Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to progress the collaboration between the National Autistic Society and Department for Work and Pensions on testing ways to make jobcentres more inclusive of people with autism.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Our Autism Accreditation test project, developed with the National Autistic Society (NAS), showed how we could build the knowledge and skills of our work coaches and improve our support for autistic jobseekers. This led to all 15 Jobcentre test sites meeting the standard and achieving accreditation. We are currently considering how we can achieve similar accreditation for all Jobcentres.
Our Autism Accreditation project is part of wider action to improve employment opportunities for autistic people. We are working with Local Authorities to provide employment support to Learning Disabled and Autistic people through Local Supported Employment (LSE) and started testing Access to Work Plus to help meet the extra costs of workplace adjustments for those with the most profound barriers to employment. This is in addition to our existing Jobcentre Plus support that can be accessed by customers with autism, including priority access to the Work and Health Programme in England and Wales, Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES), our Disability Employment Advisors (DEAs) who have expertise in supporting customers with health conditions into work, and our Youth Offer (for 16-24 year olds) with specialist Youth Employability Coaches for young people with barriers to work.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to people without internet access on applying for jobs that only accept online applications.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Claimants can apply for jobs online by using the computers and internet access available in all Jobcentres. Work coaches have discretion to use the Flexible Support Fund to provide claimants with internet access outside of the Jobcentre where the claimant is digitally excluded and where it will help the claimant progress in their labour market journey. Solutions may include appropriate digital devices and connectivity to the internet.
DWP is also working with internet service providers to deliver lower-cost broadband for eligible claimants through the broadband social tariffs. Our staff are raising awareness of this, and wider cost of living support being offered through the government’s Help for Households measures.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to tackle ageism in the workplace.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Equality Act 2010, provides strong protection against direct and indirect age discrimination in employment and makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee or a job applicant because of their age, unless the employer can justify it as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
To tackle ageism in the workplace, Business in the Community have produced a toolkit which provides guidance and support to employers in getting started with age inclusion in the workplace and includes a three-step process based on Look, Listen, Act. https://age.bitc.org.uk/all-resources/toolkits/getting-started-age-look-listen-act-toolkit-will-guide-and-support-getting
More widely, Government is taking steps to ensure that older workers are supported to remain in or return to the labour market, the Government has removed the Default Retirement Age meaning most people can choose when to retire, and extended the right to request flexible working to all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer.
In February 2017, the UK Government published “Fuller Working Lives: a partnership approach” to set out the role employers, individuals and Government can play in supporting fuller working lives.
The Government has also appointed Andy Briggs as Business Champion for Older Workers to spearhead the Government’s work to support employers to retain, retrain and recruit older workers. Andy Briggs and the Business In The Community Age at Work leadership team actively promote the benefits of older workers to employers across England.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending to all people with later stage (a) degenerative and (b) non-curable conditions the ceasing of repeat assessments for personal independence payment; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Once someone has been awarded Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which can be paid at one of eight rates, that award will be reviewed. Reviews of PIP are a key part of the benefit to ensure that awards remain correct where needs may change (including where needs increase and the award may need to increase) and that we maintain contact with the claimant, both features that are missing from its predecessor Disability Living Allowance. The length of an award is based on an individual’s circumstances and can vary from nine months to an on-going award, with a light touch review after ten years.
We introduced updated guidance for case managers and an updated PIP Assessment Guide in 2018 which will ensure that those people who receive the highest level of support under PIP, and where their needs are unlikely to change or may get worse, will now receive an ongoing award with a light touch review at the ten-year point. In line with PIP’s aim to be needs-based rather than condition-based, the change to the guidance is not condition specific. However, we believe the changes will ensure that those with severe and/or progressive conditions receive the most appropriate award duration that reflects their condition and the needs arising.
Special considerations also apply to claimants who are terminally ill, and our arrangements recognise the particular difficulties faced by people who only have a short time to live. Claims by people with a terminal illness are fast tracked, are not subject to a face-to-face assessment and they are guaranteed the enhanced rate of the Daily Living Component; nearly all also receive the enhanced rate of mobility.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to make widowers aware of their potential entitlement to bereavement allowance.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
From 6 April 2017 we replaced the previous suite of bereavement benefits, which included bereavement allowance, with a single benefit known as Bereavement Support Payment.
The Department has worked with funeral directors, Registrars and voluntary groups to ensure that bereaved people are fully informed of the action to take following a death. Further information about the benefits to which they are entitled and how to claim them can be found on the government services and information website at www.gov.uk.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will provide an update on plans to roll-out video recordings of assessments for personal independence payments; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Sarah Newton
As part of our commitment to improve the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment process we are progressing options to video record PIP face to face assessments. Over the summer we have gathered views on video recording from claimants, charities and other representative bodies, and from Health Professionals. These views will inform the design of a live pilot. We are designing a live pilot, due to begin later this year. The pilot will inform any wider full roll out decisions.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an exemption to the 28-day limit for temporarily ceasing personal independence payments for claimants that are in hospital to aid that patient's treatment and recovery.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Where someone is maintained free of charge while undergoing medical or other treatment as an in-patient in a hospital or similar institution funded by the NHS, payment of (but not entitlement to) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) ceases after 28 days. This is on the basis that the NHS is responsible for the entirety of the person’s disability-related extra costs and to pay PIP in addition would be a duplication of public funds intended for the same purpose. Once someone is discharged from hospital, payment of PIP recommences from the date of discharge.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Health and Safety Executive has the necessary powers to enforce the requirement for landlords to hold a gas safety certificate for the property they are letting.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Health and safety inspectors appointed under section 19 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA) exercise powers under section 20 of HSWA to enforce the requirement for landlords to hold a record of the gas safety check for the property they are letting.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
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 (a) promote awareness of the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card among jobseekers and (b) encourage travel companies to promote the scheme as widely as possible.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card: Jobcentre Plus has administered the current scheme on behalf of Rail Delivery Group (formerly Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) since 2011 in England and 2012 in Scotland.
a) The card is currently issued at work coach discretion subject to current eligibility and is valid for up to 3 months. The Work Coach (WC) is responsible for ensuring that all eligible claimants are aware of the travel discount scheme in England, Wales and Scotland.
Departmental Instructions are available to all work coaches and regular reminders are issued to all Jobcentres to encourage use of the scheme. .
b) The Rail Delivery Group promotes the Travel Discount Card Scheme via their own individual Company websites. DWP encourages all Transport Companies to promote the scheme and works with them to ensure that all eligible claimants can take advantage of discounts on offer to support them into work.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to ensure that people with motor neurone disease are not required to be regularly reassessed for personal independence payments.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 October 2017 to Question UIN 108380.