Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
If she will make it her policy to allow virtual or telephone Work Capability Assessments for (a) universal credit and (b) employment support allowance claimants including those who (i) need an interpreter (including BSL), (ii) have hearing difficulties, (iii) have speech difficulties, (iv) have learning disabilities and (v) suicidal ideation or behaviour and a history of self harm to make the process equivalent to that for personal independence payments.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The assessment criteria for Personal Independence Payment are very different to those for the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which assesses whether claimants to Employment and Support Allowance, and Universal Credit have limited capability for work.
We are aware that there are some claimants who are unable to undertake a WCA telephone assessment because of their health condition and we are currently developing ways in which we can support these individuals. We are continuing to assess as many people as we are able to on paper evidence, using this route as often as possible. We are also undertaking some video assessments, where appropriate.
Individuals invited for a telephone assessment are encouraged to inform their assessment provider of any additional requirements they may have, and the provider will endeavour to meet any reasonable requests. This is explained to the individual in the initial invitation letter for all telephone assessments. For example, companions are able to join a telephone assessment, as they could for a face to face assessment.
Claimants who we are unable to assess by telephone or video because of their health condition will be prioritised when we are able to safely resume face-to-face assessments.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
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 tackle parents whose child maintenance liability is inconsistent with their lifestyle and financial resources.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The income information for a child maintenance calculation is obtained directly from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). This figure includes earnings from self-employment. Either parent may request a variation to a maintenance calculation to allow the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to consider some circumstances which are not covered by the basic calculation. This includes unearned income such as rental income from property or land, or dividends and interest from savings and investments. If a variation succeeds, the maintenance liability may be adjusted.
Cases involving complex income or suspected fraudulent behaviour are referred to the CMS’s Financial Investigation Unit (FIU), a specialist team who can request information from financial institutions to check the maintenance calculation is accurate. If an investigation finds evidence of criminality the FIU may seek to prosecute or forward to HMRC for fraud action.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of claimants of employment support allowance that will be classified as vulnerable as a result of the managed migration to universal credit.
Answered by Lord Sharma
There are many reasons why someone could be vulnerable or in need of additional support, and we work hard to ensure that the support we provide for each claimant is tailored specifically to their circumstances, making individual assessments of the help that each claimant needs.
This will also be true of the migration process which will begin in 2019, with small-scale testing of up to 10,000 claimants to ensure our process works well before the volume of migration increases. We are committed to ensuring that all claimants and particularly the most vulnerable are fully supported through the migration process.
Many claimants will be better off on Universal Credit, as currently over £2.4bn of legacy benefits remains unclaimed. Universal Credit will ensure (through the managed migration regulations which will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny later this autumn) that 700,000 more households, including those who are vulnerable, will receive the money they are entitled to.
More severely disabled people will also receive higher payments under Universal Credit, with around 1 million disabled households gaining on average about £110 more per month. Transitional protection payments will also ensure that no-one loses out at the point of transition to Universal Credit under the managed migration process.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many hours of training are planned to be undertaken by her Department's work coaches to identify people that (a) are vulnerable and (b) have complex needs in relation to the managed migration of universal credit.
Answered by Lord Sharma
Work coaches delivering Universal Credit undergo comprehensive training designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. Specific training and guidance is provided for working with different vulnerable groups and those with complex needs.
We are providing all work coaches with an additional two day workshop, designed by experts in mental health and psychologists, and delivered where possible alongside external mental health partners. The training began in November 2017 and will be completed by end of March 2019. Some further examples of other learning currently undertaken by work coaches include:
The draft regulations provide the flexibility and fail-safes to protect vulnerable claimants and those with complex needs. Earlier this month we held a large scale stakeholder event, engaging with over 70 organisations, including those representing vulnerable claimant groups, seeking their detailed input on the managed migration process. We are designing a process that works well for everyone and ensures a smooth transition with continuous support.