Oral Answers to Questions

Theresa Villiers Excerpts

Monday 4th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Laura Trott)]

The hon. Lady asked about this last time, and I believe I informed her previously that all alive people will be receiving the benefits they are entitled to by the end of this year.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

T5. What action are the Government taking to deal with the difficulties that many disabled people face with accessing the support they need? In particular, has there been a move back to making face-to-face contacts part of the assessments and decisions in the benefit system?

[The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Tom Pursglove)]

We have made available a diversity of assessment channels to people, but the key point is that anybody who wants to have a face-to-face appointment is able to have one. They can request one and that will be facilitated, and I think that is important. Jobcentres will be at the leading edge of delivering on our new supported employment programme—universal support—and we have WorkWell coming on stream as well. We do not want to write anybody off. Where people want to work or to try to work, we should be supporting that wherever we can, and that is precisely what we are all about.