Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of uprating child-related benefits for individuals with disabilities in-line with inflation in the upcoming financial year.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Social Security Administration Act 1992 as followed by all governments since, places a statutory duty on the Secretary of State to review the rates of State Pension and benefits each year, following a review of trends in prices and earnings over the previous year.
His review ahead of 2023/34 has been completed and State Pensions and benefits will rise by 10.1% in April 2023, in line with the increase in the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September 2022.
The rate of Disability Living Allowance for children will rise by 10.1% in April 2023, increasing from between £24.45 and £156.90 to £26.90 and £172.75. The Universal Credit disabled child additions will also increase by 10.1%, from £132.89 and £414.88 to £146.31 and £456.89 respectively.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact on trends in the level of employment of delays to orthopaedic surgery.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We are interpreting the question to ask what assessment has been made of the impact on levels of employment due to delays in orthopaedic surgery.
No assessment has been made by DWP.
Musculoskeletal conditions remain one of the most common conditions amongst those that are economically inactive due to long term sickness.
The Government has a range of initiatives supporting disabled people, and people with health conditions, including those economically inactive due to long term sickness, to start, stay and succeed in work.
We are currently working across Government, the health system and with employers, to tackle rising inactivity, building on the Government’s existing package of support.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
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 evaluate whether training offered to (a) Work Coaches and (b) Disability Employment Advisors enables them to offer adequate support to jobseekers with disabilities.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DWP uses an evaluation strategy to assist in identifying whether learning undertaken by Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers is effective, alongside individual learning needs analysis which enables them to offer adequate support to jobseekers with disabilities. This includes an individual pre-learning assessment, post learning knowledge assessment and regular ongoing learner assessment. This ensures that Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisors have the most up to date knowledge which is accessible to all but is sensitive to everyone’s requirements regardless of abilities/disabilities.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how regularly his Department reviews its training for (a) Disability Employment Advisors and (b) Work Coaches.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All Learning for Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers is continuously reviewed and revised as part of an iterative process based on feedback, changes to Policy and Procedures as well as technical system changes. This ensures we provide the latest information in the best possible way to support all our customers.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department's training for (a) Disability Employment Advisors and (b) Work Coaches was last (i) reviewed and (ii) revised.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Work Coach Learning was last updated 7th December 2022 and a full review is due to start in January 2023. A full review and revision of Disability Employment Advisors (DEA) Learning was recently completed, and this was published 18th October 2022.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 September 2022 to Question 48246 on Jobcentres: Disability, if his Department will commit to continued regular engagement with the organisations mentioned in his response on training for (a) Work Coaches and (b) Disability Employment Advisors.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All DWP learning for Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers is designed in partnership with Work Psychologists, external organisations such as MIND, (a national charity providing mental health information and support), RNIB, (Royal National Institute of Blind People), SENSE, (a national charity set-up to support people who are deafblind or have other complex disabilities), and National Autistic Society.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what processes his Department has in place to identify any potential gaps in its training for (a) Work Coaches and (b) Disability Employment Advisors.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DWP continuously reviews and revises learning provided as part of an iterative process.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department takes steps to proactively seek feedback from people with disabilities on their experiences of being supported by (a) Work Coaches and (b) Disability Employment Advisors.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Feedback from customers is an important source of learning for DWP. The Customer Experience Directorate plays a key role in coordinating learning within the department, and the department uses this data to inform decision making.
This includes DWP’s Customer Experience Survey, which seeks customer feedback about their experience with DWP. This is a survey of customers who have had recent contact with DWP and includes customers supported by Jobcentre staff.
The most recent findings from the survey are available below, and the findings from the 2020/21 survey will be published in due course.
DWP claimant service and experience survey 2018 to 2019 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 September 2022 to Question 48246 on Jobcentres: Disability, whether a forum exists to allow (a) disability charities and (b) other disability organisations to input into training for his Department's (i) Work Coaches and (ii) Disability Employment Advisors.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All DWP learning is developed in conjunction with a wide and diverse range of stakeholders including Work Psychologists, external organisations and DWP.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 20 September to UIN 48246, when his Department last held discussions with (a) Mind (b) Sense (c) Mencap and (d) the National Autistic Society on training for Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisors.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DWP meet with organisations such as Mind, Sense and Mencap regarding learning for Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisors on a regular basis.
Since July, we have been working with the National Autistic Society to produce learning products, which will provide improved customer service.