Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to develop new awareness raising campaigns to boost Pension Credit uptake.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics covering 2018-19 were published on 29 October 2020, which can be found at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2018-to-2019. They show a small but encouraging improvement in the take-up of Pension Credit. Take-up of Guarantee Credit – the safety-net element of Pension Credit – has risen from 68% to 70% of those eligible to claim it. The statistics also show a significant improvement in the take-up of Pension Credit by expenditure, with some 76% of Pension Credit being claimed, up from 70% in the previous year.
This year we took steps to raise awareness of Pension Credit by launching a campaign aimed at dispelling some of the common misconceptions about Pension Credit eligibility. We engaged with our stakeholders to ensure that the key campaign messages could be widely disseminated because we know that trusted organisations working in the community are often one of the first places that people are likely to go to seek information.
We have updated our online Pension Credit toolkit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit) 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 we also launched the digital ‘Apply for Pension Credit’ (https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim) service as part of our Covid 19 response to help people claim Pension Credit online with minimal delay and to ensure they can do so while adhering to social distancing or shielding measures. This online claim service for Pension Credit supplements the existing free Pension Credit claim line number (0800 99 1234) and postal claim facilities and around 50% of claims are being made using it.
We continue working with stakeholders to find the best ways to reach eligible pensioners and raise awareness of Pension Credit.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to implement innovative technological solutions to increase the uptake of Pension Credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics covering 2018-19 were published on 29 October 2020, which can be found at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2018-to-2019. They show a small but encouraging improvement in the take-up of Pension Credit. Take-up of Guarantee Credit – the safety-net element of Pension Credit – has risen from 68% to 70% of those eligible to claim it. The statistics also show a significant improvement in the take-up of Pension Credit by expenditure, with some 76% of Pension Credit being claimed, up from 70% in the previous year.
This year we took steps to raise awareness of Pension Credit by launching a campaign aimed at dispelling some of the common misconceptions about Pension Credit eligibility. We engaged with our stakeholders to ensure that the key campaign messages could be widely disseminated because we know that trusted organisations working in the community are often one of the first places that people are likely to go to seek information.
We have updated our online Pension Credit toolkit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit) 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 we also launched the digital ‘Apply for Pension Credit’ (https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim) service as part of our Covid 19 response to help people claim Pension Credit online with minimal delay and to ensure they can do so while adhering to social distancing or shielding measures. This online claim service for Pension Credit supplements the existing free Pension Credit claim line number (0800 99 1234) and postal claim facilities and around 50% of claims are being made using it.
We continue working with stakeholders to find the best ways to reach eligible pensioners and raise awareness of Pension Credit.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will produce an action plan for increasing the uptake of Pension Credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics covering 2018-19 were published on 29 October 2020, which can be found at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2018-to-2019. They show a small but encouraging improvement in the take-up of Pension Credit. Take-up of Guarantee Credit – the safety-net element of Pension Credit – has risen from 68% to 70% of those eligible to claim it. The statistics also show a significant improvement in the take-up of Pension Credit by expenditure, with some 76% of Pension Credit being claimed, up from 70% in the previous year.
This year we took steps to raise awareness of Pension Credit by launching a campaign aimed at dispelling some of the common misconceptions about Pension Credit eligibility. We engaged with our stakeholders to ensure that the key campaign messages could be widely disseminated because we know that trusted organisations working in the community are often one of the first places that people are likely to go to seek information.
We have updated our online Pension Credit toolkit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit) 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 we also launched the digital ‘Apply for Pension Credit’ (https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim) service as part of our Covid 19 response to help people claim Pension Credit online with minimal delay and to ensure they can do so while adhering to social distancing or shielding measures. This online claim service for Pension Credit supplements the existing free Pension Credit claim line number (0800 99 1234) and postal claim facilities and around 50% of claims are being made using it.
We continue working with stakeholders to find the best ways to reach eligible pensioners and raise awareness of Pension Credit.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full time equivalent staff members of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit team have been redeployed to other benefits teams during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff members of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) team that have been redeployed to other benefits teams during the covid-19 outbreak is 110 FTE. This was in response to a fall- off in IIDB claims and to support the departments other priority work areas. A small number of residual FTE (23) remain on the IIDB team to deal with SRTi cases and customer enquiries.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full time equivalent staff members of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) team have been dealing with asbestos related IIDB cases only, during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
During the COVID-19 outbreak and whilst IIDB medical assessments have been paused, we have continued to deploy 8 Full Time Equivalent staff members to ensure that the “special rules” cases which do not require a medical assessment have continued to be processed. All claims received have been progressed to the point of where they are now awaiting a medical assessment.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many members of full time equivalent staff were working in the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit team in January 2020.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In January 2020, the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff working on the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) Team was 134 FTE.
The number of FTE staff members that deal with asbestos related IIDB Claims as ‘Business as Usual’ is 23 FTE.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full time equivalent staff members of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) team are dealing with asbestos related IIDB cases.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In January 2020, the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff working on the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) Team was 134 FTE.
The number of FTE staff members that deal with asbestos related IIDB Claims as ‘Business as Usual’ is 23 FTE.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many industrial injuries disablement benefit applications have been received for (a) asbestosis, (b) diffuse pleural thickening since January 2020.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The number of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) applications that have been received for (a) asbestosis, (b) diffuse pleural thickening since January 2020 is;
Pneumoconiosis including Asbestosis and Silicosis – 1018 (we are unable to break this figure down to just asbestosis claims)
Diffuse Pleural Thickening – 417
We have also had the following Special Rules claims which are also associated with asbestos exposure:
Diffuse Mesothelioma – 1518
Cancer of the lung with evidence of Asbestosis – 122
Cancer of the lung – 157
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many assessments for industrial injuries disabled benefits have been suspended due to the covid-19 outbreak in respect of (a) asbestosis and (b) diffuse pleural thickening.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The number of Pneumoconiosis including Asbestosis and Silicosis category cases that are currently awaiting a medical assessment is 865 (we are unable to break this figure down to just asbestosis claims).
The number of Diffuse Pleural Thickening category cases that are currently awaiting a medical assessment is 347.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to process suspended Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit cases.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The suspension of face-to-face assessments for the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) means the majority of new claims are not being assessed at present. We are urgently exploring approaches to safely progress new IIDB claims awaiting an assessment. We will restart face to face assessments in a safe manner with adherence to the latest public health guidance as soon as we are able to. As part of this work, we will carefully consider the demands on our services to manage the cases.
For claimants with the most serious or terminal conditions, claims continue to be processed and decisions made as normal. Furthermore, 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.