Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to increase the fees available for people working as First-tier Tribunal members while claiming the Employment and Support Allowance.

Customers working as a member of the First-tier Tribunal can receive ESA if they work no more than one full day, or two half days, in a working week. They have a weekly £20 disregard applied to their earnings and the remaining amount is deducted penny for penny from the customer’s ESA entitlement.

There are no current plans to increase the earnings disregard amount beyond £20.