Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when face-to-face work capability assessments for social security allowances will resume.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Following their suspension in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from 17 May 2021 we have resumed face-to-face Work Capability Assessments for Employment and Support Allowance claimants, and for Universal Credit claimants who have reported a disability or health condition that affects their ability to work. Initially they will only be for those who we are unable to assess by other channels, and are taking place alongside existing paper-based assessments, telephone assessments and a small number of video assessments where suitable.
The Honourable Gentleman can find further information on the resumption of face-to-face assessments, including guidance for claimants and assessment providers on their safe resumption, on GOV.UK
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will introduce a system of universal credit direct payments to landlords in the event that a tenant on universal credit fails to make rent payments.
Answered by Will Quince
A managed payment direct to landlords is already available for claimants who have accrued one month or more rent arrears over more than two months, when it is in their best interest.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will routinely provide industrial injuries disablement benefit claimants with details of the medical qualifications of the healthcare professionals conducting their medical assessment.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
IIDB assessments are conducted by Registered Medical Practitioners (doctors) who undertake a training course with examination followed by a period of supervised sessions with an experienced mentor and then 100% audit of their work prior to formal approval by DWP to carry out assessments.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to ensure that healthcare professionals conducting medical assessments for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit have (a) adequate medical qualifications and (b) experience in the field that relates to a claimant's conditions.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
IIDB assessments are conducted by Registered Medical Practitioners (doctors) who undertake a training course with examination followed by a period of supervised sessions with an experienced mentor and then 100% audit of their work prior to formal approval by DWP to carry out assessments.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new claims for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit have been determined in the last 12 months.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department publishes quarterly statistics on claims and assessments under the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) scheme in Great Britain here:
Statistics for IIDB decisions made in each quarter are available in table 2.4 of each quarterly publication, with the latest available to June 2020.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit claims relating to work-related chest disease and Dupuytren's contracture have been (a) considered and (b) awarded since that condition was included on the list of prescribed industrial diseases.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department publishes quarterly statistics on claims and assessments under the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) scheme in Great Britain here:
Statistics for IIDB claims and payable awards made for work-related chest diseases and for Dupuytren's contracture in each quarter to June 2020 are available in the attached spreadsheet.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit are pending a decision.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Due to COVID-19, since March face-to-face assessments for all disability benefits have been suspended, however we have now begun paper-based assessments for certain prescribed diseases for the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB). For successful applications to IIDB, award payments will be backdated to the date of application to ensure claimants will not lose out on payments they are entitled to. Reassessment case awards have been extended to ensure that payments continue unhindered on those cases. Any deteriorations which would have meant an increase in award, will be backdated once face-to-face assessments recommence, to ensure no one is left out of pocket.
On 15 March 2021 there were around 6090 Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit claims outstanding.
Source: Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Management Information
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on pension rights for (a) new and (b) existing workers employed within a freeport.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Freeports do not change the existing laws on occupational pensions and automatic enrolment.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve communication and partnership working between the universal credit system and landlords and letting agents when there are concerns about a claimants' tenancy.
Answered by Will Quince
We provide clear routeways for Landlords to raise general queries or concerns about individual cases, for example, through our Partnership Manager network.
In May 2020 we introduced a new online system for private landlords to enable better interaction with Universal Credit. Private landlords are now able to request a Universal Credit tenant’s rent is paid directly to them online, which helps claimants who struggle with managing their money to pay their rent. This system replaces the arrangement of completing a form and submitting it via email or post.
This approach mirrors that used by Social Rented Sector (SRS) landlords, who have been able to request direct payment of housing support using the Social Rented Sector Landlord Portal since December 2019. The portal continues to be used by over 700 Social landlords to support the administration of SRS housing costs, and has been vital in helping landlords respond to the challenges of COVID-19. We are continuing to work with landlords to develop improvements to the portal and use their feedback to influence the features we release for the Portal.
Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs) are available for those claimants who cannot manage their single monthly payment and there is a risk of financial harm to the claimant and/or their family. APAs may be considered at the outset of a claim by a work coach or case manager, or at any time during the claim, such as if the claimant is struggling with the single monthly payment. They can also be triggered by information received from the claimant, their representative or their landlord.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase uptake of pension credit; and if she will put in place a strategy to achieve full uptake of that benefit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
While over 1.5 million pensioners currently receive Pension Credit, the Government wants to make sure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled. That is why in February this year we launched a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit and help dispel some of the misconceptions that people might have about Pension Credit eligibility. We wanted to make it clear that having savings, a pension or owning a home are not automatic barriers to receiving Pension Credit. We also wanted to highlight that even a small award of Pension Credit can provide access to a range of other benefits such as help with rent, council tax reduction schemes, heating costs and for those aged 75 or over a free television licence.
We are also continuing to work with our stakeholders to help spread the key messages from the campaign because we know that often the best ways to reach eligible pensioners is through trusted stakeholders working in the community. Our online Pension Credit toolkit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit) has been updated with the recent awareness campaign materials to supplement the resources it already contains for those working with pensioners, such as guides to Pension Credit and information designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit.
In May this year we launched an online claim service for Pension Credit to supplement the existing telephone and postal claim services (https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit). The new online service enables pensioners to apply for Pension Credit at a time that suits them. Around 50% of new claims to Pension Credit are currently being made using the service and more than 34,000 online claims have been made since it was launched. https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit.