Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to lift the suspension on medical assessments for industrial injuries disablement benefit claimants that was imposed in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
We are not currently able to lift the suspension on medical assessments for the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) due to the nature of assessments. However, we are urgently exploring the feasibility of developing other assessment channels. Further, we will restart face to face assessments in a safe manner with adherence to the latest public health guidance as soon as we are able to.
However, for claimants with the most serious or terminal conditions, claims continue to be processed and decisions made as normal. Reassessment case awards have been extended to ensure that payments continue unhindered on those cases. Any deteriorations which would have meant an increase in award, will be backdated once face-to-face assessments recommence, to ensure no one is left out of pocket.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for industrial injuries disablement benefit remain unprocessed as a result of the suspension of medical assessments during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Our priority throughout this pandemic has been the health and safety of our customers and staff. This has meant that we have had to suspend face to face medical assessments for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits, and the on-going public health concerns means that it will not yet possible to restart face to face medical assessments.
There are currently 5,120 Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit claims outstanding as a result of the suspension of medical assessments. I can assure customers that no one will lose out on any entitlement to payments due to these delays. We have throughout continued to make decisions on claims from those customers who claiming under the Special Rules for Terminal Ill.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to process suspended Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit cases.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The suspension of face-to-face assessments for the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) means the majority of new claims are not being assessed at present. We are urgently exploring approaches to safely progress new IIDB claims awaiting an assessment. We will restart face to face assessments in a safe manner with adherence to the latest public health guidance as soon as we are able to. As part of this work, we will carefully consider the demands on our services to manage the cases.
For claimants with the most serious or terminal conditions, claims continue to be processed and decisions made as normal. Furthermore, reassessment case awards have been extended to ensure that payments continue unhindered on those cases. Any deteriorations which would have meant an increase in award, will be backdated once face-to-face assessments recommence, to ensure no one is left out of pocket.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional resources she will make available to help manage the backlog of industrial injuries disablement benefit cases; and how her Department will prioritise the outstanding cases.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The suspension of face-to-face assessments for the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) means the majority of new claims are not being assessed at present. We are urgently exploring approaches to safely progress new IIDB claims awaiting an assessment. We will restart face to face assessments in a safe manner with adherence to the latest public health guidance as soon as we are able to. As part of this work, we will carefully consider the demands on our services to manage the cases.
For claimants with the most serious or terminal conditions, claims continue to be processed and decisions made as normal. Furthermore, reassessment case awards have been extended to ensure that payments continue unhindered on those cases. Any deteriorations which would have meant an increase in award, will be backdated once face-to-face assessments recommence, to ensure no one is left out of pocket.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether industrial injuries disablement benefit claims will be assessed via (a) telephone, (b) video call and (c) other means during the covid-19 restrictions.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The suspension of face-to-face assessments for the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) means the majority of new claims are not being assessed at present. We are urgently exploring approaches to safely progress new IIDB claims awaiting an assessment. Due to the nature of assessment we are not currently operating telephone assessments. We will restart face to face assessments in a safe manner with adherence to the latest public health guidance as soon as we are able to.
To support existing claimants, reassessment case awards have been extended to ensure that payments continue unhindered on those cases. Any deteriorations which would have meant an increase in award, will be backdated once face-to-face assessments recommence, to ensure no one is left out of pocket.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will commission a study from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on (a) the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among former employees of the health and beauty industry and (b) their potential eligibility for industrial injuries disablement benefit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) is proposing to commission a comprehensive review and evaluation of the literature, including epidemiology, on work-related malignant and non-malignant respiratory diseases, primarily focussing on lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), to inform, update or potentially expand the industrial injuries scheme. The proposal is in its early stages, the tendering process to appoint a suitably qualified organisation to carry out the research was delayed by the coronavirus crisis and lockdown, but will be resumed as soon as practically possible.
We carefully consider any recommendations made by the IIAC and wider stakeholders. Should IIAC recommend further changes to the list of prescribed diseases, we would of course treat this with careful consideration.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made on devolving social security benefits to the Scottish Government; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the progress of that devolution.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Scottish Government has replaced Sure Start Maternity Grants and Funeral Expenses Payments with Scottish provision. It has also introduced a Supplement to Carer’s Allowance, and the Young Carer Grant which are completely new in Scotland. In addition, its contracted employment programme, Fair Start Scotland, has been in place since April 2018 and followed a year of transitional services, Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland, in 2017. These measures have been introduced with the support of the UK Government, and the two Governments continue to work closely together on further new benefits such as the Scottish Child Payment and Winter Heating Assistance for the parents of disabled children, which have interdependencies with the reserved social security system.
On 1 April 2020, executive competence for extra-needs disability benefits and for industrial injuries provision transferred to the Scottish Government. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People made a statement to the Scottish Parliament on the same day, announcing that, due to the impact of coronavirus pandemic on capacity in the health and social care sectors in particular, the Scottish Government had decided to delay the introduction of replacement benefits for Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and Personal Independence Payment. We continue to work closely with the Scottish Government on its revised timescales for replacing these benefits, and on its plans for the replacement of Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments. The Scottish Government has asked DWP to maintain the existing caseload of claims to Severe Disablement Allowance on its behalf, and an Agency Agreement is in place for this which will be reviewed after five years.
Until the new Scottish benefits are introduced, DWP has agreed to continue to provide the existing benefits to people in Scotland under Agency Agreements on behalf of the Scottish Government, in the same way as they are provided to people in England and Wales. Both Governments’ priority remains the safe and secure transfer to the new Scottish benefits.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
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 effect of the suspension of post-mortems on patients with suspected cases of industrial chest disease following the outbreak of covid-19 on the ability of the families of those patients to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
.Where a posthumous claim is made for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, any relevant medical evidence will be considered to help determine eligibility for benefit. The dependants of the deceased may submit supporting evidence they feel is relevant, including medical evidence which suggests a diagnosis, even where this is not confirmed. In addition, healthcare professionals will contact the deceased’s GP or hospital specialist, to obtain further evidence if this is required, as part of their assessment of the claim.