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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 18 Dec 2017
Oral Answers to Questions

"The charity, Rethink Mental Illness, surveyed PIP claimants, and found that two in five felt that delays in decisions led to deterioration in their mental health, and that one in five had to take higher doses of medication to cope with the increased stress. Does the Minister think that that …..."
Jeff Smith - View Speech

View all Jeff Smith (Lab - Manchester Withington) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Written Question
Social Security Benefits: Mental Health
Monday 10th July 2017

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester Withington)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to improve the understanding of mental health among personal independence payment and employment and support allowance assessors.

Answered by Penny Mordaunt

Health Professionals (HPs) receive training on how to identify the impact of mental health conditions on claimants. This is followed by on-going professional training and support which continues for the duration of their employment in the role.

In addition, Mental Health Champions support HPs by providing additional expertise about mental health, cognitive, developmental and learning disabilities and can be referred to at any time during the assessment process.

HPs make every attempt to obtain the best evidence available to assist them in undertaking the assessment. This includes accessing evidence from Community Mental Health Teams, psychologists, psychiatrists and other medical professionals.

Health Assessment Providers frequently engage with medical experts, charities and relevant stakeholders to strengthen review and update training programmes for all their assessment staff.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 28 Feb 2017
Personal Independence Payments

"Of the many constituents who have come to my surgery with problems over PIP, one particularly sticks in my mind: a man whose long-term mental health issues meant he simply could not get out to work, yet PIP was refused for him. This was not somebody who wanted to sit …..."
Jeff Smith - View Speech

View all Jeff Smith (Lab - Manchester Withington) contributions to the debate on: Personal Independence Payments
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 21 Nov 2016
Oral Answers to Questions

"14. What steps his Department is taking to ensure that personal independence payment assessments are undertaken fairly and appropriately. ..."
Jeff Smith - View Speech

View all Jeff Smith (Lab - Manchester Withington) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 21 Nov 2016
Oral Answers to Questions

"Citizens Advice and the mental health charity Mind told the Public Accounts Committee in March that private contractor assessors were comprehensively failing claimants with mental health issues, so what progress has been made since in the recruitment of registered mental health nurses by healthcare assessment providers to ensure that claimants …..."
Jeff Smith - View Speech

View all Jeff Smith (Lab - Manchester Withington) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions