Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of social security assessment and application processes on the mental health of claimants.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out our commitment to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability. This includes exploring ways to improve trust and transparency in PIP and WCA through reviewing our approach to safeguarding, recording assessments to increase trust in the process, and moving back to having more face-to-face assessments while continuing to meet the needs of people who may require different methods of assessment.
We have also launched the Timms Review, the first ever full review of PIP, to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment. The Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard.
The Review will consider how PIP can enable disabled people to live independently; whether the assessment effectively captures the impact of long-term health conditions and disability in the modern world; and whether it should consider any other evidence. It will also look at how the assessment could ensure people access the right support at the right level.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 Motability tax changes on disabled people’s ability to access work, healthcare and caring responsibilities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
An Equality Impact Assessment including consideration of the impact on affected individuals was undertaken and published by HMT as part of the Autumn Budget and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK.
The Motability Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and vehicles which require no advance payment, meaning that people will be able to access a suitable vehicle using only their qualifying disability benefit. Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the take-up of Pension Credit among eligible pensioners in the North West.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners, including those in the North West, receive the support to which they are entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign across Great Britain, promoting Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their families. This includes messaging encouraging family members to check eligibility on behalf of parents and grandparents, promoted through television and radio advertising, social media, digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in national press and in magazines such as Yours, Take a Break and TV Choice.
Specifically, in the North-West we have advertised on the regional versions of radio stations including Greatest Hits Radio, Hits Radio, Classic FM and Smooth and placed adverts in press titles such as Manchester Evening News, Lancashire Telegraph, Lancashire Post, Liverpool Echo, Daily Post Liverpool, and Bolton News. We continue to engage with local authorities and partners and distribute promotional materials, including posters and leaflets. For example, Greater Manchester Ageing Hub cascaded our campaign materials to councils across the city region and a number of community organisations supported the campaign, including Warrington Voluntary Action.
We are also using data to target potentially eligible households. For example, since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit and, in a trial with Age UK and Independent Age targeting 2,000 households in England, we are testing whether it is possible to identify potentially eligible households using HMRC and DWP data.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to address disparities in outcomes between pensioners under the old State Pension system and those under the new State Pension.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Ensuring a decent State Pension for pensioners as a foundation for a secure retirement is a priority for this Government. That is why we have set out our commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this Parliament, which is set to increase spending on the State Pension by over £30 billion. The Triple lock applies to both the basic and new State Pensions
It is not possible to make direct like for like comparisons between the pre 2016 State Pension system and the new State Pension. Although some people receiving the new State Pension may get a larger amount uprated by the Triple Lock, there are other elements of the previous system that they do not have access to. For example, State Pension ages are generally higher for people reaching State Pension age after 6 April 2016, so people on the new system receive their State Pension income from a later date. Furthermore, the National Insurance rates that people have had to pay since 2016 have been higher than they were for people who were contracted-out before 2016. Therefore, all the arrangements need to be considered in the round, rather than comparing individual aspects.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on simplifying the Pension Credit application process.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department is committed to modernising the Pension Credit service and regularly reviews the user experience to balance simplification with ensuring accurate awards. We are streamlining application routes by using information held internally to reduce the number of questions customers need to answer.
Claims can be made online, by telephone, or by post. The most popular method is online, where claims can be made 24/7 with help from a family member, friend, or third party. The online form now requires a maximum of 48 questions, and for some customers as few as 35. On average, it takes just 16 minutes to complete, with around 90% of new customers applying online or by phone.
For telephone claims, callers are guided through the process by an agent. We will continue to keep the Pension Credit application process under review to ensure it remains simple and accessible.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help ensure that discretionary sick pay arrangements do not disadvantage disabled workers.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Employers have a statutory duty to pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) to employees who satisfy the qualifying criteria. They can offer occupational or discretionary sick pay to their employees at a higher rate than the statutory minimum, but may place limits on eligibility or duration. Employers are not required to offer occupational sick pay, but must still pay SSP to eligible employees.
When setting discretionary sick pay policies within their organisation, employers need to ensure that these are not discriminatory, for example against disabled workers and that they comply with employment laws and the Equality Act 2010. Employees are able to access free, confidential advice if they have concerns about their employer’s company sick pay policy and any aspect of employment law by contacting ACAS.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to (a) improve the Child Maintenance Service and (b) ensure that payments are made.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government’s aim is for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to remove the direct pay service in order to tackle non-compliance more quickly. This change will be made when Parliamentary time allows. Moving to a single, strengthened Collect and Pay system will allow the CMS to monitor all payments, identify missed or partial payments immediately, and take faster enforcement action. Ahead of this change, the CMS is already moving noncompliant parents more quickly from Direct Pay to Collect and Pay.
Where compliance cannot be achieved, the CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that are designed to get money flowing quickly, prevent the build-up of arrears and ensure children get the financial support they deserve. These powers include the ability to deduct directly from the paying parent’s earnings or bank accounts and disqualifications from holding or obtaining driving licenses and passports.
To further improve arrears collection, the CMS will introduce administrative liability orders (ALOs) to replace the current court based process. This will streamline enforcement, reduce delays, and help the CMS act more quickly against parents who avoid their responsibilities. Work with HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government is underway, and regulations will be brought to Parliament as soon as possible.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Child Maintenance Service is able to identify hidden earnings.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Where a paying parent changes jobs, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) uses real-time information from HMRC where available, to quickly identify new employment and adjust maintenance calculations accordingly.
People who are self-employed are required to keep accurate records of their business income and expenses for tax purposes. HMRC can charge penalties for inaccurate reporting where it results in tax being unpaid.
Where the information available from HMRC does not give rise to a liability which accurately reflects what a customer believes a paying parent should be paying, the customer can seek a Variation. Variations allow the CMS to look at some circumstances which are not covered by the basic maintenance calculation. A variation can be requested on grounds of diversion of income. This is when the paying parent may be able to control the amount of income they receive. This includes diverting income to another person or for another purpose (including excessive pension contributions).
Cases involving complex income can be investigated by the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions to check the accuracy of information the Child Maintenance Service is given.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 State Pension age changes on 1950s-born women in Warrington South constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age.
Estimates can be made with ONS 2022 Census Data of how many women born in the 1950s were resident in each constituency in that year.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve the migration process for claimants transitioning from income-related Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit; and what measures are in place to ensure that vulnerable individuals are adequately supported during this transition.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reviews and amends its approach for migration to Universal Credit based on lessons learned from earlier migrations (Tax Credits, Income Support) and continues to refine support strategies for customers.
We recognise that many claimants making this transition have complex health conditions and additional needs, which can make the process particularly challenging. DWP is committed to ensuring that these individuals receive the support they need.
We have dedicated support mechanisms in place for customers with vulnerabilities. This includes clear communication, accessible guidance and personalised assistance where needed.
The Migration Notice itself signposts to our helpline, gov.uk website and ‘Help to Claim’, a service provided by Citizens Advice Bureau. Contact via these routes allows further support to be provided, based on individual need from the outset.
All Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) customers who have not made their claim to Universal Credit within two weeks of the deadline of their migration notice will automatically enter the Enhanced Support journey. This journey provides tailored and flexible assistance, including phone calls and home visits, to support the migration process.
We recognise that the digital nature of Universal Credit can pose significant challenges for claimants with learning disabilities, dyslexia, or limited digital literacy. To address this, we offer alternative access routes, including telephone support and face-to-face appointments, which can be arranged upon request. Additionally, Universal Credit statements and letters are written and formatted in plain English and undergo rigorous content design testing to ensure clarity and accessibility. DWP is regularly reviewing its correspondence templates to ensure that responses are concise, clear and free from unnecessary technical language while maintaining transparency and accuracy.
Furthermore, Jobcentre staff are trained to discuss complex needs and vulnerabilities. There is a facility in the Universal Credit account to record these, along with any agreed reasonable adjustments. Customers can request email communications, home visits, or support from an authorised representative (family member, friend, or adviser).
In addition to this, we also offer:
DWP continues to review and iterate our services to optimise our services and any further feedback is welcomed.