Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support people who are temporarily unable to work due to delays in treatment caused by the NHS's backlog in elective surgery.

People who have low, or no, income or earnings and are unable to work due to having a health condition or disability, can claim Universal Credit. This includes people who are unable to work pending treatment, including elective surgery.

Claimants are required to provide medical evidence, most commonly a fit note, to support their claim of being unable to work. After four weeks the claimant will be referred for a work capability assessment (WCA).

A WCA is a functional assessment of what a claimant can do as well as what they cannot do. WCAs are undertaken by DWP’s contracted healthcare provider. The outcome of the WCA is used by a DWP decision maker to decide if the claimant:

• has limited capability for work (LCW) or
• has limited capability for work and work related activity (LCWRA), or
• is fit for work.

Claimants who are determined to have LCW or LCWRA have:

• a work allowance, and
• in couple claims where one is working, access to help with childcare costs.

Those who are determined to have LCWRA are entitled to the award of an additional amount of benefit – the LCWRA addition – which is £343.63 per month.

Universal Credit also includes additions to provide support, where eligible, for housing costs, children and childcare costs and support for carers.

People who are sick and unable to work may also be eligible for Employment and Support Allowance, subject to satisfying the National Insurance contributions’ eligibility conditions.