Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to reply to the letter of 18 December 2017 from the hon. Member for Sefton Central on the personal independence payment award to Mrs Sheila Ellis.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, my hon. Friend the member for Truro and Falmouth (Sarah Newton), replied on 30 January 2018.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on continuing his Department's Your Simple Payment account service.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Simple Payment service contract with Citibank is due to end in March 2018. We are actively encouraging customers to use an existing bank account or to provide new bank, building society or credit union account details into which their payments can be transferred.
For those customers unable to provide an alternative method of payment a replacement service will be available. Contact with customers has already begun and there will be further contact and information as we approach transition. Customers will transition to the new service by the end of the current Citibank contract.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Sefton Central of 12 October 2017 to the Leader of the House, Official Report, column 469, if he will remove the charge for telephone calls to his Department on universal credit.
Answered by Damian Hinds
As announced by the Secretary of State at the Work and Pensions Select Committee on 18 October 2017, DWP plans to change the Universal Credit helpline to a freephone number over the next month.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to provide (a) information on its services in British Sign Language (BSL) and (b) correspondence in BSL to people whose principal language is BSL.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
a) The Department is obliged to anticipate the communication needs of any customer who would otherwise be placed at substantial disadvantage and to put in place an alternative format of communication which will meet the customer’s needs. The Department is currently only able to provide general information on GOV.UK regarding its services. We are able to provide services in BSL when requested by our customers.
b) DWP customers who have a specific communication barrier are able to use a variety of communication methods including home visits, phone calls and online services as well as written communications. Once we have established that a customer uses BSL as their principal form of communication with the Department, all future correspondence with that customer will be arranged in this form, without the need for repeated requests. Where necessary the department provides British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters or non-spoken language interpreters, using contracted providers for customers who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired. Video relay service (VRS) is also being trialed through the call centres for Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Access to Work, as well as by the Access to Work advisers in the Hearing Loss Team. VRS allows users to make BSL interpreted video calls via their tablet, smartphone, computer or laptop. A professional interpreter then relays the call in English to a member of DWP staff.