Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish data on the estimated take-up of universal credit.
Answered by Will Quince
No
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have (a) not been assessed for Employment and Support Allowance and are close to reaching the 365 day limit, (b) been placed in the Limited Capability for Work group at the end of 365 days and (c) been placed in the Support group in each of the last two years.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Quarterly Employment and Support Allowance caseload statistics to May 2020, by duration and phase of claim are published here:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance for users is available at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
Employment and Support Allowance Work Capability Assessments statistics by month of claim start (to March 2020) for initial assessment outcomes including those still in progress, and assessment outcome by month of decision to June 2020, are published here:
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will extend the 365 day limit for those claiming Employment and Support Allowance who have not had a face-to-face assessment.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are no plans to extend the time limit for people claiming contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) who reach their 365-day limit and have not had a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits remain suspended. We are continuing to assess as many people as we are able to on paper evidence or via telephone assessments. Claimants are encouraged to provide all the evidence they have that is relevant to their case at the outset of their claim, including evidence supplied by their GP or other professionals, such as support workers, carers and community mental health nurses. The healthcare professionals who carry out assessments are expected to seek further evidence where it would help them provide advice to a DWP decision maker on a person’s claim.
Furthermore, we now have a ring-fenced operational team in place to identify contributory ESA claims that we can progress in the absence of face-to-face assessments – for instance, those where further evidence might exist on other DWP benefit systems. If claimants have further evidence they think might help progress their claim, they should contact the Department.
Where an individual’s contributory ESA ends, their income is reduced because they cannot work due to disability or a health condition and they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to enable claimants who are almost at the 365 day limit for Employment and Support Allowance to continue to receive benefit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are no plans to extend the time limit for people claiming contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) who reach their 365-day limit and have not had a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits remain suspended. We are continuing to assess as many people as we are able to on paper evidence or via telephone assessments. Claimants are encouraged to provide all the evidence they have that is relevant to their case at the outset of their claim, including evidence supplied by their GP or other professionals, such as support workers, carers and community mental health nurses. The healthcare professionals who carry out assessments are expected to seek further evidence where it would help them provide advice to a DWP decision maker on a person’s claim.
Furthermore, we now have a ring-fenced operational team in place to identify contributory ESA claims that we can progress in the absence of face-to-face assessments – for instance, those where further evidence might exist on other DWP benefit systems. If claimants have further evidence they think might help progress their claim, they should contact the Department.
Where an individual’s contributory ESA ends, their income is reduced because they cannot work due to disability or a health condition and they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has provided to benefit assessment companies to ensure they are proactively seeking further medical evidence from claimants who are almost at the 365 day limit for Employment and Support Allowance and have not yet been assessed.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There are no plans to extend the time limit for people claiming contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) who reach their 365-day limit and have not had a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits remain suspended. We are continuing to assess as many people as we are able to on paper evidence or via telephone assessments. Claimants are encouraged to provide all the evidence they have that is relevant to their case at the outset of their claim, including evidence supplied by their GP or other professionals, such as support workers, carers and community mental health nurses. The healthcare professionals who carry out assessments are expected to seek further evidence where it would help them provide advice to a DWP decision maker on a person’s claim.
Furthermore, we now have a ring-fenced operational team in place to identify contributory ESA claims that we can progress in the absence of face-to-face assessments – for instance, those where further evidence might exist on other DWP benefit systems. If claimants have further evidence they think might help progress their claim, they should contact the Department.
Where an individual’s contributory ESA ends, their income is reduced because they cannot work due to disability or a health condition and they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on claimants of the new employment and support allowance of having to wait for face-to-face work capability assessments in order to have their claim processed during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are continuing to process claims for Employment and Support Allowance and refer them for a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). Claimants will receive the Assessment Rate of benefit for the first 13 weeks as normal. At present, claimants may stay on the assessment rate for longer than usual.
The health and safety of our claimants and staff is our key priority. We suspended all face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits in March. This temporary suspension, brought in to protect people from unnecessary risk of coronavirus at the outset of the pandemic, remains in place, and is being kept under review in line with the latest public health guidance. Any re-introduction of face-to-face assessments would involve stringent Covid-19 related safety measures, supported by guidance for claimants and assessment providers to ensure compliance with the relevant public health guidance.
Throughout the pandemic we have continued to complete paper-based assessments wherever possible and telephone assessments have been in place since last summer with the number of claims being assessed through this channel increasing. If a claimant qualifies for an additional amount following their WCA, it will be backdated to ensure no long-term loss.
Where an individual’s income is reduced because they cannot work due to disability or a health condition and they require further financial support, they may also be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the financial effect on claimants with (a) Parkinson's disease and (b) other degenerative and incurable diseases of the new employment and support allowance who will not have their claims processed without a face-to-face interview due to postponed interviews during the covid-19 outbreak; and what arrangements are being put in place to ensure that those claimants can have their applications assessed in a timely manner.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are continuing to process claims for Employment and Support Allowance and refer them for a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). Claimants will receive the Assessment Rate of benefit for the first 13 weeks as normal. At present, claimants may stay on the assessment rate for longer than usual.
The health and safety of our claimants and staff is our key priority. We suspended all face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits in March. This temporary suspension, brought in to protect people from unnecessary risk of coronavirus at the outset of the pandemic, remains in place, and is being kept under review in line with the latest public health guidance. Any re-introduction of face-to-face assessments would involve stringent Covid-19 related safety measures, supported by guidance for claimants and assessment providers to ensure compliance with the relevant public health guidance.
Throughout the pandemic we have continued to complete paper-based assessments wherever possible and telephone assessments have been in place since last summer with the number of claims being assessed through this channel increasing. If a claimant qualifies for an additional amount following their WCA, it will be backdated to ensure no long-term loss.
Where an individual’s income is reduced because they cannot work due to disability or a health condition and they require further financial support, they may also be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many reports of cases of covid-19 contracted in the workplace have been received by the Health and Safety Executive under the reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations for (a) hospitals, (b) GP practices, (c) community pharmacies, (d) residential nursing care facilities and (e) prisons in Scotland.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), duty-holders are obliged to report cases of a worker contracting COVID-19 when:
Figures in the Table below only cover Scottish reports made, where the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or the local authority are the enforcing body, and relate to the location of the premises where the affected person usually works, as reported by the employer.
Table: Worker COVID-19 Disease reports made by employers to HSE by disease severity and specific industry sector1, Scotland, 10th April – 11th July 2020
(Source: RIDDOR disease reporting)
Specific industry sector (as reported by employer)1 | SIC2 code | Total COVID-19 notifications |
Hospital activities | 8610 | 24 |
General medical practice activities | 8621 | 3 |
Dispensing chemist in specialised stores | 4773 | 0 |
Residential nursing care activities | 8710 | 288 |
Justice and judicial activities | 8423 | 0 |
Grand Total |
| 315 |
Footnotes
1Industry as reported by employers.
2Standard Industrial Classification (SIC): The current system used in UK official statistics for classifying businesses by type of activity they are engaged in.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of (a) universal credit and (b) legacy benefits in Scotland had awards that were reduced by the tariff income rules (i) before and (ii) after the covid-19 pandemic was declared.
Answered by Will Quince
The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2020 to Question 43917, on Universal Credit, how many families in Scotland who have made a claim for universal credit since 23 March 2020 have three or more children.
Answered by Will Quince
From 23rd March 2020 to 5th May 2020, 3,500 of the 57,000 applications made by claimants with children to Universal Credit, who had three or more children in their family, were from Scotland