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: 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 (a) time it takes to clear a personal independence payment claim and (b) number of people waiting for a decision as of 1 November 2021.
Answered by Chloe Smith
In response to part (a) of this question, data on processing times for all Personal Independence Payment (PIP) New Claims to July 2021 (the latest available data) is published in Table 2A of the PIP Statistics tables which can be found here:
Data relating to all PIP New Claims up until 31st October will be released on 14th December 2021.
In response to part (b) on this question, the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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 steps she is taking to reduce the backlog of people waiting for personal independence payment claims to be processed.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the Hon member to the answer I gave on 15 September 2021 to Question UIN 50029
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 assessment she has made of the potential merits of giving British Sign Language (BSL) full legal recognition; and whether the Government plans to grant full legal recognition to BSL.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On 18 March 2003 the UK government formally recognised that British Sign Language (BSL) is a language in its own right. Provision for accessing services by users of BSL are covered by the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty.
Existing equality legislation already means employers, service providers and public bodies have to provide services in BSL and other formats when it is reasonable to do so. The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to have due regard to the needs of all those with protected characteristics.
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 assessment she has made of the effect of the rate of Statutory Sick Pay on the level of compliance with self-isolation rules during the covid-19 outbreak; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This government has a strong safety net that helps people who are facing hardship and are unable to support themselves financially and we have taken steps to strengthen that safety net as part of the government’s response to the pandemic.
As part of strengthening this safety net we have made Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) payable from the first day of sickness absence from work, rather than the fourth – where an individual is self-isolating or shielding due to coronavirus and meets all SSP eligibility conditions.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides a minimum level of income for employees when they are sick or incapable of work. Employers are legally required to pay SSP to eligible employees who are off work sick or incapable of work, where employees meet the qualifying conditions. Some employers may also decide to pay more, and for longer, through Occupational Sick Pay.
SSP is just one part of our welfare safety net and our wider government offer to support people in times of need. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on their personal circumstances.
Working people on low incomes who are required to remain at home by NHS Test and Trace to help stop the spread of the virus and cannot work from home could be eligible for a £500 payment to financially support them while self-isolating.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2020 to Question 12293 on Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations, when the approach to provide consistency for claimants across audio recording of work capability assessments and personal independence payment assessments will be published.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Work is ongoing to develop the details of our approach and we will provide an update in due course.
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, whether her Department plans to ensure the provision of audio recording equipment for people who wish to keep a record of their personal independence payment assessment; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer the Rt.Hon Member to the answer I gave on 10 February 2020 to Question UIN 12293.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2019 to Question 232095 on universal credit: refugees, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the time taken to process claims for universal credit.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Additional support is in place to assist refugees in making a claim for Universal Credit: refugees who are able to provide their biometric residence permit or evidence of their refugee status can be fast tracked through the habitual residency test process; a work coach can use other methods to identify a person where someone does not have ID, including the use of biographical questions; Measures are in place to make payments through other methods where someone does not have a bank account, including post office card accounts or the Payment Exception Service, and a work coach can help people through the process of setting up a bank account where appropriate.
Claimants that are required to provide evidence of their right to reside are subject to the Habitual Residence Test (HRT). The HRT contains two elements: an assessment of the legal right of residence and an assessment of factual habitual residence. We have made this process quicker for refugees by ensuring that refugees who provide documentation which confirms their legal right to reside in the UK will satisfy the HRT and that refugees are exempt from the assessment of factual habitual residence if the Home Office have granted them leave to remain in the UK with recourse to public funds.
New claimants, including refugees, can apply for a Universal Credit new claim advance so they do not have to wait to receive financial support. This is an advance of up to 100% of their total expected award, which is paid back over a period of up to 12 months. In the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the payback period for these advances will be extended further, to up to 16 months.
Staff also have access to information on services and support available in their local area for vulnerable claimants, including refugees.
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 has been made of the ability of refugees arriving through the resettlement programmes to access universal credit on the day of their arrival.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
A resettled refugee can make a claim to Universal Credit on the day of arrival into the UK. They can make their claim via several channels, including the online service, by telephone, by a home visit or in person at their local Jobcentre Plus office.
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 steps she is taking to ensure that the appeal process works effectively across the full-service universal credit process.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
While DWP does not administer appeals, this is the responsibility of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), DWP is initially responsible for ensuring all requests for an appeal are considered. For example, having the original decision reconsidered by a different Decision Maker (a Mandatory Reconsideration). Should the claimant subsequently appeal, on receipt of that appeal from HMCTS, DWP are responsible for checking the decision is correct in law, and considering any further information and evidence provided with the appeal. If the decision remains correct, and cannot be revised after considering any further information provided, DWP prepare an appeal response for HMCTS.
DWP works closely with HMCTS to review the outcome of appeal hearings and whether any internal improvements are necessary. Combined with Universal Credit Full Service internal assurance activities, this supports ongoing improvements with feedback provided to colleagues responsible for the end-to-end customer journey.