disability. AA is paid at two rates. A higher rate of £110.40 a week for claimants who need help or supervision for both day and night or who are terminally ill. And a lower rate of £73.90 for claimants who need frequent help or supervision during the day or night.
AA provides financial support towards the extra costs faced by those with a severe disability. It is neither means-tested, nor based on National Insurance contributions paid and recipients can choose how they wish to spend it. Receipt of AA can provide a passport to additional amounts in means-tested benefits (notably Pension Credit and Housing Benefit) for those on low incomes and to Carer’s Allowance for the person providing care for them.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help support disabled people in the workplace.
Answered by Liz Kendall - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
It is vital that workplaces are inclusive so disabled people have the same opportunities to get work, stay in work and progress in their careers.
That is why I have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield, the former boss of John Lewis, to lead an independent review into what more employers and Government can do together to support disabled people in work.
His interim review was published last month, and his final report will be in the summer.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department uses the family test; and what her Department's policy is on the publication of family test impact assessments.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP uses the Family Test during policy development and promotes its use across government.
Family Test assessments are not routinely published by DWP. Decisions on the publication of Family Test assessments fall within the responsibility of each Government department.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to meet with representatives from the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.
Answered by Paul Maynard
There are currently no plans to meet with WASPI representatives. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s investigation on State Pension age communications is ongoing. Section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.
The Department is cooperating fully with the Ombudsman in their investigation.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 potential merits of publishing compensation scheme proposals for the women affected by the state pension age changes.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s investigation on State Pension age communications is ongoing and Section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.
The Department is cooperating fully with the Ombudsman’s investigation.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Employment boost for thousands of parents on Universal Credit, published on 25 October 2023, and the proposals announced in the Written Statement of 22 November 2023 on Work Capability Assessment Consultation, HCW64, whether his Department will take steps to support disabled single parents who have been deemed fit to work but are unable to work for 30 hours a week; and whether he has considered the potential merits of introducing accommodations for that group.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Disabled single parents in the Intensive Work Search conditionality group will continue to have their expected hours set at an appropriate level for their personal circumstances. The measures introduced on 25th October 2023 will ensure that lead carers of children aged 3-12 will be in a much better position to look for and prepare for work, increase their earnings and take full advantage of the increased childcare provision.
Work Coaches tailor the amount of hours any claimant is required to be available for work, search for work and undertake other work-related requirements to reflect the individual’s health condition, disability, caring responsibilities and wider circumstances.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 impact of increasing work search requirements for universal credit claimants whose youngest child is aged three or above on the (a) welfare and (b) development of those children.
Answered by Guy Opperman
No assessment is planned on the potential impact of increasing work search requirements for Universal Credit claimants whose youngest child is three or above on that child’s welfare or development. However, evidence suggests that parental employment substantially reduces the risk of child poverty.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the (a) efficiency and (b) accessibility of telephone services provided by his Department.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
As part of DWP’s Service Modernisation programme, the Modernising and Transforming Telephony Project was formed. The project is looking at technologies available to improve and support DWP’s future telephony demand. User research from customers, agents and providers is at the centre of their design and build approach. The first enhancement will involve the introduction of ‘DWP’s Virtual Agent’’ this will support customers through their telephony journey and best determine how to respond or help with their enquiry. The objective of this technology is route calls to the right person or support available at the right time and providing a better overall customer experience than now. Starting with Universal Credit; we then plan to introduce this technology further over the next 3 years*. In terms of accessibility, this technology has been fully approved to standards required and will not replace, but complement the pre-existing support available for those customers who require it such as Relay UK and Video Relay Service.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many eligible pensioners have applied for Pension Credit since the Government launched its awareness campaign to increase uptake in April 2022.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
There have been 271,851 Pension Credit applications submitted from April 2022 to March 2023. DWP does not hold data that show the proportion of customers who are eligible.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 potential merits of removing (a) the 20-metre rule, (b) informal observations and (c) the 50 per cent rule from Personal Independence Payment assessments.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The enhanced rate of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mobility component was always intended to be for those "unable" or "virtually unable" to walk. The 20-metre distance was introduced to distinguish those whose mobility is significantly more limited than others and who face even greater barriers on a day-to-day basis. Individuals who can walk more than 20 metres can still receive the enhanced rate of the Mobility component if they cannot do so safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly or in a reasonable time period. We believe the current assessment criteria, including the 20-metre rule, are the best way of identifying people whose physical mobility is most limited and there are no immediate plans to make changes.
Whilst the PIP assessment does allow for informal observations of functional limitations, this is only part of the suite of evidence considered by health professionals. Informal observations are not viewed in isolation, they are considered alongside all other available evidence to determine entitlement. The observations are limited to between the point the assessment starts to when the assessment ends; the health professional (HP) cannot document observations made outside of this period. This is useful in assessing functional capability and there are no current plans to stop this.
It is essential the PIP assessment accurately reflects the impact of variations in an individual's level of impairment. All health professionals are required to assess individuals in line with the statutory requirements, including: whether an individual can complete each of the 12 activities; the manner in which they can do it; whether they can complete each activity “safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period”. When choosing the descriptor, the health professional should also consider an individual’s ability over a 12-month period, ensuring that fluctuations are taken into account. For each activity, if a descriptor applies on more than 50 per cent of the days in the 12-month period, that descriptor should be chosen. In general, health professionals should record function over an average year for conditions that fluctuate over months, per week for conditions that fluctuate by the day, and by the day for conditions that vary over a day.
The department closely monitors all aspects of the assessment process, including how we assess fluctuating health conditions; however, there are no current plans to remove the 50 per cent rule.