Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been overpaid to (a) Universal Credit and (b) Employment and Support Allowance claimants in each of the last twelve months.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP measures its overpayments via annual national statistics published each May.
Latest published figures show that 12.8% (£5,540m) of UC and 3.4% (£410m) ESA was overpaid. These figures include fraud, official error and claimant error.
Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2022 to 2023 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to improve investigations into benefit fraud.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In May 2022 the Department for Work and Pensions launched a robust plan to drive down fraud and error from the benefits system.
The “Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System” plan sits alongside additional investment of £900 million that will deliver £2.4 billion of savings by the end of 24/25.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help support disabled people financially whilst they await decisions on applications for the renewal of (a) Personal Independence Payments and (b) other benefits.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, considering the need to review all available evidence, including that from the claimant.
PIP can be awarded with a fixed term duration to the award without a review date. In these circumstances the Department issues a reminder to the claimant 6 months prior to the existing award coming to an end that if they claimant wants to continue with PIP they need to submit a new claim. These renewal claims are treated as new claims and where the current average end-to-end clearance period is 15 weeks from the point the claim is submitted.
Where a claimant delays making their renewal claim, but submits it shortly before their existing award ends, they could experience a break in payment, but the award can be backdated to the date of claim ensuring that claimants don’t lose out in these circumstances.
Similar arrangements exist in both Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance and where awards can be made for a fixed term. For these benefits, a reminder is sent prior to the award ending.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people on long-term sick leave as of 7 February 2024.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold data on individuals who are currently taking a long-term sickness absence.
However, the Department’s 2019 ‘Health in the Workplace’ publication showed that in the previous 12 months, 1.4m working aged people (aged 16-64) in the UK had a total of 1.8m spells of long term (lasting 4 weeks or more) sickness absences. This analysis uses the cross-sectional Annual Population Survey (APS) January 2018 – December 2018.
The publication can be found here.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with the Health and Safety Executive on the safety of engineered stone production; and if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of banning the (a) production and (b) use of engineered stone.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In Great Britain the responsibility for the regulation in the workplace for the production and use of engineered stone falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The link between engineered stone production and the risk of silicosis in workers is already known. Similar to processing natural stone, dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be created when workers cut, shape or polish engineered stone.
HSE has advised the Government that is not currently considering restricting the use of engineered stone as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations already require employers to put in place measures to protect the health of workers when using it. COSHH sets out the requirements for protecting workers from exposure to RCS, which include making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH regulations.
The range of control measures in place to protect workers from exposure to RCS include water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. The COSHH regulations also require workers to be trained and competent to use such controls.
HSE carries out targeted research on measures to protect workers, including methods to adequately measure RCS. HSE also works with industry to raise awareness of managing the risks of exposure to RCS and continues to inspect and investigate in industries where there is potential for exposure to RCS. It has delivered several national inspection campaigns and have worked proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations, for example, in the construction industry.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will commission research on potential links between engineered stone production and silicosis in workers.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In Great Britain the responsibility for the regulation in the workplace for the production and use of engineered stone falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The link between engineered stone production and the risk of silicosis in workers is already known. Similar to processing natural stone, dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be created when workers cut, shape or polish engineered stone.
HSE has advised the Government that is not currently considering restricting the use of engineered stone as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations already require employers to put in place measures to protect the health of workers when using it. COSHH sets out the requirements for protecting workers from exposure to RCS, which include making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH regulations.
The range of control measures in place to protect workers from exposure to RCS include water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. The COSHH regulations also require workers to be trained and competent to use such controls.
HSE carries out targeted research on measures to protect workers, including methods to adequately measure RCS. HSE also works with industry to raise awareness of managing the risks of exposure to RCS and continues to inspect and investigate in industries where there is potential for exposure to RCS. It has delivered several national inspection campaigns and have worked proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations, for example, in the construction industry.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with the Health and Safety Executive on the adequacy of the (a) use of equipment and (b) other steps taken by silica-related industries to detect silica dust.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In Great Britain the responsibility for the regulation in the workplace for the production and use of engineered stone falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The link between engineered stone production and the risk of silicosis in workers is already known. Similar to processing natural stone, dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be created when workers cut, shape or polish engineered stone.
HSE has advised the Government that is not currently considering restricting the use of engineered stone as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations already require employers to put in place measures to protect the health of workers when using it. COSHH sets out the requirements for protecting workers from exposure to RCS, which include making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH regulations.
The range of control measures in place to protect workers from exposure to RCS include water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. The COSHH regulations also require workers to be trained and competent to use such controls.
HSE carries out targeted research on measures to protect workers, including methods to adequately measure RCS. HSE also works with industry to raise awareness of managing the risks of exposure to RCS and continues to inspect and investigate in industries where there is potential for exposure to RCS. It has delivered several national inspection campaigns and have worked proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations, for example, in the construction industry.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will have discussions with industry representatives on potential steps to detect respirable silica dust during the production of silica-containing products.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In Great Britain the responsibility for the regulation in the workplace for the production and use of engineered stone falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The link between engineered stone production and the risk of silicosis in workers is already known. Similar to processing natural stone, dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be created when workers cut, shape or polish engineered stone.
HSE has advised the Government that is not currently considering restricting the use of engineered stone as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations already require employers to put in place measures to protect the health of workers when using it. COSHH sets out the requirements for protecting workers from exposure to RCS, which include making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH regulations.
The range of control measures in place to protect workers from exposure to RCS include water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. The COSHH regulations also require workers to be trained and competent to use such controls.
HSE carries out targeted research on measures to protect workers, including methods to adequately measure RCS. HSE also works with industry to raise awareness of managing the risks of exposure to RCS and continues to inspect and investigate in industries where there is potential for exposure to RCS. It has delivered several national inspection campaigns and have worked proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations, for example, in the construction industry.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to help identify the silicosis risks associated with engineered stone working.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In Great Britain the responsibility for the regulation in the workplace for the production and use of engineered stone falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The link between engineered stone production and the risk of silicosis in workers is already known. Similar to processing natural stone, dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be created when workers cut, shape or polish engineered stone.
HSE has advised the Government that is not currently considering restricting the use of engineered stone as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations already require employers to put in place measures to protect the health of workers when using it. COSHH sets out the requirements for protecting workers from exposure to RCS, which include making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk created by that work to the health of employees and of the steps that need to be taken to meet the requirements of the COSHH regulations.
The range of control measures in place to protect workers from exposure to RCS include water suppression, equipment enclosure, extraction and personal protective equipment, such as respirator masks. The COSHH regulations also require workers to be trained and competent to use such controls.
HSE carries out targeted research on measures to protect workers, including methods to adequately measure RCS. HSE also works with industry to raise awareness of managing the risks of exposure to RCS and continues to inspect and investigate in industries where there is potential for exposure to RCS. It has delivered several national inspection campaigns and have worked proactively with key stakeholders and trade associations, for example, in the construction industry.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take legislative steps to include silicosis as a reportable condition under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In November 2023, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its annual report entitled “Silicosis and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis statistics in Great Britain, 2023”.
In October 2023 HSE published the second Post Implementation Review (PIR) of RIDDOR, with a view to expanding it to include areas where HSE regulatory intervention can add value. Of the five recommendations, work is already underway on the first two, regarding guidance and online reporting.
HSE will start the process of reviewing the remaining recommendations, including the inclusion of Pneumoconiosis (e.g., silicosis), within the next business year.