Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure that people with multiple sclerosis are (a) treated fairly and (b) supported at work.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has ambitious plans relating to employment, including disability employment, and we will be setting this out through a forthcoming White Paper, the Employment Rights Bill and the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. We know that there is more to do to address the labour market challenges of today and tomorrow.
Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people with health conditions, including multiple sclerosis, have the opportunity to work and save for as long as they wish and are able to.
A fully inclusive labour market that enables disabled people and people with health conditions to have access to the same opportunities as everyone else to the benefits of work is crucial to meeting our ambition for an 80% employment rate. As part of the Get Britain Working Plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.
Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including multiple sclerosis, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.
Under the Equality Act 2010, protection is available where a worker or job applicant’s condition fits the definition of a disability set out in section 6 of the Act. Where a person meets the Act’s definition of a disabled person, the employment provisions in the Act make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against disabled employees and applicants. As with all provisions under the Act, it is for the person who believes they have been discriminated against in the provision of services to personally seek advice or redress. Should they wish to do so, they can begin this process by contacting the Equality Advisory and Support Service, which provides free bespoke advice to individuals with discrimination concerns.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a requirement for large businesses to offer their employees access to occupational health services.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Expert-led impartial advice and interventions such as occupational health can help employers provide appropriate and timely work-based support to manage their employees’ health conditions, and also support business productivity.
Occupational Health can play an important role in supporting employers to maintain and promote health and wellbeing through assessments of fitness for work and advice about reasonable adjustments, work ability or return to work plans, as well as by signposting to treatment for specific conditions.
Employers also have a choice about the type and level of Occupational Health service to provide for their employees, with 89% of large employers already providing Occupational Health for their employees. We are keen to work closely with employers of all sizes to maintain and promote health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people work in her Department's Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing team.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are 25 people (not all full time) who work in the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing (EDIW) Team.
The EDIW team is vital in supporting DWP in creating a safe, healthy, diverse and inclusive environment that meets our statutory obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty and Equality Act whilst delivering value for the taxpayer. The team is also responsible for the contract management of both DWP’s Employee Assistance Programme and its Occupational Health provision for the department.
There are 23.2 FTE equivalent staff in the team, within the HR Directorate. They serve 92,448 DWP employees.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on supporting employment opportunities for people with functional neurological disorders.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Long-term sickness continues to be the most common reason for economic inactivity among the working age population. We know that appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing. We want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people and people with health conditions can work and save for as long as they wish and are able to.
Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key.
The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Health and Social Care are committed to supporting disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, including functional neurological disorders (FND), and have a range of support available so individuals can stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.
Measures include joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care, as well as support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants. We also support the role employers play in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to be part of the workforce, including through increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme. The information service is available at the following link:
As part of our Get Britain Working plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on FND state that symptoms of FND include recurrent dizziness, limb or facial weakness, numbness and tingling, difficulties with memory and concentration. Severity of symptoms also fluctuates and increases during times of stress. It is, therefore, important that employers provide appropriate adjustments for people with neurological conditions, including FND, to better support them in the workplace.
The two Departments will work together to support people with long-term conditions, including FND, back into work.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to review the inclusion of military compensation as income in the means test for Pension Credit.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are no plans to change the way in which military compensation such as War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards affect Pension Credit.
When calculating a Pension Credit award, the first £10 of any War Pension payments or AFCS award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded.
Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her/his partner.
War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.
In contrast, payments from other schemes with a disablement element are fully taken into account as income for example, other public servants’ schemes, such as the Fire Service, (Firefighters Compensation Scheme), or the Police Service, (Police Pension Scheme), have no income disregards applied at all, as any disablement elements form part of their occupational pension and so these are taken fully into account.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 use occupational health to help reduce levels of economic inactivity.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Expert-led impartial advice, including occupational health, can help employers provide appropriate and timely work-based support to manage their employees’ health conditions, and also support business productivity.
Occupational health supports employers to maintain and promote health and wellbeing through assessments of fitness for work and advice about reasonable adjustments, work ability or return to work plans, as well as by signposting to treatment for specific conditions. Employers also have a choice about the type and level of Occupational Health service to provide for their employees.
The Government’s Occupational Health programme includes £1m of funding for Phase 1 and £1.5m for Phase 2 of an Innovation Fund which has focussed on increasing small medium enterprises (SME) access to and capacity in the occupational health sector, due for completion in March 2025. The fund has encouraged the development of new models of occupational health tailored to the self-employed and SMEs with a focus on better use of technology.
Further, the Occupational Health Workforce Expansion Funding Scheme (launched in July 2023), has funded registered doctors and nurses to undertake occupational health training courses and qualifications. To date over 200 doctors and nurses have undertaken training with exams taking place in May 2024.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support workers to better understand their pension options.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government recognises that people face important decisions about how to use their pension savings and ensures everyone has access to free, impartial pension guidance through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS). MaPS’ MoneyHelper brand provides support on all areas of UK pensions to the public regardless of age. The service offers a range of pension guidance through articles and support from pension specialists, via written enquiries, webchat and a telephone helpline.
The Department for Work and Pension’s digital Midlife MOT is a review for workers in their 40s, 50s and 60s that helps them take stock of their finances, skills and health, enabling them to get access to the best possible guidance. This includes helping people to understand planning for later life, including their workplace pension and State Pension options.
MaPS also offers more targeted support as people progress towards retirement. Pension Wise, a service delivered through MoneyHelper, can help anyone over 50 understand their options for accessing their Defined Contribution pension pots. After entering retirement, ongoing guidance is available through the MoneyHelper website, webchat and telephone helpline.
Pension schemes also have a responsibility under the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2013 to provide information on the options available to members when they decide to access their pensions.
Furthermore, the Government signalled its intent, through the Pension Schemes Bill announced in the King’s Speech, to place duties on all trustees of occupational pension schemes to tailor the retirement products they offer in order to support people when accessing their pensions. This will ensure pots are accessed in the right way to support people in retirement and keep money invested for longer.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of not including military compensation as an income on means-tested benefit applications.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are already special rules in place for how War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with State Pensions and benefits. These payments are already fully ignored in the State Pension and in Universal Credit.
The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and Income Support. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in these benefits and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount. Furthermore, these are legacy benefits, in the process of being replaced by Universal Credit, in which War Pensions and AFCS are ignored.
By default, the first £10 per week of a War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to fully disregard them.
In relation to Pension Credit, the first £10 of any War Pension payments or AFCS award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded. Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her/his partner. War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) War Pensions and (b) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme awards are not counted as income for the purpose of calculating (i) benefits and (ii) pensions.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no plans to change the ways in which War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with State Pensions and benefits. They are already fully ignored in the State Pension and in Universal Credit.
The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and, Income Support. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in these benefits, and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount. Furthermore, these are legacy benefits, in the process of being replaced by Universal Credit, in which War Pensions and AFCS are ignored.
By default, the first £10 per week of a War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to fully disregard them.
In relation to Pension Credit, the first £10 of any War Pension payments or AFCS award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded. Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her/his partner. War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support widowed pensioners to manage their finances.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Government recognises that people face important decisions about how to use their pension savings and ensures everyone has access to free, impartial pension guidance through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).
Pension Wise, a service delivered through MaPS’ MoneyHelper brand, can help anyone over 50 understand their options for accessing their Defined Contribution pension pots. After entering retirement, ongoing guidance is available through the MoneyHelper website, hotline and webchat. This ranges from budget planners and retirement-specific benefits, to long-term care and debt support.
MoneyHelper also provides support for people who need help with their money matters when someone has died, including specific guidance on pensions and bereavement. This includes how to register a power of attorney.
Furthermore, in November 2023 the Government, in the response to the ‘Helping savers understand their pension choices: supporting individuals at the point of access’ consultation, signalled its intent to place duties on all trustees of occupational pension schemes to offer a decumulation service to support their members with decisions around accessing their pension savings. This includes offering a range of products at an appropriate quality and price.