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Written Question
Employment: Young People
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) economic inactivity rate, (b) employment rate and (c) unemployment rate was for people aged 16 to 24 in the period between February and April 2010.

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

The 16-24 UK economic inactivity rate was 36.2% between February and April 2010. The 16-24 employment rate was 50.9% between February and April 2010 and the 16-24 unemployment rate was 20.2%.

Employment and unemployment data is published and available at:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/datasets/summaryoflabourmarketstatistics


Written Question
Disability: Government Assistance
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with hidden disabilities.

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

People with non-visible disabilities can experience difficulties or be disadvantaged in their ability to access services. Their difficulty can be exacerbated because service provider personnel, and the general public, are unaware of their disability and any different or additional needs they may have. Non-visible disabilities are varied, and can include mental health conditions, learning disabilities or different cognitive functions.

Some individuals prefer to make their non-visible disability known to others by wearing a visible indication of their disability - the Sunflower Lanyard scheme is one such option. During the pandemic, the green Sunflower Lanyard scheme gained popularity to indicate an individual's non-visible disability in relation to mask exemption. The Sunflower Lanyard scheme is recognised by some retailers and transport authorities as an indication that a customer or passenger may need additional help because of a non-visible disability. These measures are intended to increase accessibility to services whilst educating the public about people in their midst, increasing understanding and reducing the stigma of disability and long term health conditions.

However, this is a personal choice and it is not the government's intention to promote any one voluntary scheme nor to suggest that disabled people should feel that they have to make their disability known to others.

The Disability Unit’s general work to improve inclusion in society and improve disabled people’s lives through the Disability Action Plan and the National Disability Strategy is aimed at people with both visible and non-visible disabilities.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Multiple Sclerosis
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that PIP assessors take into account the hidden symptoms of multiple sclerosis when making their assessments; and what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the PIP assessment process on the mental health of people with multiple sclerosis.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are carried out by qualified health professionals (HPs), who receive training in assessing the impacts of a variety of disabilities including multiple sclerosis (MS), to ensure they are familiar with the clinical aspects of the conditions and their impact on daily functions.

HPs have access to Condition Insight Reports (CIRs) which are developed specifically to enable them to gain further insight into clinical and functional information, relating to specific conditions. Both Capita and Independent Assessment Services (IAS), who conduct PIP assessments on behalf of the department, hold CIRs on MS, which have been produced for them by representative groups.

DWP recognises that attending an assessment can be a stressful experience, which is why claimants are not invited to attend a face-to-face, telephone or video assessment where there is sufficient paper evidence to determine benefit entitlement.

Companions are also encouraged to attend and can play an active role in the assessment to support individuals or help them manage any anxiety they may feel.


Written Question
Housing Benefit: Autism
Wednesday 19th July 2023

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting people with autism from the under occupancy penalty on the grounds of their sensory needs.

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

The removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) policy seeks to encourage greater mobility within the social rented sector.

There are no plans to review the policy, and there are easements which allow for the provision of an additional bedroom in certain circumstances, such as to support the needs of disabled people.

Where a member of the household is, by virtue of their disability, not able to share a bedroom and is in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit, they are entitled to claim for an additional bedroom. The same applies where someone requires and receives overnight care on a regular basis from a non-resident carer, providing they meet qualifying criteria.

Where additional support is required, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available for those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. Since 2011 we have provided nearly £1.6 billion in funding to local authorities for DHPs.


Written Question
Department for Work and Pensions: Autism
Tuesday 18th July 2023

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has had recent discussions with representatives of people who have experience of autism on the formulation of his Department's policies.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

On 2 April 2023, World Autism Acceptance Day, we announced the launch of a new review into autism and employment. The review is being led by the Rt Hon Member for South Swindon and is exploring ways to increase the number of autistic people in employment and to improve retention rates.

The review is focused on supporting employers to recruit and retain autistic people, identifying barriers to this happening and developing ways to overcome those barriers.

During the evidence gathering stage of this review, we have engaged with representatives of people who experienced autism from a wide range of industries that include, but are not limited to: the employment sector, the education sector, local authorities, devolved administrations, autistic charities, technology experts and most importantly autistic people.


Written Question
Autism: Finance
Tuesday 18th July 2023

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

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 help ensure that autistic people are able to access the financial support to which they are entitled.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

We are committed to supporting people with autism to access the right benefits and the right support. This is why all healthcare professionals (HCPs) conducting WCAs receive training on assessing people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders during new entrant training and as part of their continuing professional development.

The Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising health and disability benefit services. It will create a more efficient service and a vastly improved claimant experience, reducing journey times and improving trust in our services and decisions.

In Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper, we also set out the actions we will take to ensure people have a better experience when applying for, and receiving, health and disability benefits, which includes people with autism.


Written Question
Health and Safety: EU Law
Tuesday 21st February 2023

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill on regulations on working at height.

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

With the introduction of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill (REUL Bill), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) remains focused on ensuring that regulatory frameworks maintain the United Kingdom’s high standards of health and safety protection and continue to reduce burdens for business. HSE’s approach aligns closely with the Government’s pledge to do more for business to help promote growth by removing disproportionate burdens and simplifying the regulatory landscape. Our standards of health and safety protections are among the highest in the world.

HSE will continue to review its retained EU Law to seek opportunities to reduce business burdens and promote growth without reducing health and safety standards.


Written Question
Unemployment: Disability
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department’s review into economic inactivity will take into account the (a) barriers to employment faced by disabled people and (b) the support needed to overcome those them.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The review will identify and understand the barriers preventing people from joining the workforce and/or resulting in people leaving the workforce early. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a key focus of the review.

This review will build on the government’s existing package of support to help disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.


Written Question
Unemployment: Disability
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department’s review into economic inactivity will consider the potential merits of additional specialist support for disabled jobseekers.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The review will identify and understand the barriers preventing people from joining the workforce and/or resulting in people leaving the workforce early. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a key focus of the review.

This review will build on the government’s existing package of support to help disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.


Written Question
Unemployment: Disability
Monday 16th January 2023

Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)

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 ensure that a) work coaches and b) disability employment advisors understand the barriers to employment faced by disabled people.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

DWP Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEA) undergo comprehensive learning to support customers with additional or complex needs, particularly disabilities, and they continue to build on this in the workplace through accessing point of need learning products.

The learning provides Work Coaches with the knowledge and skills to enable them to:

  • treat each claimant as an individual;
  • to be aware of and support, claimants with their disability and the impacts of their condition;
  • help overcome any barriers; and
  • support them into moving closer to the working environment.

Learning includes the DWP Fundamental Learning Journey which contains a number of training courses that cover disability awareness:

  • becoming Disability Confident - seeing past the misconceptions that can exist around disabilities and being able to have open, honest, and well-informed conversations with disabled colleagues in order to create, or contribute to, an inclusive work environment in which disabled colleagues can thrive;
  • helping customers who need additional support – working with customers who need additional support either because they are in a vulnerable situation, are disabled, or suggest suicide or self-harm, or requires additional customer service skills; and
  • vulnerable customers and complex needs.

Work Coaches are also signposted to tools, guidance support and websites to effectively use resources from both internal and external sites. This ensures that they access the most up to date advice and expertise on a particular health condition.

Similarly to the Work Coach, DEAs also undergo a complete learning journey, sharing the same objectives to support them when working with claimants who have disabilities or health conditions. The learning includes facilitated workshops, self-paced open learning, and e-learning. Our DEAs support Work Coaches with expert knowledge on how to support disabled customers, building the skills and capability of Work Coaches, and influencing employer engagement in local communities. They can also provide direct support to customers with a health condition or disability where additional support can benefit the customer.

In 2022, we introduced the Health Adjustments Passport (HAP) across the Jobcentre Plus network, following a period of testing in our Health Model Offices. The Passport is a tool used to capture potential workplace adjustments or in-work support needs of customers, and to identify those potential barriers to employment before the claimant is job-ready. Work Coaches have been trained by DEAs to support customers with health conditions or disabilities to complete the HAP. The Passport aims to enable effective conversations about workplace adjustments at an early stage in the customer's journey into work.