Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people being transferred from disability living allowance to personal independence payment have had their benefits (a) stopped temporarily and (b) stopped permanently in each year since April 2013.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Eligible Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants do not transfer to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) but are instead invited to claim PIP under a process of reassessment activity. DLA claimants invited to claim PIP have 28 days in which to do so, but may request additional time where that would be reasonably required. Where a DLA claimant fails to make a claim to PIP within the time allowed, payment of their DLA is suspended and they are advised that if they do not make a claim to PIP within a further period of 28 days their DLA will be terminated. Claimants may request further time to make their claim at that point if that would be reasonably required. Where a claimant does make a claim to PIP within the time allowed their DLA is reinstated from the point at which it was suspended. Where a claimant fails to make a claim to PIP within the time allowed their DLA is terminated from the point at which it was suspended.
Information on the number of suspensions and terminations in the above circumstances is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
DLA claimants who do claim PIP and subsequently comply with the requirements to provide information or evidence and attend a consultation where required continue to receive their DLA while their PIP claim is being assessed. Claimants also continue to receive their DLA for a further 28 days following the pay day which immediately follows the date of the PIP decision.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that all claimants suffering from any progressive and incurable condition will be exempt from employment and support allowance medical re-assessment.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
As announced on 1 October, we will stop requiring people with the most severe, lifetime conditions to be repeatedly assessed for their out-of-work benefits.
Over the coming months we will work with our health assessment provider, medical professionals and other stakeholders to develop a set of criteria to switch off re-assessments for people with the most severe health conditions or disabilities.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time a person waited after applying to a hardship fund to receive funding was in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Edinburgh in the last 12 months.
Answered by Priti Patel
The information is not available at the level requested and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.
The Department has, however, published information on the number of hardship applications and awards for Jobseekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance which can be accessed via the link below.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people subject to benefit sanctions applied to a hardship fund in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Edinburgh in 2015.
Answered by Priti Patel
The information is not available at the level requested and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.
The Department has, however, published information on the number of hardship applications and awards for Jobseekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance which can be accessed via the link below.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of claimants of carer's allowance in Scotland who stopped receiving that allowance due to earning more than £110 per week in the last 12 months.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not available.
A carer can earn up to £110 a week after National Insurance, tax and other allowable expenses are deducted and still be able to receive Carer’s Allowance. The earnings limit was increased by 8% in April 2015 and 4,000 people will benefit from this increase this year. We have no plans to move to a taper system.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Scotland caring for someone who are not eligible for carer's allowance.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A number of conditions have to be satisfied to receive Carer’s Allowance. These can only be tested when an actual claim is made. As such there is no basis on which such an estimate could be made.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
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 that the recipients of carer's allowance lose only a proportion of that allowance when they begin to earn more that £110 per week.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not available.
A carer can earn up to £110 a week after National Insurance, tax and other allowable expenses are deducted and still be able to receive Carer’s Allowance. The earnings limit was increased by 8% in April 2015 and 4,000 people will benefit from this increase this year. We have no plans to move to a taper system.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has given to staff working for, or contracted by, his Department on dealing with people who have a history of suicide attempts; and if he will place a copy of such guidance in the Library.
Answered by Priti Patel
DWP provides a range of guidance to enable staff to develop the skills required to support a range of customers and claimants and to respect their needs. This approach aims to ensure that staff are equipped to deal with a diverse set of circumstances.
DWP’s guidance “Managing Customer Declarations of Intention to Attempt Suicide or Self Harm” provides a clear detailed action plan for staff and contractors to follow if a customer declares an intention to kill or harm him or herself.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
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 incurable, chronic conditions do not undertake repeated fit-for-work assessments.
Answered by Priti Patel
The Work Capability Assessment focuses on the functional effects of an individual’s condition rather than the actual condition itself. Repeat assessments are designed to ensure that claimants continue to receive their correct entitlement to benefit. Where a decision can be made based on the available paper evidence alone it will be.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has given to staff working for his Department on dealing with claimants with chronic, incurable diseases.
Answered by Priti Patel
DWP provides comprehensive guidance to identify and support claimants who may be vulnerable for a variety of reasons including those who may be vulnerable because of the nature of their physical or sensory impairments.