Oral Answers to Questions

Virendra Sharma Excerpts

Monday 25th January 2021 Commons Chamber

[Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) (Lab)]

What steps her Department has taken to provide financial support to disabled people who are required to shield during the national lockdown.

[Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) (Lab)]

What steps her Department has taken to provide financial support to disabled people who are required to shield during the national lockdown.

[The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Justin Tomlinson)]

People who are advised to shield and are unable to work from home may be furloughed. Those who are not furloughed may be eligible for a range of other financial support, including statutory sick pay and new-style employment and support allowance, both of which remain payable from day one of a claim. Where eligible, a claim may also be made to universal credit.

--- Later in debate ---

[Justin Tomlinson]

The level of statutory sick pay is just part of the safety net; people may also be eligible for new-style ESA or universal credit, and for those disabled people who are looking to work from home, we have extended the support that is available through Access to Work, allowing for people to have additional support for their needs or equipment. That is something that we will keep in place beyond covid.

[Mr Virendra Sharma [V]]

I thank the Minister for his response, but it was not very satisfactory, so I will give him another opportunity to give a more concrete answer. When will he end the discrimination against disabled people and offer the same uplift that universal credit claimants have been given to legacy claimants on employment and support allowance and jobseeker’s allowance, which disproportionately support the disabled?

[Justin Tomlinson]

Further to the principle that if a claimant could be better off on UC than on legacy benefits they have the ability to apply to go on to UC, as a Government we have increased support for people with disabilities through the main disability benefits by an extra £3 billion in real terms since 2010. We are proud of our record.