Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to improve health and disability assessments.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government is committed to assessing people with health conditions and disabilities fairly and accurately, which is why we keep our processes under review. Over the course of seven Independent Reviews of our disability assessments, over 100 recommendations have been made, with the vast majority accepted. To this end, we have made significant improvements to both the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment since their introduction.
We are also expanding the range of assessment channels, including the introduction of telephone assessments in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and are currently evaluating the different channels to inform the future strategy.
In terms of future reform, the Health Transformation Programme will deliver a new integrated Health Assessment Service covering all health and disability benefits, providing a simpler, more efficient and joined-up experience for claimants.
We know there is more we can do to improve the current system. That is why the Department will be bringing forward a Green Paper in 2021 on how to improve our services for disabled people and people with health conditions. The Green Paper will explore assessment reform options and seek views on future changes.
The Green Paper will be strongly influenced by the views of disabled people and representatives from disability organisations, drawing on the significant engagement we have conducted, and plan to continue in the future.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there is an upper limit on the number of placements that can be created through the Kickstart Scheme; and if she will publish data on the number of employers signed up to that scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Kickstart Scheme is a £2 Billion programme, planning to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs for young people aged 16-24 at risk of long term unemployment, there is no upper limit on the number of placements. I confirm that the house will be updated on statistics from the Kickstart scheme.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking with employers to help ensure as many young people as possible benefit from the Kickstart scheme in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
We are pleased to confirm that the department is now processing many applications from across the UK, this is currently a clerical process, so reliable management information, particularly on geographical areas, is not yet available.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department is providing to help disabled people in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Kidsgrove find and stay in work during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Government has put in place a range of provision to help disabled people find and stay in work across the country. We are already helping disabled people stay in work and enter work through a range of programmes, including Access to Work, Disability Confident, the Work and Health Programme and the Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme. During the Covid-19 outbreak, we have provided this support remotely and made the Work and Health Programme and Intensive Personalised Employment Support programmes easier to access by allowing self-referrals as well as referrals through work coaches.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to support people facing financial disruption in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Will Quince
To support those on low incomes through the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government have introduced a package of temporary welfare measures. Taken together, these measures provide over £6.5bn of additional support through the welfare system and include: increasing Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by up to £1,040 this financial year, benefiting over 4 million households; and increasing Local Housing Allowance rates, putting an average of £600 into people’s pockets this year.
We have made changes so that Statutory Sick Pay and Employment and Support Allowance are payable to people who are self-isolating, including those who are shielding, and who satisfy the conditions of entitlement. We have removed the waiting days so these are paid from day one. Households may also be eligible for Universal Credit.
The Government has also announced a new £500 million Hardship Fund as part of the package of measures to support those affected by coronavirus so that local authorities can support economically vulnerable people and households.
An additional £63 million of funding was confirmed by the Government on 11 June 2020, to be distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford essentials due to COVID-19.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress her Department has made on the production of a Green Paper on disability.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Department will be bringing forward a Green Paper on health and disability support, focusing on how the welfare system can better meet the needs of claimants with disabilities and health conditions. The Green Paper will be strongly influenced by the views of disabled people and representatives from disability organisations, drawing on the significant engagement we have conducted and which will continue, albeit through different channels, over the summer.
Given the necessary focus on the departmental response to COVID-19, we are working to a longer timescale than previously anticipated but we remain committed to publishing in the coming months.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support debt advice providers in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Kidsgrove to ensure the maintenance of support for people in financial difficulty as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Will Quince
DWP staff in Stoke and Trent and Staffordshire have continued to maintain strong working relationships with debt advice providers in the area, including Citizens Advice. This includes regular communication between Citizens Advice officers, local Partnership Managers and Jobcentre staff to resolve concerns in a timely manner.
Local DWP staff are actively signposting claimants to the most appropriate source of debt advice support and we are working closely with local organisations including Potteries Money Wise and Saltbox, who offer free advice to the local community, to ensure people are still able to access the help they need during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to ensure an effective transition from universal credit to receipt of the state pension.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government announced in March that anyone reaching State Pension Age while claiming Universal Credit is eligible for a run-on until the end of the assessment period in which they reach State Pension Age.
This removes any potential gap in provision with these pensioners receiving, on average, an additional £350.
Regulations were laid on 29 June to put this measure on a statutory footing.