Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons his Department paid the majority of the support package for former Remploy workers to Job Centre Plus for a rapid response team; what that rapid response did to assist former Remploy employees; and what the outcome of that assistance was.
Answered by Mike Penning
The Rapid Response Service (RRS) was made available to all former affected Remploy employees and was funded separately to the £8 million People Help and Support Package (PHSP), which provides help all disabled former Remploy workers made redundant as a result of factory closures.
RRS support was made available to all affected Remploy employees at the earliest opportunity following the announcement of a Remploy factory closure. Working with Remploy a range of support was agreed taking into account local circumstances and involved partner organisations where appropriate, for example the National Careers Service.
Typically, RRS included on-site support and advice that helped with; providing information about being made redundant, identifying transferable skills, job options and training needs, learning new skills appropriate to the local labour market, job search skills and finding a new job, overcoming barriers to work and settling into a new job.
Together, with the PHSP, as at 21 March this support has helped 716 former Remploy workers who are now in work.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Community Support Fund for former Remploy employees was only accessible through a third party and what estimate he has made of how many eligible former Remploy employees did not make a claim because they were unable to do so themselves.
Answered by Mike Penning
The Community Support Fund (CSF) was co-produced with disabled people and ex -Remploy employees to determine exactly what type of support or project they wanted to take part in. A key driver for the CSF was to ensure ex -employees could keep in touch with former work colleagues; to help negate feelings of isolation. This social activity can only be achieved by offering opportunities for ex-employees to take part in group activities.
Access to CSF was provided through Disabled People's User Led and Voluntary Sector Organisations who have the necessary skills to support these projects, providing vital peer support, personalised local services and actively working to increase participation in local community activities.
The Community Support Fund (CSF) projects have provided opportunities for 1136 disabled ex-employees and 827 people have taken part in CSF activities at March 2014.
We are unable to provide an estimate of how many eligible former Remploy employees did not make a claim for CSF funding because they were unable to do so themselves.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the three year wage subsidy for former Remploy disabled employees transferring to a new employer was not available for new businesses set up for the purpose of employing disabled people formerly employed by Remploy.
Answered by Mike Penning
The Government agreed to a transitional time limited wage subsidy, for all disabled workers that TUPE to a new employer as part of Remploy's commercial process, to support the ongoing employment of Remploy disabled workers.
For all disabled former Remploy workers made redundant as a result of factory closures, the Government agreed that the best support to help them find a job was to put in place the £8 million guaranteed People Help and Support Package (PHSP) providing help for up to 18 months. As at 21 March 2014, 1,513 disabled former Remploy workers are choosing to work with our Personal Case Workers to find another job and 716 are in work.
The PHSP includes one to one support from a Personal Case Worker to identify suitable help to find work including access to advice and support to set up a business. This includes the Community Support Fund, which has provided financial support for former disabled Remploy workers to help them use existing skills and expertise to set up three new small businesses in Aberdeen, Stoke and Worksop. In addition, three other Community Support Fund projects are being used to set up small businesses in Birkenhead, Leeds and Newcastle.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding his Department has agreed to provide in future years for former Remploy Employment Services; and until what year such funding will continue.
Answered by Esther McVey
The Department agrees Remploy funding and performance targets, including Work Choice job outcome targets on an annual basis. Remploy's performance targets for 2013/14 were published in Hansard on 31 October 2013, column 60WS by Written Ministerial Statement confirming publication of Remploy Annual Report and Accounts 2013. Remploy performance targets and funding for 2014/15 will be published alongside the 2014 accounts later this year.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh West of 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 515W, on Remploy: Edinburgh, how many former Remploy employees from the Edinburgh site are working (a) less than 16 hours per week in paid employment, (b) less than 30 hours per week in paid employment and (c) in voluntary and unpaid positions.
Answered by Mike Penning
Of the 28 workers made redundant as a result of the closure of Remploy in South Gyle, Edinburgh we are able to provide information on the 24 disabled former employees who have engaged with a Personal Case Worker.
As at 21 March 2014 Jobcentre Plus records show that 7 people are in paid employment over 16 hours and 17 have accessed Work Choice support. We have no records of people working a) less than 16 hours, b) less than 30 hours per week paid employment or c) in voluntary and unpaid work
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to monitor the effect of recent restrictions on Access to Work funding for communication support for deaf and deafblind people.
Answered by Mike Penning
We continually monitor the impact of our policies and processes by liaising with and requesting feedback from our customers and a range of stakeholder organisations.
The current process is being taken in respect of requests for funding from all customers needing assistance of this type and extent to ensure that programme funds are being managed equitably and consistently to assist with the work needs of the maximum possible number of disabled people.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason his Department has changed the requirements for access to funding through Access to Work for communication support for deaf and deafblind people; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mike Penning
We continually monitor the impact of our policies and processes by liaising with and requesting feedback from our customers and a range of stakeholder organisations.
The current process is being taken in respect of requests for funding from all customers needing assistance of this type and extent to ensure that programme funds are being managed equitably and consistently to assist with the work needs of the maximum possible number of disabled people.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department undertook (a) an impact assessment and (b) consultation with deaf and deafblind users of Access to Work, their representative organisations and with employers prior to the implementation of Access to Work funding limitations for the provision of communication support for deaf and deafblind people in the workplace.
Answered by Mike Penning
Access to Work supports employed people with all types of disability; the budget is not allocated to particular disability groups in advance of applications. Existing policies on the cost effective funding of full time support workers are being enforced to ensure the programme remains available for new applicants.
Access to Work supports employed people with all types of disability; the budget is not allocated to particular disability groups in advance of applications. Existing policies on the cost effective funding of full time support workers are being enforced to ensure the programme remains available for new applicants.
There are no quotas applied to customer numbers or funding for particular disability groups.
There are currently a small number of investigations where charges have been made and are due to be heard in court over the summer months. We continue to monitor the system for abuse.
Please note that DWP only has information based on Primary Disability type. Therefore total spend on hearing impaired customers is shown below, this includes other Access to Work support. However spend relating to Deafblind customers is not available from our records.
Department of Work and Pensions - Access To Work (ATW) |
| ||||
Year | Number of people helped with hearing impairments | Amount spent on Hearing impairment £M |
| Total ATW customers | Total ATW spend £M |
2008/09 | 4,950 | 21.7 |
| 32,130 | 69 |
2009/10 | 5,450 | 28.5 |
| 37,280 | 98 |
2010/11 | 5,300 | 32.7 |
| 35,820 | 107 |
2011/12 | 4,960 | 34.1 |
| 30,780 | 93 |
2012/13 | 5,250 | 34.5 |
| 31,460 | 95.3 |
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consultation his Department undertook with deaf users of the Access to Work scheme and their representative groups prior to introducing recent restrictions on the funding available for communication support through that scheme; and what alternative cost-reduction measures his Department considered.
Answered by Mike Penning
Access to Work supports employed people with all types of disability; the budget is not allocated to particular disability groups in advance of applications. Existing policies on the cost effective funding of full time support workers are being enforced to ensure the programme remains available for new applicants.
Access to Work supports employed people with all types of disability; the budget is not allocated to particular disability groups in advance of applications. Existing policies on the cost effective funding of full time support workers are being enforced to ensure the programme remains available for new applicants.
There are no quotas applied to customer numbers or funding for particular disability groups.
There are currently a small number of investigations where charges have been made and are due to be heard in court over the summer months. We continue to monitor the system for abuse.
Please note that DWP only has information based on Primary Disability type. Therefore total spend on hearing impaired customers is shown below, this includes other Access to Work support. However spend relating to Deafblind customers is not available from our records.
Department of Work and Pensions - Access To Work (ATW) |
| ||||
Year | Number of people helped with hearing impairments | Amount spent on Hearing impairment £M |
| Total ATW customers | Total ATW spend £M |
2008/09 | 4,950 | 21.7 |
| 32,130 | 69 |
2009/10 | 5,450 | 28.5 |
| 37,280 | 98 |
2010/11 | 5,300 | 32.7 |
| 35,820 | 107 |
2011/12 | 4,960 | 34.1 |
| 30,780 | 93 |
2012/13 | 5,250 | 34.5 |
| 31,460 | 95.3 |
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the surplus or deficit of the Access to Work budget was in each financial year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mike Penning
Access to Work supports employed people with all types of disability; the budget is not allocated to particular disability groups in advance of applications. Existing policies on the cost effective funding of full time support workers are being enforced to ensure the programme remains available for new applicants.
Access to Work supports employed people with all types of disability; the budget is not allocated to particular disability groups in advance of applications. Existing policies on the cost effective funding of full time support workers are being enforced to ensure the programme remains available for new applicants.
There are no quotas applied to customer numbers or funding for particular disability groups.
There are currently a small number of investigations where charges have been made and are due to be heard in court over the summer months. We continue to monitor the system for abuse.
Please note that DWP only has information based on Primary Disability type. Therefore total spend on hearing impaired customers is shown below, this includes other Access to Work support. However spend relating to Deafblind customers is not available from our records.
Department of Work and Pensions - Access To Work (ATW) |
| ||||
Year | Number of people helped with hearing impairments | Amount spent on Hearing impairment £M |
| Total ATW customers | Total ATW spend £M |
2008/09 | 4,950 | 21.7 |
| 32,130 | 69 |
2009/10 | 5,450 | 28.5 |
| 37,280 | 98 |
2010/11 | 5,300 | 32.7 |
| 35,820 | 107 |
2011/12 | 4,960 | 34.1 |
| 30,780 | 93 |
2012/13 | 5,250 | 34.5 |
| 31,460 | 95.3 |