Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of benefit applications involved a face-to-face interview in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
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 increase the number and proportion of benefit decisions that include a face-to-face interview with the claimant.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Many benefits across DWP use interviews or consultations to establish entitlement or eligibility. For example, Universal Credit requires face to face interviews for claimant commitments which impact eligibility, and Personal Independence Payment and the Work Capability Assessment use health-related consultations delivered in person, through telephony or video to help DWP decision makers determine eligibility.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of applications made (a) following face-to-face interviews and (b) determined on paper were successful in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is his Department's policy to conduct face-to-face interviews for Personal Independence Payment cases.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Where there is sufficient available evidence, Personal Independence Payment assessments are carried out via a paper-based review, without the need for a formal consultation. Health professionals can also seek additional information from claimants, GPs, or other supporting health professionals, where this might help them complete a paper-based review.
If a consultation is required this can be completed either face-to-face, via telephone, or via video call, and assessment providers will aim to identify claimants who need a specific assessment type.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households with annual incomes over £100,000 are receiving Universal Credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The requested information is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government's programme to help tackle health inequalities will include improved access to occupational health.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Quality Occupational Health (OH) services have the potential to prevent work-related illness and avoidable sickness absence, support disabled people and those with ill health conditions to remain in work, support business productivity and potentially reduce pressures on the NHS.
Following the publication of the response to the Health is Everyone’s Business consultation, we are exploring a number of policy options in partnership with the Department for Health and Social Care to increase access to quality and cost effective OH services, whilst ensuring that the market has the capacity to provide the services. We are particularly focusing on improving access to OH for SMEs and the self-employed as evidence suggests that smaller employers are less likely to provide access to OH than larger employers.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government's response to the Health is Everyone's Business consultation, published on 4 October 2021, what steps the Government is taking to help expand access to occupational health.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Quality Occupational Health (OH) services have the potential to prevent work-related illness and avoidable sickness absence, support disabled people and those with ill health conditions to remain in work, support business productivity and potentially reduce pressures on the NHS.
Following the publication of the response to the Health is Everyone’s Business consultation, we are exploring a number of policy options in partnership with the Department for Health and Social Care to increase access to quality and cost effective OH services, whilst ensuring that the market has the capacity to provide the services. We are particularly focusing on improving access to OH for SMEs and the self-employed as evidence suggests that smaller employers are less likely to provide access to OH than larger employers.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government's policies on levelling up will include increasing access to occupational health schemes.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Quality Occupational Health (OH) services have the potential to prevent work-related illness and avoidable sickness absence, support disabled people and those with ill health conditions to remain in work, support business productivity and potentially reduce pressures on the NHS.
Following the publication of the response to the Health is Everyone’s Business consultation, we are exploring a number of policy options in partnership with the Department for Health and Social Care to increase access to quality and cost effective OH services, whilst ensuring that the market has the capacity to provide the services. We are particularly focusing on improving access to OH for SMEs and the self-employed as evidence suggests that smaller employers are less likely to provide access to OH than larger employers.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
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 expand access to occupational health as a means to improve productivity and support individuals with health conditions such as long covid.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Quality Occupational Health (OH) services have the potential to prevent work-related illness and avoidable sickness absence, support disabled people and those with ill health conditions to remain in work, support business productivity and potentially reduce pressures on the NHS.
Following the publication of the response to the Health is Everyone’s Business consultation, we are exploring a number of policy options in partnership with the Department for Health and Social Care to increase access to quality and cost effective OH services, whilst ensuring that the market has the capacity to provide the services. We are particularly focusing on improving access to OH for SMEs and the self-employed as evidence suggests that smaller employers are less likely to provide access to OH than larger employers.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government's response to the Health is Everyone's Business consultation, published on 4 October 2021, what steps the Government is taking to help tackle potential unequal and inconsistent access to occupational health.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Quality Occupational Health (OH) services have the potential to prevent work-related illness and avoidable sickness absence, support disabled people and those with ill health conditions to remain in work, support business productivity and potentially reduce pressures on the NHS.
Following the publication of the response to the Health is Everyone’s Business consultation, we are exploring a number of policy options in partnership with the Department for Health and Social Care to increase access to quality and cost effective OH services, whilst ensuring that the market has the capacity to provide the services. We are particularly focusing on improving access to OH for SMEs and the self-employed as evidence suggests that smaller employers are less likely to provide access to OH than larger employers.