Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to provide an Answer to Question 35806 on Resettlement: Afghanistan, tabled on 5 March 2025.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 35806 on 20 March 2025.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what basis her Department decided which aspects of the proposed reforms to the benefits system would be subject to consultation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This consultation sets out plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. We are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do.
We urgently need this reform to stop people from falling into inactivity, restore trust and fairness in the system and promote the interests of disabled people. This means we need to take decisive action to tackle a situation in which PIP claims are set to double from 2 million to over 4.3 million this decade. We are consulting on how best to support those affected by the changes. We will also consider improvements to the PIP assessment. We will launch a wider review of PIP, which I shall lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress.
We will rebalance payments in Universal Credit, reducing the health top up for new claims and delivering the first ever permanent, above inflation rise to the standard allowance of UC, offering help for people to get into work as quickly as possible.
We will be bringing forward changes in a Bill so Parliament can fully debate and vote on them.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 ensure changes to the eligibility of Personal Independence Payments don't disproportionately impact individuals with fluctuating conditions.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, with some information published here alongside the Spring Statement.
A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
The proposal in the Green Paper that assessments for Personal Independence Payment should be recorded will help assure that the assessments reach the right conclusion for people with fluctuating conditions
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to ensure that disabled people who do not receive Personal Independence Payment but have work-related limitations are not adversely impacted by welfare reforms.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to protecting disabled people who can't and won’t ever be able to work and support them to live with dignity.
As part of making changes to the payment rates in Universal Credit, we are proposing that the incomes of those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work are protected.
We will also protect the incomes of existing claimants, by holding the value of the health element of UC in cash terms and increasing the standard allowance.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department has on the (a) number of unfilled vacancies, (b) cost for using (i) locum and (ii) bank staff to fill vacancies at Torbay Hospital in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold information on the number of unfilled vacancies or the costs of using locum or bank staff to fill vacancies at Torbay Hospital. NHS England published vacancy rates by trust as of June 2024, with further information available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/supplementary-information/2024/total-vacancy-rates-by-org-since-201718
The Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, of which the hospital is a part, has reported to NHS England a position of a zero full time equivalent vacancy rate across the trust.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's Pathways to work: reforming benefits and support to get Britain working green paper, published on 18 March, when accessible versions will be published.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Further accessible formats will be published on GOV.UK in due course. The consultation will close 12 weeks after the point at which all accessible versions of this Green Paper are available, to ensure that all stakeholders have sufficient time to engage and we hear from as many people as possible.
We have published this Green Paper ahead of all accessible versions to put detailed information about the matters subject to consultation in the public domain at the earliest opportunity; the production of accessible versions requires some additional time.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to provide financial support for unpaid carers through the social care system.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. Under the Care Act 2014, they are required to undertake Carer’s Assessments to support people caring for their family and friends who appear to have a need for support, and to meet their eligible needs upon request from them. For example, if eligible, this might include financial support, such as direct payments.
We have already taken action to support unpaid carers. From April 2025, we will increase the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage. This means carers can earn up to £10,000 a year whilst still retaining Carer's Allowance, which is approximately an additional £2,000 a year.
The Government also recognises the challenges facing the adult social care system. That is why the Government is launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.
The commission will start a national conversation about what working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support NHS long Covid clinics.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Commissioning of post-COVID services transitioned from the long COVID national programme to local integrated care boards (ICBs) at the end of March 2024. Funding for post-COVID services in 2024/25 was expected to be allocated based on the 2023/24 distribution, to minimise disruption to funding flows and to maintain services.
NHS England has recently completed a long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) stocktake, aimed to provide a nationwide overview of service delivery in commissioning and contracting, assessing access, activity and outcomes. It was agreed that long COVID and ME/CFS services are rightly commissioned by ICBs, which have responsibility for ensuring coverage for their population.
To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England has worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to develop a new Clinical Post-COVID Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice to support people affected by long COVID.
NHS England has published commissioning guidance for post-COVID services which sets out the commissioning, service requirements and oversight of post-COVID services by ICBs in England for adults, and children and young people. It outlines the elements that post-COVID services should comprise of and the principles of care for long COVID. The guidance is available at the following link:
There is specific advice for general practitioners to manage long COVID. Patients should be managed according to current clinical guidance such as that published and updated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; this is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG188
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS trusts on the provision of support for long COVID (a) clinics and (b) patients.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Commissioning of post-COVID services transitioned from the long COVID national programme to local integrated care boards (ICBs) at the end of March 2024. Funding for post-COVID services in 2024/25 was expected to be allocated based on the 2023/24 distribution, to minimise disruption to funding flows and to maintain services.
NHS England has recently completed a long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) stocktake, aimed to provide a nationwide overview of service delivery in commissioning and contracting, assessing access, activity and outcomes. It was agreed that long COVID and ME/CFS services are rightly commissioned by ICBs, which have responsibility for ensuring coverage for their population.
To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England has worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to develop a new Clinical Post-COVID Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice to support people affected by long COVID.
NHS England has published commissioning guidance for post-COVID services which sets out the commissioning, service requirements and oversight of post-COVID services by ICBs in England for adults, and children and young people. It outlines the elements that post-COVID services should comprise of and the principles of care for long COVID. The guidance is available at the following link:
There is specific advice for general practitioners to manage long COVID. Patients should be managed according to current clinical guidance such as that published and updated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; this is available at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG188
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 ensure that adequate transition arrangement are put in place to help support people with changes to the levels of benefits.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There will be no immediate changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
For those already on PIP, the changes will only apply at their next award review. The average award review is about three years.
When people are reassessed, they will be reviewed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, and assessed on their individual needs and circumstances.
The personal impact will depend on an individual’s circumstances. We are consulting on how best to support those who lose entitlement, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.
In regards to Universal Credit (UC), for people who already receive the UC health element the rate of the UC health element will be frozen at £97pw until 2029/2030 but this group will receive an increased UC entitlement in cash terms as a result of the increased standard allowance.
In addition, we will guarantee that no-one who has been found Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity (LCWRA) prior to April 2026 and remains LCWRA following reassessment will see their UC health element entitlement changed. We will ensure that this group do not fear a loss of their benefit rate from working.
For new claims the rate of the UC health element will be reduced by £47pw (from £97pw in 2024/2025 to £50pw in 2026/2027). However, this group will benefit from the higher standard allowance, which will partially offset this reduction.
For those receiving the new reduced UC health element after April 2026, we are proposing that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who have no prospect of improvement and will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected through an additional premium. We will also guarantee that for both new and existing claims, those in this group will not need to be reassessed in future