Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 17 Oct 2016
Oral Answers to Questions
"Reports suggest that Capita rewards its assessors on the basis of how many assessments they complete every month, which leads to rushed assessments where applicants are not given enough time to describe how their condition affects them daily. What is the Minister doing to ensure that applicants are given enough …..."Christina Rees - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 10 May 2016
Universal Credit (Children)
"Does my right hon. Friend think it right and fair that, as a result of the piecemeal roll-out of universal credit, along with the cuts to work allowances, some families could be more than £3,000 a year worse off than they would be if they were in exactly the same …..."Christina Rees - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 10 May 2016
Universal Credit (Children)
"Does my right hon. Friend agree that guidance from the DWP that instructs people to work an extra 200 hours a year for no extra money, to make up the thousands of pounds a year that families are set to lose as a result of cuts to universal credit, is …..."Christina Rees - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 10 May 2016
Universal Credit (Children)
"Does my hon. Friend agree that we also urgently need an analysis of the gender impact of the Government’s policy since 2010, because the design of universal credit, like that of other Government policies, does seem to have a disproportionate impact on women?..."Christina Rees - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 May 2016
Oral Answers to Questions
"9. What steps his Department is taking to ensure that staff carrying out personal independence payment assessments act in a professional manner...."Christina Rees - View Speech
View all Christina Rees (LAB - Neath) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 May 2016
Oral Answers to Questions
"My constituents have reported huge inaccuracies between the information that they provide against PIP descriptors and the conclusions drawn by Capita’s staff, which causes great stress for people already in difficult circumstances. What is the Department doing to ensure that Capita’s staff are trained to take the appropriate time and …..."Christina Rees - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Apr 2016
Personal Independence Payments
"Everything my hon. Friend says is happening in Neath. What is the Department for Work and Pensions doing to ensure that the healthcare professionals who undertake the assessments are mental health specialists, as Capita claims? What exactly does “mental health specialist” mean? Are they qualified mental health nurses, doctors or …..."Christina Rees - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Apr 2016
Personal Independence Payments
"Will the Minister explain why people who have been in receipt of DLA for more than 10 years are no longer eligible to receive disability benefit? Why are they no longer classified as disabled under the current Government guidelines?..."Christina Rees - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 13 Apr 2016
Personal Independence Payments
"indicated dissent...."Christina Rees - View Speech
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Written Question
Friday 29th January 2016
Asked by:
Christina Rees (Labour (Co-op) - Neath)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of back-to-work programmes for people with mental health problems; and if he will take steps to change programmes judged to be ineffective.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Our ambition to halve the disability employment gap has been a key driver in establishing the Work and Health unit with the Department for Health. At least £115m of funding will go to the Work and Health Unit, including an innovation fund to test new ways to join up health and employment to help people with disabilities and health conditions to return to and stay in work.
Our wider employment programmes provide those with mental health conditions with the appropriate support to find work. Work Choice is an employment programme is specifically for those with a disability or health condition. Of the 14,290 starters who declared either a Severe or Mild to Moderate Mental Health condition as their Primary Disability, 6,650 (over 46%) have achieved a job outcome.
The Department conducts a monthly review of a sample of claimants from each employment contract, to assess the effectiveness of those programmes and requires providers to rectify any issues identified.
Further support is available through the Access to Work Mental Health Support Scheme. Last year, it supported 1630 people who declared a Mental Health condition as their Primary Medical Condition – a 15% increase on 2013/14 and a record number for the scheme.
Over the next three years, we are investing £43 million to develop an evidence base, via a range of voluntary trials, for what works to support people with mental health conditions into employment. Each of the voluntary trials will test a different approach of combined health and employment support.