Oral Answers to Questions

Steve McCabe Excerpts

Monday 14th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mims Davies]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising kickstart. This is a huge programme for young people, providing 25 hours a week and an opportunity to get their first foot on the employment ladder. We do not want our young people to be left behind because of the impact of the pandemic—we know that the scarring can affect them most. Kickstart will change that, and I ask all employers to get involved and be part of it.

[Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab)]

I have constituents who have been waiting more than six months for a decision following a work capability assessment. Is that not a bit ridiculous?

[Justin Tomlinson]

We rightly took a decision to suspend face-to-face assessments following Public Health England’s guidance. We continue to keep this under review, but wherever possible, we are either doing a paper-based review or a telephone assessment, and we are automatically renewing reassessments that are due within three months by six months, and we review that on a regular basis.