Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take further steps to assist pensioners who are experiencing increased energy bills.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Chancellor announced on 26 May a cost-of-living package which included a pensioner cost of living payment of £300 per household to be paid alongside the winter fuel payment this coming winter increasing the amount to £500/£600 depending on age. Once added to the non-repayable £400 discount on energy bills this autumn for domestic electricity customers, this will result in all pensioners households in Great Britain receiving £900 for households with someone of state pension age and under 80 and £1,000 for households with someone aged 80 or over to help with increased fuel costs. In addition, there is a £650 Cost of Living Payment deliberately targeted at low-income households in receipt of a means tested qualifying benefit. For people above State Pension age, this is those in receipt of Pension Credit.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will review the exclusion of lithium-ion batteries for grid storage from the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (COMAH) apply to dangerous substances as classified by the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulations 2008. Lithium-ion batteries are considered to be articles, rather than substances, and are therefore outside of the scope of the COMAH.
The Health and Safety Executive considers that the current regulatory framework is sufficient and suitably robust in relation to lithium-ion batteries and battery energy storage systems.
Of particular relevance are the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations which set minimum requirements for the protection of workers and others from fire and explosion risks; the Electricity at Work Regulations which require precautions to be taken against the risk of death or personal injury from electricity in work activities; and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations which require risks to be assessed and appropriately managed. In addition, for large scale battery storage, there are statutory requirements to notify the Fire and Rescue Service to inform their emergency response planning.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to publish the findings from the review, announced in July 2019, on how the welfare system supports people who are terminally ill.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The evaluation remains a priority for the Department. The Department has made good progress and we expect to be able to provide an update on the outcome of the evaluation shortly.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to exempt people of state pension age in receipt of disability living allowance from further reassessments for that allowance; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Everyone who was in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) on 8 April 2013 and was under the age of 65 will be invited to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP), even if they are over the age of 65 when invited to claim. We have no plans to change these rules as we complete reassessment activity for adult DLA recipients.
DLA recipients who were 65 or over on 8 April 2013 will not be invited to claim PIP and will remain on DLA for as long as the entitlement conditions remain satisfied.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
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 effect of welfare changes on disabled people in the last 10 years.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are spending £55 billion a year on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. That’s a record high and up £10 billion in real terms since 2010. Spending on disability benefits will be higher in every year to 2023 than 2010.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to conduct research into whether timely and accurate administration of benefits affects the level of use of food banks.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In the last five years we have made significant improvements in the service we provide and as a consequence benefits are paid faster than ever before; at the same time some food banks have reported increases in the amount of food supplies that they issue. Reasons for food bank use are complex and overlapping so it is misleading to link them to any one issue.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
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 all benefit applications are processed within five working days.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
All claims for benefit are processed as quickly as possible and individual expectations on the number of days this takes is tailored across all our different products and services.
We are now processing benefits more quickly and accurately with 90% of key out-of-work benefits processed within planned timescales in 2015/16.
Where claimants are in urgent financial need and have claimed Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance, Carers Allowance, Pension Credit and State Pension they can apply for an advance on their first benefit payment. This is called a Short Term Benefit Advance.