Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the severe disability premium.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Severe Disability Premium was abolished for claims to Universal Credit for working age people as a result of the Welfare Reform Act in 2012.
The Severe Disability Premium is currently still paid to eligible claimants in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance. It is being phased out as people move to UC.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many of working disabled people in receipt of Employment Support Allowance will be worse off as a result of managed migration to Universal Credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As set out in Completing the move to Universal Credit - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), Policy paper, we committed to providing transitional financial protection for those who are moved onto Universal Credit through the managed migration process.
This means those eligible households with a lower calculated award in UC than their legacy benefits awards will see no difference in their entitlement at the point they are moved to UC, provided there is no change in their circumstances during the migration process.
We are also providing additional protection for those who had a change in circumstance and have been receiving Severe Disability Premium.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has provided to families with earnings (a) below and (b) above £100,000 for childcare in the last 12 months.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The government provides a range of early years entitlements for 2, 3 and 4-year-old children in England.
2-year-old children from disadvantaged families, with working parents on low incomes, and in receipt of certain benefits (earning less than £15,400 and in receipt of Universal Credit or earning less than £16,190 and receiving tax credits) are entitled to 15 hours of childcare per week.
The universal entitlement of 15 hours per week of free early education is available for all 3- and 4-year-olds in England and has no earnings threshold.
An additional 15 hours per week entitlement, also known as 30 hours free childcare, is available for 3 and 4-year-old children of working parents who earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at National Minimum or Living Wage (currently just over £152 per week / £7,900 per year), and less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year. In a two-parent family, both parents must meet the above thresholds, unless one partner receives certain benefits, such as Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance. In a single-parent household the single parent must meet the threshold.
The early years pupil premium is available for eligible 3 and 4-year-old children in receipt of the universal 15 hours entitlement, from disadvantaged families on certain benefits or low incomes. 3 and 4-year-old children receiving the universal 15 hours and children’s disability living allowance may be eligible for the disability access fund.
The following table shows government spending on childcare entitlements for the 2022/23 financial year:
2-year-old entitlement: | £433,421,139 |
3-4-year-old universal entitlement: | £2,288,923,149 |
3-4-year-old additional entitlement for children of working parents: | £894,104,384 |
Early years Pupil Premium: | £39,419,076 |
Disability Access Fund: | £18,387,200 |
Total* | £3,674,254,948 |
*As published in the initial early years funding allocations of the dedicated schools grant, which can be accessed here: https://skillsfunding.service.gov.uk/view-latest-funding/national-funding-allocations/DSG/2022-to-2023. Final allocations for the financial year 2022/23 will be published in July 2023.
3 and 4-year-old children of parents each earning in excess of £100,000 per year may be eligible for the universal 15 hours entitlement and for Disability Access Fund. The department does not hold data on what proportion of the spend on those entitlements is paid in relation to those children.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the adequacy of legacy benefits for people with severe disabilities in Newport West constituency.
Answered by Chloe Smith
There is a well-established working relationship between the Department for Work and Pensions and the Welsh Government, ensuring that we work together on devolved and reserved areas effectively.
There are a number of legacy benefits but people with severe disabilities in Wales are most likely to be in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). ESA caseload data for Wales, at both local authority and constituency level can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dwp-benefit-statistics-dissemination-tools#stat-xplore.
ESA is paid at different rates depending on an individual’s circumstances. In income-related ESA, claimants with severe disabilities may also be eligibility for additional amounts, such as the Enhanced Disability Premium and or the Severe Disability Premium. To reflect the functional impacts of their health condition or disability on their capability to work, claimants found to have limited capability for work and work related activity receive an additional support group component.
Claimants may also be eligible for Personal Independence Payment to help meet the extra costs of living faced by disabled people.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to help ensure that women with autism and/or ADHD are consulted in order that their lived experience informs review processes for (a) personal independence payment, (b) universal credit, (c) employment support allowance and (d) severe disability premium.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Throughout the consultation period of ‘Shaping Future Support: The Health and Disability Green Paper’ we held events with disabled people, people with health conditions, and their representatives. Prior to the formal launch of the consultation, Members from both sides of the House hosted organisations and individuals from their own constituencies. The Department is currently reviewing responses to the Green Paper, which consider the full range of health and disability benefits, and we remain committed to responding with a White Paper next year.
In addition to this, both Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Providers have Health Condition Insight Reports that cover Autism specifically. These are completed by representative groups providing insights from real life examples to describe common issues faced by the people they support. One Provider has developed a podcast on ADHD available to all their Health Providers and both Providers are keen to continue their engagement with stakeholders on autism and ADHD.
We will continue to engage stakeholders regularly, particularly on future disability benefit reform.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of legacy benefits for people with severe disabilities.
Answered by Chloe Smith
There are a number of legacy benefits but people with severe disabilities are most likely to be in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). ESA is paid at different rates depending on an individual’s circumstances. In income-related ESA, claimants with severe disabilities may also be eligibility for additional amounts, such as the Enhanced Disability Premium and or the Severe Disability Premium. To reflect the functional impacts of their health condition or disability on their capability to work, claimants found to have limited capability for work and work related activity receive an additional support group component.
Claimants may also be eligible for Personal Independence Payment to help meet the extra costs of living faced by disabled people.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many claimants are in receipt of (1) income-related Employment and Support Allowance, (2) income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, (3) Income Support, and (4) Housing Benefit; and how many claimants of each of those awards receive a Severe Disability Premium.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The statistics are shown in the following table:
Number of people in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support and Housing Benefit, and estimates of the number of those receiving Severe Disability Premium (SDP), February 2020, Great Britain
| Recipients1 | SDP recipients2 |
All income-related ESA | 1,445,400 | 515,000 |
All income-based JSA | 119,300 | 7,000 |
Income Support | 319,600 | 16,000 |
Housing Benefit | 3,218,600 | .. |
Sources: Stat-Xplore, DWP Work and Pensions 5 per cent Sample, DWP 100 per cent Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) data, and 100 per cent Jobseekers Allowance Payment System Atomic Data Store
Notes:
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of employment and support allowance are eligible for, but not receiving, severe disability premium.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not hold the information necessary to provide the requested figure.
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to maximise take-up of Severe Disability Premium among eligible recipients of (a) Pension Credit and (b) employment and support allowance.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The severe disability premium in Employment and Support Allowance and the additional amounts for persons severely disabled in State Pension Credit are not separate benefits in themselves but are payable as part of the award to those who are eligible, i.e. those severely disabled people who live independently and who are most likely to need to purchase care. When a claim to either benefit is made, the claimant is asked questions, for example if they are in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit or if anybody is caring for them, which helps to determine if the premium or the additional amount is payable. Once entitled to the benefit, claimants are required to report any change of circumstance including ones which may lead to the awarding of the premium or the additional amount. The Department also makes use of the information that it holds to prompt enquiries of the claimant as to possible entitlement to the premium or the additional amount. There is information for claimants about the severe disability premium and the additional amount for persons severely disabled on the relevant pages of www.gov.uk.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the financial effect of the covid-19 outbreak on people on legacy benefits; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Legacy benefits were increased by 1.7% in April 2020 following the Government’s announcement to end the benefit freeze and 0.5% this coming year.
We increased the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants, so they now cover the lowest 30% of local rents. This increase, costing almost £1 billion, will mean that 1.5 million households see an increase, on average, of £600 this year. We also increased the additional earnings disregard in Housing Benefit to ensure increases in the maximum rate of the basic element of Working Tax Credit did not impact on a claimant’s Housing Benefit award.
We legislated to allow access to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) from day one of a claim for Covid-19 related cases and we have made it easier to access ESA by launching a portal for new style ESA online claims.
It has always been the case that claimants on legacy benefits can make a claim for UC if they believe that they will be better off. There are special arrangements for those in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium, who are now able to make a new claim to UC. Claimants should check their eligibility before applying to UC as legacy benefits will end when they submit their claim and they will not be able to return to them in the future.
From 22nd July 2020, a two-week run on of Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (IR) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (IB) is available for all claimants whose claim to UC ends entitlement to these benefits to provide additional support for claimants moving to UC.