Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on moving adult claimants on Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payment.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner.
We originally introduced a pause for most Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessment activity as part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic on 23 March 2020; the exception being for DLA claimants who reported a change in needs.
We are currently experiencing unprecedented levels of new claims to PIP. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service.
To ensure we have the capacity in place to prioritise new claims and changes in circumstances, we are continuing to pause activity to randomly invite eligible adult DLA claimants to claim PIP. However, we are still continuing to invite DLA claimants to make a claim if they fall into one of the following categories:
Additionally, current DLA claimants who wish to move to claim PIP can do so. DLA claimants who claim PIP in these circumstances continue to receive their DLA while their PIP claim is being assessed.
This action, combined with improvements we have made to the claimant journey, has meant we are seeing a gradual improvement in new claim clearance times and the latest statistics show that the average end-to-end journey has steadily reduced from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 18 weeks at the end of July 2022.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on Winter Fuel Payments to those who move to Australia; and whether the Government plans to review the list of eligible countries for that payment.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Winter fuel payments are not payable in Australia. There are no plans to review this policy.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2021 to Question 92099 on Social Security Benefits: Terminal Illnesses, whether she plans to amend legislation to implement changes to (a) the Special Rules for Terminal Illness and (b) Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment during the current session of Parliament; and what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on ensuring parity between social security systems in the UK following the recent passing of the Social Security (Terminal Illness) Bill by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Department plans to amend legislation to implement changes to the Special Rules for Terminal Illness in Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment as soon as possible, subject to Parliamentary processes.
The Department works closely with the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland within a legal and non-statutory framework for co-ordination and reciprocity in social security arrangements. In the case of changes to the Special Rules for Terminal Illness, engagement began during policy development and in an evaluation into how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their lives. This close collaboration continues as the 12-month approach is being implemented to ensure that parity is maintained between the two benefits systems.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Special Rules for Terminal Illness.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Department is committed to supporting people nearing the end of their lives. We plan to amend legislation to implement changes to the Special Rules for Terminal Illness across five DWP benefits, beginning with Universal Credit alongside Employment and Support Allowance next year. This will be in advance of changes to Primary Legislation for Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment which are dependent on Parliamentary time.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobs included within the Kickstart scheme have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by (i) county, (ii) region and (iii) nation.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are pleased to say that, as of the 31st August, over 63,000 young people have started Kickstart jobs. Over 181,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply for through the Kickstart Scheme with over 280,000 jobs approved for funding by the Scheme.
We are unable at present to provide data on the number of approved jobs by location, as at that stage in the process we do not hold information about the exact location of a job, only the head office of the employer.
Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 31st August and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.
Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.
The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.
Location | Jobs Made Available | Total Jobs Started |
East Midlands | 11,600 | 3,840 |
East of England | 14,400 | 4,460 |
London | 36,700 | 13,970 |
North East | 7,300 | 2,930 |
North West | 23,400 | 8,090 |
Scotland | 13,400 | 5,670 |
South East | 21,000 | 6,870 |
South West | 13,500 | 4280 |
Wales | 10,400 | 3,190 |
West Midlands | 16,400 | 5,670 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 13,700 | 4,820 |
*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals. Jobs Made Available include 1,000 non-grant funded vacancies and Total Starts include around 900 starts to non-grant funded jobs |
|
|
Sector | Jobs Made Available | Total Jobs Started |
Administration | 45,500 | 16,190 |
Animal Care | 900 | 510 |
Beauty & Wellbeing | 1,300 | 500 |
Business & Finance | 6,600 | 2,350 |
Computing, Technology & Digital | 12,800 | 5,670 |
Construction & Trades | 5,600 | 2,070 |
Creative & Media | 13,900 | 6,450 |
Delivery & Storage | 5,400 | 1,860 |
Emergency & Uniform Services | 400 | 150 |
Engineering & Maintenance | 6,000 | 1,930 |
Environment & Land | 3,400 | 1360 |
Government Services | 600 | 120 |
Healthcare | 5,000 | 1,420 |
Home Services | 1,300 | 340 |
Hospitality & Food | 19,300 | 4,840 |
Law & Legal | 400 | 190 |
Managerial | 1100 | 330 |
Manufacturing | 4,500 | 1,750 |
Retail & Sales | 28,500 | 10,400 |
Science & Research | 700 | 300 |
Social Care | 4,500 | 1050 |
Sports & Leisure | 4,300 | 1500 |
Teaching & Education | 8,600 | 2,180 |
Transport | 600 | 140 |
Travel & Tourism | 600 | 190 |
*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals. Jobs Made Available include 1,000 non-grant funded vacancies and Total Starts include around 900 starts to non-grant funded jobs |
|
|
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department's review of how the welfare system works for people with a terminal illness includes an assessment of (a) the ability of people with motor neurone disease to access the special rules for terminal illness and (b) the potential merits of applying reforms to (i) the disability element of universal credit and (ii) personal independence payment.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In July 2019, the Secretary of State announced an in-depth evaluation of how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their life. The evaluation included 3 strands of research:
- hearing directly from claimants and charities about their first-hand experiences;
- considering international evidence to find out what works in other nations and the support they provide; and
- reviewing current DWP performance to better understand how our Special Rules for Terminal Illness process operates and performs.