Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether letters of support from Members of Parliament (a) are considered for and (b) have an effect on decisions on a claimant's (i) mandatory reconsideration and (ii) tribunal appeal for (A) employment support allowance and (B) personal independence payment.
Answered by Sarah Newton
At mandatory reconsideration all evidence that had been considered at the initial decision stage is reviewed and, crucially, the claimant is prompted to provide any further evidence that the initial decision maker had not considered. If a claimant remains dissatisfied with the decision on their claim following mandatory reconsideration and proceeds to appeal, all previously submitted evidence will be reviewed, as will any evidence that is subsequently submitted and passed on to the Department.
It is important to note that decisions on benefit entitlement are made in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions and the decision maker’s consideration of the available evidence. A letter of support from a Member of Parliament would be considered on its own merits alongside any other available evidence.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, at what age a person with dementia is eligible for benefit entitlement as a result of that condition.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Entitlement to benefit is not dependent on a specific diagnosis, meaning that claimants may apply at any age above the minimum age requirement specific to each individual benefit claimed.
For those diagnosed with dementia, once the impact is such that a person has care or mobility needs which may give rise to additional costs, they may apply for a disability benefit.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
Whether universal credit claimants will lose money if they receive a disability premium in addition to income-based benefits.
Answered by Sarah Newton
We simplified and rationised the various, complex disability premiums that exist in the legacy system and anyone in the Support Group who only qualifies for the Enhanced Disability Premium, will be better off in Universal Credit by over £90 per month.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to change the calculation for child maintenance payments to take into account the outgoings of the non-resident parent.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We have no plans to change the treatment of a non-resident parent’s outgoings within the calculation of child maintenance.
There is currently allowance made for:
Certain additional costs can also be taken into account - for example costs incurred in caring for a disabled child.
The calculation of a child maintenance liability is based on a percentage of the Non-Resident Parent’s income. This is broadly aligned with the proportion of their income a parent would normally spend on their child if they lived with them. This gives the Non-Resident Parent freedom to decide how to adjust their spending in light of their obligation to their child or children, as they would do if they lived with them.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
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 ensure that absent parents financially support their children.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Child Maintenance Options provide free and impartial information and support to help separated parents make decisions about their child maintenance arrangements. For parents who are unable to make a family-based arrangement the government has introduced a new statutory Child Maintenance Service, which will bring speedier processing of applications, simpler calculations and faster enforcement action, where necessary.
Where parents fail to fulfil their financial responsibilities towards their children we have a range of strong enforcement powers at our disposal. These powers include deducting maintenance directly from earnings, instructing bailiffs to collect arrears or seize goods, forcing the sale of property, disqualification from driving and commitment to prison.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that migrants entering the UK do not receive instant access to welfare benefits.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
We have strict measures in place to ensure benefits are only paid to those people who have a legal right to live and work in the UK.
Additionally, people coming to the UK, or returning here, must demonstrate that they are habitually resident to be eligible for income-related benefits. Since 1 January 2014, most migrant jobseekers must also have been living in the UK for three months before any consideration can be given to whether they are habitually resident to be eligible to receive income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people eligible for employment and support allowance have their benefits suspended while medical reviews are conducted; and in the case of claimants whose benefit is restored after a medical review, what steps are taken to ensure that National Insurance payments are restored and future state pension and other benefits are protected.
Answered by Lord Harper
Employment and Support Allowance claimants do not have their benefit suspended whilst undergoing a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). They continue to receive their National Insurance credits for each week that they are found to have limited capability for work or limited capability for work-related activity. Where claimants are found fit for work on a repeat WCA and it is subsequently decided that they did have limited capability for work or limited capability for work-related activity, National Insurance credits will be backdated accordingly so that entitlement to the state pension and other benefits is protected.