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Written Question
Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health Services
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2024 to Question 17902, how many individual Musculoskeletal Physical Activity Hubs will be created as a result of the £12 million a year allocated as part of the 2023 Spring Budget.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The DHSC/DWP Joint Work and Health Directorate is actively exploring opportunities to increase access to, and hence the number of, MSK Physical Activity Hubs in the Community, and enhancing the interventions on offer by embedding vocational support and rehabilitation services. This includes how to maximise access for people with greatest unmet MSK need and people with MSK conditions living in areas of deprivation. We are exploring how to improve referral pathways so where appropriate people with MSK conditions get easier access. This will help inform new models of delivery and our thinking on scale.

We are currently undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement and anticipate publishing our approach over the next few months.


Written Question
Access to Work Programme
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were waiting for a decision on their Access to Work application on 1 March 2024.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

As of 1st March 2024, there were 29,871 applications awaiting a decision.

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.


Written Question
Access to Work Programme: Musculoskeletal Disorders
Friday 15th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of people living with (a) arthritis and (b) a musculoskeletal condition that have received support through the Access to Work scheme.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department does collect information on Access to Work recipient's primary medical condition, however we do not hold information to the level required to identify people with arthritis and/or musculoskeletal conditions. Therefore we are not able to make an estimate of the number of people living with arthritis and/or a musculoskeletal condition that have received support through the Access to Work scheme. Information on Access to Work volumes and expenditure by primary medical condition are published annually in the official statistics: Access to Work statistics: April 2007 to March 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


Written Question
Access to Work Programme
Friday 15th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve awareness of the Access to Work programme.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Information about Access to Work (AtW) is widely available in Jobcentres and across government, including a range of online resources. Our stakeholders actively promote the scheme to groups and customers that might benefit from support.

Our new online application and payment portals mean that it is now easier for customers to apply for and claim the support they need.


Written Question
Musculoskeletal Disorders: Government Assistance
Friday 15th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to increase public awareness of support available to people living with (a) arthritis and (b) musculoskeletal conditions.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government has taken steps to increase public awareness of support available to people living with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as arthritis.

For example, the Musculoskeletal health: applying All Our Health - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) guide is a government resource to help health and care professionals prevent poor MSK health and promote wellbeing as part of their everyday practice. NHS England’s NHS England » Musculoskeletal health page also highlights the importance of MSK health and suggests resources for healthcare professionals, patients and carers to use.

In October 2022, government published the MSK Health Toolkit for employers and further education institution, developed in partnership with Business in the Community, which provides practical information for employers of all sizes to address MSK conditions in the workplace for the working age population.

There are multiple risk factors that can heighten an individual’s susceptibility to MSK conditions, including physical inactivity and being underweight, overweight or obese. The ‘Better Health’ campaigns and resources highlights the effects of weight and physical activity and supports people to make and sustain changes to improve their health. The campaign provides free, accessible and evidence-based resources including digital tools, such as NHS Weight Loss, Food Scanner, Couch to 5K and Active 10 apps.

Since announcing the MCS in January 2023, we have been working with a range of stakeholders to identify what would make the most difference in tackling the six major conditions groups, which includes MSK conditions. We expect to publish the MCS in Spring of this year. Government also announced funding for scaling up MSK Physical Activity Hubs and embedding employment advice within MSK pathways as part of £400m of funding in Spring Budget 2023 and we are working with a range of stakeholders on these projects.

Beyond this, World Arthritis Day (WAD), observed annually on 12 October, spreads awareness of the existence and impact of rheumatic and MSK disorders.


Written Question
Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health Services
Friday 15th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to take steps to help increase the number of musculoskeletal hubs in local communities.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government announced measures to address economic inactivity, as part of the 2023 Spring Budget. This included £12 m over a period of four years, from April 2024, to scale up Musculoskeletal (MSK) Physical Activity Hubs in the Community.

The MSK Physical Activity Hubs in the Community project will seek to build on local practice and explore how to enable people with MSK conditions to access supportive physical activity interventions within local leisure and community settings. This project will also explore how to build in vocational advice.

We are currently engaging with stakeholders to expand our understanding of existing practice and inform our approach to this project.


Written Question
Employment: Musculoskeletal Disorders
Friday 15th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that people living with (a) arthritis and (b) a musculoskeletal condition are able to remain in work.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government has an ambitious programme of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, to start, stay and succeed in work.

These include: the Work and Health Programme; Access to Work grants; Disability Confident; a digital information service for employers; Disability Employment Advisers and increasing Work Coach support in Jobcentres and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.

In the Spring Budget 2023, the government set out a package of measures to tackle the leading health-related causes keeping people out of work, including specific initiatives for people with MSK conditions. This includes introducing employment advisers within MSK services, including to support people with MSK conditions to thrive in work and scaling up MSK physical activity hubs in the Community, building on the example of delivering physical activity interventions in local leisure and community centre venues.

The Government also announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023 to: double the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme; launch WorkWell in approximately 15 pilot areas to provide light touch work and health support; explore new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to support; and establish an expert group to advise on a framework for Occupational Health provision.

In October 2022 we published the Musculoskeletal (MSK) Health Toolkit for employers and further education institutions which encourages employers to support adolescents and young adults with MSK conditions. The Musculoskeletal health toolkit for employers was developed in partnership with Business in the Community and provides practical information for employers of all sizes to address MSK conditions in the workplace for the working age population.


Written Question
Access to Work Programme
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications to the Access to Work scheme were rejected in each month from January 2023 to February 2024.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The table below shows how many applications the Access to Work scheme rejected from January 2023 to February 2024.

Month

Cases Not Approved

Jan-23

3357

Feb-23

2952

Mar-23

3819

Apr-23

2492

May-23

3029

Jun-23

3709

Jul-23

3705

Aug-23

3695

Sep-23

3392

Oct-23

3566

Nov-23

3268

Dec-23

2642

Jan-24

3435

Feb-24

3068

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.


Written Question
Access to Work Programme
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time taken to process an Access to Work application was in each month since January 2022.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The table below shows the average length of time taken to process an Access to Work application in each month since January 20022.

Month

Mean Working days to process application

Jan-22

37

Feb-22

40

Mar-22

38

Apr-22

38

May-22

49

Jun-22

56

Jul-22

60

Aug-22

58

Sep-22

61

Oct-22

63

Nov-22

62

Dec-22

62

Jan-23

61

Feb-23

58

Mar-23

63

Apr-23

56

May-23

50

Jun-23

41

Jul-23

47

Aug-23

47

Sep-23

45

Oct-23

45

Nov-23

42

Dec-23

42

Jan-24

42

Feb-24

41

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.


Written Question
Statutory Sick Pay
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Q102 of the oral evidence given by Lorraine Jackson to the Work and Pensions Select Committee on 31 January 2024, HC 148, when the constant review of statutory sick pay began; what steps his Department is taking to conduct this review; and what sources of information are included in this review.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As with all government policy, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) policy is kept under review. The department through the Joint work and Health directorate, monitors feedback from correspondence and reviews evidence from a range of organisations. The rate of SSP is also reviewed each year as part of the annual uprating exercise.

The government reviewed SSP as part of both the ‘Work, health and disability green paper: improving lives’ consultation (2017) and the ‘Health is Everyone’s Business consultation’ (2019, HiEB). In response to the HiEB consultation (2021) we maintained that SSP provides an important link between the employee and employer but Ministers confirmed it was not the right time to introduce changes to the sick pay system.