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, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) the Health and Safety Executive’s assessment of lithium salts for classification is rigorously evidence-based, (b) the weight of scientific evidence is prioritised in decision-making and (c) a clear timeline is established for completion.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) assessment of lithium salts (lithium substances/compounds) for classification includes a technical assessment that is rigorously evidence-based. The weight and strength of the relevant available scientific information relating to the hazardous properties of a chemical are used when making recommendations for mandatory classification and labelling.
Further information has been submitted in addition to that identified by HSE regulatory and scientific specialists during the drafting of the Agency Technical Report and Agency Opinion. Under the Article 37A procedure, HSE specialists are now investigating this information and scientific data and, if necessary, seeking additional information or consulting other departments or agencies.
There is no statutory time limit on HSE to prepare and submit a GB mandatory classification and labelling proposal. Once HSE has submitted its proposal for public consultation, there is a clear timeline for completion and milestones established in statute under the procedure set out in Article 37A of the GB CLP Regulation.
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, how many people have applied for a Skills Passport; and how many of those applications have been approved.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Some sectors and organisations use skills passports as a way of recognising accredited training relevant to that sector or organisation, for example, the recently developed Hospitality Skills Passport by UKHospitality and deployed as part of the DWP/UKH Destination Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs) offer. DWP does not issue or collect data on skills passport. However, DWP does offer tailored, flexible advice and support through Jobcentre Plus as part of its core offer.
Jobcentre Work Coaches offer jobseekers a comprehensive menu of help, including referral into skills provision and job search support. Skills are essential to helping customers secure, retain, and progress in work. Work Coaches help customers to access a broad range of provision including Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, vocational and essential English, maths, digital skills training and ESOL, as well as careers advice and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs).
DWP Work Coach brokered skills interventions help claimants gain the skills they need to enter and progress in employment, providing the means to enhance career prospects and earnings in line with labour market needs. Creating a highly skilled workforce and contributing to Government’s overall growth ambitions.
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, which employment sectors have the highest number of Skills Passport users securing jobs.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Some sectors and organisations use skills passports as a way of recognising accredited training relevant to that sector or organisation, for example, the recently developed Hospitality Skills Passport by UKHospitality and deployed as part of the DWP/UKH Destination Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs) offer. DWP does not issue or collect data on skills passport. However, DWP does offer tailored, flexible advice and support through Jobcentre Plus as part of its core offer.
Jobcentre Work Coaches offer jobseekers a comprehensive menu of help, including referral into skills provision and job search support. Skills are essential to helping customers secure, retain, and progress in work. Work Coaches help customers to access a broad range of provision including Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, vocational and essential English, maths, digital skills training and ESOL, as well as careers advice and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs).
DWP Work Coach brokered skills interventions help claimants gain the skills they need to enter and progress in employment, providing the means to enhance career prospects and earnings in line with labour market needs. Creating a highly skilled workforce and contributing to Government’s overall growth ambitions.
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 make an estimate of the potential impact of the steps her Department has taken to increase the number of people claiming Pension Credit on the cost to the public purse of expenditure on that benefit.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government announced on the 29 July 2024 that eligibility for Winter Fuel payments will be linked to those on Pension Credit or other means tested benefits for pensioners from Winter 2024. We have received around 38,500 Pension Credit claims in the 5 weeks since the announcement on 29th July (which is up to and including w/c 26th August). This is compared to around 17,900 Pension Credit claims in the 5 weeks preceding the announcement. This represents a 115% increase in Pension Credit claims received by the Department in the past 5 weeks compared to the 5 weeks before. These published statistics can be found here: Weekly Pension Credit claims received from 1 April 2024 to 1 September 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). It is not currently possible to estimate the expenditure that will result from this.
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, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment on pensioners in rural areas.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over.
We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. We will ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.
Energy support, including customers off-grid, is provided by local authorities, the responsibility of Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the devolved governments.
The Warm Home Discount is available to eligible low-income households, who pay their electricity bill directly to a participating domestic supplier. A specific scheme is available to support eligible park homes residents, under the industry initiatives element of the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
The Home Upgrade Grant provides grants to low-income households to upgrade the energy performance of the worst quality, off gas grid homes in England by installing energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating.
This will typically include insulation measures in combination with a heat pump to make the home heat efficient and suitable for the future as we build towards net zero.
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: 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, what assistance the Government is providing to newly arrived Afghan nationals seeking to enter employment.
Answered by David Rutley
Those coming from Afghanistan to the UK on the resettlement programmes will have the right to work here from day one, as well as immediate access to the benefit system and our existing employment offer, including our £30 billion Plan for Jobs.
Direct, personalised support is available from experienced work coaches in the temporary hotel accommodation where Afghans are staying across the country. Work coaches are there to help with any claims or queries and to provide tailored employment support. Resettling Afghans will also have access to our Refugee Leads Network, which links Jobcentres and organisations working with refugees and those on resettlement programmes, to help them integrate and find employment in local areas. We will also work to ensure that English as a Second or Other Language provision, and other support, is available to those that need it.