Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which organisations she consulted on the proposal of having job coaches visit mental health patients in hospital.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State has made no announcement regarding having job coaches visit mental health patients in hospital and therefore did not consult any organisations. She was referring to her experience visiting a severe mental illness Individual Placement and Support programme.
The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment model is internationally recognised as one of the most effective way to support people with mental health problems to gain and keep paid employment. Individual Placement and Support services offer intensive, individually tailored support to help people to choose and find the right job, with ongoing support for the employer and employee to help ensure the person sustain their employment.
In August, 38,704 people had accessed Individual Placement and Support services in the previous 12 months, meaning we are above our trajectory to meet the end of year target of 40,500 people accessing these services.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of defaulting self-employed people into pension savings.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Finding effective and enduring solutions to enable self-employed people to achieve greater financial security in later life is a challenge, which the UK like other countries is confronting. Research has highlighted that while self-employments are diverse, the behavioural barriers that were overcome through Automatic Enrolment for employees persist for self-employed people, in particular low levels of knowledge and inertia make it difficult to get started with retirement saving. In addition, there are specific barriers experienced by many self-employed people, including irregularity of income.
My department has been working with research partners to explore the feasibility of addressing such barriers through building and testing default retirement saving solutions in digital platforms, used by many self-employed people to manage their money.
The second phase of our pensions review will begin later this year, looking at further steps to improve pension outcomes, including assessing pension adequacy.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) maternity and (b) paternity pay for (i) one child and (ii) multiple child births.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Maternity pay is primarily a health and safety provisions for pregnant working women. It is not intended to replace a woman's earnings completely, rather it provides a measure of financial security to help pregnant working women take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth.
We want new parents to be able to take time away from work. The standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance and Statutory Paternity Pay is reviewed annually. All three rates were raised again by 6.7% in April from £172.48 to £184.03.
These payments are not paid in respect of each child but in respect of each pregnancy. The qualifying conditions for both are generally based on a woman's, father’s or partner’s recent employment and earnings. They are not intended to assist with the costs associated with the birth of a new child or children.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to ensure Local Housing Allowance keeps pace with local rents.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were restored to the 30th percentile of local market rents from April 2024 for one year.
Decisions on LHA for future years will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, housing priorities, and the fiscal context.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the eligibility criteria for Carer’s Allowance for people in receipt of the State Pension who have provided long-term unpaid care.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Although there is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, it cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. It has been a long-held feature of the GB benefit system, under successive Governments, that where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to avoid duplication for the same need. Although entitlement to State Pension and Carer’s Allowance arise in different circumstances they are nevertheless designed for the same contingency – as an income replacement. Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person is unable to undertake full time employment due to their caring responsibilities, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. For this reason, social security rules operate to prevent them being paid together, to avoid duplicate provision for the same need.
However, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance which is currently £81.90.
Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £45.60 a week and potentially other means-tested support. Around 125,000 people are receiving the Carer Premium with their Pension Credit. And even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, they may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department will continue the work of the Department’s Children in Hospital Stakeholder Group.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Supporting parents with care and compassion whilst they navigate some of the toughest moments a parent can face is something all in this house would believe in. We will consider the work done by the previous Government before making a decision on next steps.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing children and young people with cancer to apply for (a) Personal Independence Payment, (b) Disability Living Allowance and (c) other disability benefits immediately following their diagnosis.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Other than for those who are nearing the end of their life, the extra costs disability benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA), are assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability rather than a diagnosis. PIP has replaced DLA for working age people. DLA is claimed by children under the age of 16 years old. Children and young people who have been diagnosed with cancer and who face extra costs as a result of their ill health can apply for DLA immediately. The qualifying period does not apply to DLA claimants who are terminally ill and do not have to satisfy the three--month qualifying period. They will have their claim fast tracked and are eligible for the higher-rate care component from the date of claim.
The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life, as they will incur additional costs for additional care and support. We enable children and young people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to the extra costs disability benefits with a guaranteed entitlement.