Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is provided to GPs and other healthcare professions on completing the ESA 50 form; and what steps his Department is taking to monitor and update that training.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
The ESA 50 is completed by claimants with help from a friend, relative, carer or representative such as a support worker if needed.
Therefore no training is required or provided to GPs and other healthcare professions on completing it.
Guidance and information for GPs and other healthcare professionals from the DWP can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/healthcare-practitioners-guidance-and-information-from-dwp
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the ability of claimants in North Staffordshire to access universal credit online.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
To date, over 90% of Universal Credit claimants have made their claim online. Other methods will continue to be available – telephone or in person at the Jobcentre – to support claimants who require alternative arrangements to make a successful claim. All Jobcentres across the country have gone digital with computers and free Wi-Fi available for claimants to access the internet.
All new Universal Credit claimants will receive an information pack and advice from their work coach to help them understand universal credit processes and payments, and the support available locally.
Beginning next month Universal Credit will begin to expand across Great Britain in a tranche based approach, mirroring the successful implementation methods that we used to safely and securely roll it out in the north west of England. For more details please see the link below.
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-national-expansion )
DWP Implementation Officers from Stoke/West Midlands recently met with their local authority counterparts to discuss Universal Credit roll-out in 2015/16 and the need to ensure that through local partnership working, support would be available for those single Job seekers who may need support to make and manage their claim. This discussion is in advance of the more detailed discussions around the detail in the Delivery Partnership Agreements.
Through local partnership working between DWP and local authorities, we are brokering funded Delivery Partnership Agreements to make available more support for those claimants who will need extra help to make and manage their Universal Credit claim on-line and their Universal Credit payment. This will help strengthen local partnership working between DWP, local authorities and their partners as we establish Personal Budgeting Support in all local communities through the expansion of universal credit from February 2015.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timetable is for inclusion of each of the wards in North Staffordshire in the next tranche of conversion to universal credit.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
To date, over 90% of Universal Credit claimants have made their claim online. Other methods will continue to be available – telephone or in person at the Jobcentre – to support claimants who require alternative arrangements to make a successful claim. All Jobcentres across the country have gone digital with computers and free Wi-Fi available for claimants to access the internet.
All new Universal Credit claimants will receive an information pack and advice from their work coach to help them understand universal credit processes and payments, and the support available locally.
Beginning next month Universal Credit will begin to expand across Great Britain in a tranche based approach, mirroring the successful implementation methods that we used to safely and securely roll it out in the north west of England. For more details please see the link below.
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-national-expansion )
DWP Implementation Officers from Stoke/West Midlands recently met with their local authority counterparts to discuss Universal Credit roll-out in 2015/16 and the need to ensure that through local partnership working, support would be available for those single Job seekers who may need support to make and manage their claim. This discussion is in advance of the more detailed discussions around the detail in the Delivery Partnership Agreements.
Through local partnership working between DWP and local authorities, we are brokering funded Delivery Partnership Agreements to make available more support for those claimants who will need extra help to make and manage their Universal Credit claim on-line and their Universal Credit payment. This will help strengthen local partnership working between DWP, local authorities and their partners as we establish Personal Budgeting Support in all local communities through the expansion of universal credit from February 2015.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what budget he has allocated for promoting awareness of universal credit among claimants in North Staffordshire who will be required to make online applications.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
To date, over 90% of Universal Credit claimants have made their claim online. Other methods will continue to be available – telephone or in person at the Jobcentre – to support claimants who require alternative arrangements to make a successful claim. All Jobcentres across the country have gone digital with computers and free Wi-Fi available for claimants to access the internet.
All new Universal Credit claimants will receive an information pack and advice from their work coach to help them understand universal credit processes and payments, and the support available locally.
Beginning next month Universal Credit will begin to expand across Great Britain in a tranche based approach, mirroring the successful implementation methods that we used to safely and securely roll it out in the north west of England. For more details please see the link below.
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-national-expansion )
DWP Implementation Officers from Stoke/West Midlands recently met with their local authority counterparts to discuss Universal Credit roll-out in 2015/16 and the need to ensure that through local partnership working, support would be available for those single Job seekers who may need support to make and manage their claim. This discussion is in advance of the more detailed discussions around the detail in the Delivery Partnership Agreements.
Through local partnership working between DWP and local authorities, we are brokering funded Delivery Partnership Agreements to make available more support for those claimants who will need extra help to make and manage their Universal Credit claim on-line and their Universal Credit payment. This will help strengthen local partnership working between DWP, local authorities and their partners as we establish Personal Budgeting Support in all local communities through the expansion of universal credit from February 2015.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to support people in North Staffordshire making claims for universal benefit under the new procedures.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
To date, over 90% of Universal Credit claimants have made their claim online. Other methods will continue to be available – telephone or in person at the Jobcentre – to support claimants who require alternative arrangements to make a successful claim. All Jobcentres across the country have gone digital with computers and free Wi-Fi available for claimants to access the internet.
All new Universal Credit claimants will receive an information pack and advice from their work coach to help them understand universal credit processes and payments, and the support available locally.
Beginning next month Universal Credit will begin to expand across Great Britain in a tranche based approach, mirroring the successful implementation methods that we used to safely and securely roll it out in the north west of England. For more details please see the link below.
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-national-expansion )
DWP Implementation Officers from Stoke/West Midlands recently met with their local authority counterparts to discuss Universal Credit roll-out in 2015/16 and the need to ensure that through local partnership working, support would be available for those single Job seekers who may need support to make and manage their claim. This discussion is in advance of the more detailed discussions around the detail in the Delivery Partnership Agreements.
Through local partnership working between DWP and local authorities, we are brokering funded Delivery Partnership Agreements to make available more support for those claimants who will need extra help to make and manage their Universal Credit claim on-line and their Universal Credit payment. This will help strengthen local partnership working between DWP, local authorities and their partners as we establish Personal Budgeting Support in all local communities through the expansion of universal credit from February 2015.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people subject to the under-occupancy penalty who have moved into a smaller home since the introduction of that penalty.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The last published figures for May 2014 showed that, as a result of various actions, the number of people affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy had fallen by 65,000 over the last year.
Analysis of off-flows indicated that up to December 2013, around 22,000 people had downsized or moved.
New figures are not yet available and will be published in due course.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what payments were made in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14 in compensation for delays to claimants arising from the Atos assessment process (a) nationwide and (b) in the Stoke-on-Trent area; what steps he is taking to ensure that no further such delays are incurred; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
My response relates to Work Capability Assessments.
The reasons for making special payments are not routinely recorded and to provide the requested information would incur disproportionate cost.
We are continuing to work closely with Atos under the current contract and process claims as quickly as possible. DWP’s aim is to continually improve the Work Capability Assessment process and help bring down waiting times for claimants.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 113W, on unemployment benefits, what differentiation is made between paid part-time work and registered and declared voluntary work when assessing eligibility for out of work benefits.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
For most benefits, any earnings received are deducted from entitlement, subject to a disregard. This disregard may vary depending on the claimant’s circumstances, the type of occupation and the benefit in payment. Claimants are usually excluded from benefit if they work more than 16 hours per week.
Voluntary work is defined for social security purposes as work for which the claimant receives no payment other than in respect of expenses reasonably incurred by the volunteer. It must be reasonable for the claimant to be providing services without pay. Voluntary work does not affect entitlement to benefit and any expenses paid are disregarded.
Whether working part-time or doing voluntary work, the claimant must continue to meet other relevant benefit conditions. For example, in order to be entitled to Jobseeker’s Allowance they must be available for and actively seeking full-time work.
Asked by: Joan Walley (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons his Department does not distinguish between those in paid and those in unpaid work when assessing their eligibility for out-of-work benefits; if he will revise his Department's policy in this area; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
There are a number of working age benefits and each has slightly different rules. Working age benefits are usually affected by earnings and, depending which benefit is in payment, the amount payable may be affected. If work is unpaid because it is voluntary work, this would, in most cases, not affect the benefit award. If work is unpaid and it is not reasonable for it to be unpaid, the income related benefit rules allow an amount of notional earnings to be assumed.