Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work of 27 March 2017, Official Report, column 9, what elements of the support offer are already in place for claimants of employment and support allowance in the work-related activity group.

As set out in the Improving Lives The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper, we will be introducing a new Personal Support Package (PSP) for people with health conditions from April 2017. This is in line with our ambition to provide a support system which can be tailored to individuals’ needs.

As part of the PSP, we will begin to roll-out a £330m package of employment support for new ESA Work Related Activity Group and UC Limited Capability for Work claimants, from April 2017, which will deliver a broad range of employment and health support.

The Personal Support Package will be in place to offer support to those affected by the Work Related Activity Component removal and newly placed in the Work Related Activity Group and its Universal Credit equivalent.

In relation to this, we have already

- Recruited 300 new Disability Employment Advisers who have the expertise to compliment work coaches and better support claimants’ needs,

- Begun the Health and Work Conversation test and learn phase with 20 Job centres so far

- Have guaranteed additional places on Work Choice and Work and Health Programme as well as additional places on Specialist Employability Support Programme and Access to Work

- To date, we have received over 2,500 Community Partner applications from individuals who have either a lived experience or expert knowledge of disability

- Allocated £15m to the Flexible Support Fund

- Made changes to the permitted work rules