Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
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 support workplace incentives to promote employee health and reduce sickness-related unemployment.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
We plan to publish a Green Paper later this year, which will set out reforms to improve support for people with health conditions and disabilities, including exploring the roles of employers.
Employers are key partners in our ambition to halve the disability employment gap, reduce sick absence and promote employee health.
Support is offered to employers through initiatives such as Access to Work and Disability Confident which help employers to recruit and retain people with a disability.
Public Health England supports local authorities in the provision of a range of resources and services for employers in the area of preventing ill health, including the Workplace Wellbeing Charter.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the Health and Work Innovation Fund his Department plans to allocate to programmes for people with arthritis.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
At the spending review, the Work and Health Unit secured £115m of funding, including at least £40m for a Work and Health innovation fund.
The Work and Health Innovation Fund will trial new ways to help working age disabled people and people with health conditions get in, stay in, and return to work as well as benefit from improved health outcomes. This will include support for people with musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Access to Work funding supports people with arthritis.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Access to Work does not record arthritis as a separate primary medical condition.
Access to Work statistics, which include a breakdown of numbers helped by primary medical condition, are published quarterly here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/access-to-work-statistics-on-recipients--2’
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Fit For Work scheme have a musculoskeletal condition.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
2,144 people have been referred to Fit for Work with a musculoskeletal condition since the launch of the programme in March 2015.
All statistical information has been provided by either HML or Scottish Government. It has not previously been published and is non-validated.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Work and Health Programme meets the needs of people with arthritis.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Development of the Work and Health Programme design is well underway, including engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The Department has commenced the commercial process for the programme by releasing the Prior Information Notice for potential providers on 28 April.
Decisions on what the information reporting requirements will be for people with a disability or health condition are yet to be made.