Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether all PIP assessors have undertaken training on understanding the (a) nature and (b) impact of fluctuating medical conditions.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
All Health Professionals receive comprehensive training in disability analysis which includes a functional evaluation as to how medical conditions and the long-term medical treatment of those conditions affect an individual. Furthermore, any health professional undertaking assessments must have at least two years' experience following registration
It is recognised that, over time, most conditions fluctuate to some degree and so it is essential that the Personal Independent Payment assessment works for people with fluctuating conditions. Health Professionals carrying out assessments are directed to take a view of an individual’s ability over a longer period of time in order to establish a more coherent picture of the disabling effects of an individual’s health condition.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Attorney General on the legal implications of the judicial review into complaints in relation to the equalisation of state pension age on the handling of complaints by (a) her Department, (b) the Independent Case Examiner and (c) the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Since WW2 and beyond, it is a longstanding convention observed by successive governments that neither the fact that the Law Officers have (or have not) advised nor the content of their advice is disclosed outside government without their authority, which is rarely sought or given. This is also set out in Erskine May, and as a result it is not appropriate to comment on live litigation.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent guidance his Department has provided to pension fund managers on preparing that sector for the effects of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Guy Opperman
There is a range of information from regulatory authorities for occupational pension schemes in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a Withdrawal Agreement (deal), bulked up by information from the Government. The DWP introduced new legislation at the end of last year (The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2018/9780111175736/contents) to help to provide certainty for businesses and the public to ensure a functioning statute book when the UK leaves the EU.
More recently, the DWP has worked closely with The Pensions Regulator to develop communications for pension schemes regarding the impact of leaving the EU https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/statements/exit-from-the-eu-statement. This statement was published on The Pension Regulator’s website on 24 January 2019. The Financial Conduct Authority has also issued guidance on their website ‘Preparing for Brexit’ https://www.fca.org.uk/brexit
In December 2018, the DWP published guidance for UK and EU occupational pension consumers on GOV.UK regarding payment of occupational pensions to EU citizens living in the UK https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-citizens-in-the-uk-benefits-and-pensions-in-a-no-deal-scenario and UK citizens living in the EU https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-nationals-in-the-eu-benefits-and-pensions-in-a-no-deal-scenario in the event of a no deal scenario.
The Government also published their Technical Notice in August 2018 ‘Banking, insurance and other financial services if there’s no Brexit deal: technical notice on financial services regulatory framework’ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/banking-insurance-and-other-financial-services-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/banking-insurance-and-other-financial-services-if-theres-no-brexit-deal which offers guidance to pension schemes for continued planning in the event of no deal.