Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had recent discussions with social landlords who are in the discovery areas of the managed migration to Universal Credit on taking steps to ensure that the landlord portal supports tenants adequately; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The DWP has regular engagement with a number of representatives across the Social Rented Sector (SRS) landlord community, which includes a move to Universal Credit (UC) monthly update. The Universal Credit Landlord Portal allows social rented sector landlords to verify rent and submit managed payment requests online, rather than by email.
The Portal is offered to SRS landlords with Trusted Partner status. Trusted Partners are registered social landlords (including stock owning local authorities) that have made an agreement with DWP. They have agreed to support their tenants, where possible with financial and personal budgeting. In exchange they are allowed to request an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA, previously known as MPTL) for their tenants whenever they identify a need and DWP will implement them without challenge.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the new online application service for Personal Independence Payments will include a facility to update a current claim with (a) new address and (b) other information.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Health Transformation Programme will transform the entire Personal Independence Payment (PIP) service, from finding out about benefits through to decisions, eligibility, and payments. We are developing the new service carefully and incrementally, designing the service around the needs of claimants. We have begun by focussing on the initial application part of the process and we are operating a small-scale test of the new online apply service. In time, we intend that the transformed PIP service will let claimants update their address and other information online. Currently, claimants using the online application process can update their claim by calling the PIP phone line, as other claimants do.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May to Question 184871 on Personal Independence Payment: Applications, who is taking part in the small-scale test of the digital PIP service; and whether organisations supporting disabled people can offer to contribute to it.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
As we test the new online apply service for PIP, it is currently being offered to a small number of claimants who call the department to begin a new claim. Currently, we are offering the service to 60 claimants a day.
Only those claimants who are able to apply online, and feel comfortable doing so, are offered a digital application. Call agents offer this voluntary option to new PIP claimants within scope of the current service until the daily limit is met.
The following user groups are not currently in scope:
As we gradually expand the service, we will incrementally bring more user groups in scope. This approach is allowing us to build, develop and design the service safely.
The department is committed to working with stakeholder organisations as we develop the new online new online apply service for PIP. Their input will be vital to its delivery. To date, three workshops dedicated to the service have been held, engaging with 16 different key stakeholder organisations. These workshops are contributing to the design and the delivery of the service and will continue as we gradually expand the service.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the waiting time for the Independent Case Examiner to commence an investigation of a complaint relating to the Child Maintenance Service was as of 22 May 2023; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The ICE process has several stages. Once a case has been accepted, ICE will attempt to resolve it without a full evidence gather. If a resolution cannot be brokered, the case awaits allocation to an investigator who will judge, once the evidence is available, whether an attempt to settle without a full investigation is appropriate. If this is not appropriate, or if settlement action cannot be agreed with the complainant, a full investigation is conducted.
The rate at which complaints can be allocated to an investigator depends on a number of factors, including the volume and complexity of complaints received, as well as available investigative resource.
Post-Covid, ICE has seen an increased number of referrals accompanied by an increase in the number of cases it has accepted. In the year April 2021 to March 2022, there was a 17% increase in the number of complaints being referred to ICE and a 68% increase in the number of complaints being accepted for examination, compared to the previous reporting year. In 2022-23 ICE received and accepted broadly similar volumes of cases referred and accepted.
The average time taken, as of 23 May 2023, from complaint receipt to allocation to an investigator (based on all current live cases being investigated) is 71 weeks for CMS cases.
The ICE office is continuously reviewing its processes and operating model to improve productivity and reduce the length of time investigations take to be concluded, without compromising quality. Since 1 April 2022, the ICE office has recruited an additional 18 investigators who will become increasingly productive as they consolidate initial training. A further 5 staff are due to join the team from July. Additional resource will be focused on CMS work.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
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 number of people who qualify for but have not taken up (a) Universal Credit, (b) social tariff schemes and (c) other financial support schemes.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not hold the information requested. A single system for those in and out of work is expected to increase take-up compared to legacy benefits, as set out in the UC business case Universal Credit programme full Business Case summary (publishing.service.gov.uk)
The Affordability of Communications Services report published by Ofcom in April 2023 sets out information about take up of social tariffs.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has for when Personal Independence Payment claimants will be able to make applications digitally; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Health Transformation Programme is transforming the entire PIP service, including introducing a digital PIP service with the option to apply online. We are currently operating a small-scale test of this new apply service, taking a small number of claims to begin with, before we gradually and carefully increase the number of people who can use it.
We have already introduced a digital version of the PIP2 health questionnaire, which is now offered to the majority of those making a claim. The full online apply service will offer claimants the option to claim PIP online, including the ability to save and resume and to upload medical evidence.
The programme will be developing the new PIP service carefully and incrementally, designing it around the needs of claimants, making it quicker, simpler and more transparent.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to introduce (a) screen readers, (b) specialist screen magnification software and (c) refreshable braille displays in jobcentres.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department provides computers for customer use in Jobcentres which have assistive technology such as screen readers and screen magnification built into them. Although Jobcentres do not offer the use of refreshable braille displays, customers are able to access a wide range of services which can support their needs such as braille and large print documents being made available upon request.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
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 training for (a) work coaches and (b) disability employment advisers to help ensure that jobseekers with complex disabilities receive support to (i) find and (ii) stay in employment; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Learning products within the Work Coach and Disability Employment Adviser Learning Journey include learning around supporting and coaching claimants with complex needs to move closer to, in to, and sustain, employment.
To ensure the continuous improvement of our learning, the Work Coach and Disability Employment Adviser learning products are regularly reviewed with policy colleagues, work psychologists and representatives from service delivery, and utilising findings from our post learning evaluation. Any opportunities to improve are impacted across all the learning products and changes made as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the policy paper Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper, published 16 March 2023, what steps he plans to take to train and support (a) work coaches and (b) disability employment advisors to improve support for disabled jobseekers.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Learning for Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisors already includes health and disability, we are currently working with Policy to impact and iterate learning journeys to align with Policy intent.
DWP Work Coaches receive comprehensive learning to support customers with additional or complex needs, which continues at point of need throughout their role. The learning provides Work Coaches with the knowledge and skills to enable them to support claimants moving towards employment.
Learning enables the Work Coach to determine what is required and to tailor the support and advice they offer. They complete scenario-based discussions and skills practice to cultivate effective communication skills, including the sensitive use of questions, to reach joint decisions.
Within DWP, the Disability Employment Advisor (DEA) role is expected to have completed the Work Coach Learning Journey prior to commencing specific learning for the DEA role, which provides them with further skills to support specific needs, enabling claimants to progress towards employment and making opportunities more accessible.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
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) support parents of disabled children and (b) help those parents return to work.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Government is committed to providing extensive support to help parents return to work, including parents of disabled children. Recognising that high childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions about work and hours, the Government has announced improvements to the UC childcare element, offering additional financial support to parents starting work, or increasing their earnings.
The Government believes that the best way to support living standards is through good work, better skills, and higher wages, which is why, on the 24 November 2021, the Universal Credit taper rate was reduced from 63% to 55%, enabling claimants to keep more of their earnings. Parents also benefit from the Work Allowance, which is increasing by £500 a year, in addition to the normal benefits uprating.
When a dependent child is disabled, the claimant may qualify for Disabled Child Addition. To be eligible, the child must be receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA). DLA is available to eligible children under 16, regardless of the family’s income. Parents of disabled children, like all claimants, agree to commitments that are tailored to their circumstances and improve the likelihood of them moving into work.