Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) suitability and (b) availability of remote working jobs for disabled benefit claimants.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In consulting on the Work Capability Assessment and setting out changes to the assessment from 2025, the department has considered the increase in the broad range of hybrid and home working opportunities over the last decade, alongside better employer understanding of the needs of disabled people and people with health conditions. Responses to the consultation, including from people with health conditions and disabilities and the organisations that support them, highlighted barriers in accessing employment and flexible jobs for disabled people. Our enhanced employment and support offer will help disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.
Analysis published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that having a disability has little effect on levels of home working. Disabled workers reported similar levels of homeworking only (18%) compared with those without a disability (16%).
Sources: Characteristics of homeworkers, Great Britain - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) and Is hybrid working here to stay? - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce delays affecting Access to Work applications and claims.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Access to Work has had a significant increase in applications over the last year. New staff have been recruited and we are also doing more recruitment in the next 3 months. This will support the increased demand and reduce the time it takes to make decisions. Customers making new applications, where they are starting work within the next 4 weeks, or have a grant coming to an end that requires renewal, are prioritised to ensure customers are able to enter and remain in the labour market. We are also transforming the Access to Work service through increased digitalisation. This will make the service more efficient, the application process easier and improve the time taken from application through to decision.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward the next review of the level of the benefit cap in the context of the rising cost of living.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Under section 96A of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, the Secretary of State must, at least once every five years review the benefit cap levels to determine, whether it is appropriate to change them, and this will happen at the appropriate time.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on when they plan to publish the stage two report on complaints about communication of changes to women’s State Pension age.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The publication of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) stage 2 report is a matter for the Ombudsman.
It would not be appropriate to comment whilst the investigation is ongoing; and section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Carers Allowance applications are awaiting a decision as of 26 May 2022; and what the average waiting time is for someone who has applied for Carers Allowance to receive a decision about their claim in the latest period for which that information is available.
Answered by Chloe Smith
As of 23 May 2022 (latest data available) there were 39,071 Carer’s Allowance claims awaiting a decision.
The current average clearance time for a Carer’s Allowance claim decision to be made is 37 working days.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been affected by the underpayment of benefits after transitioning from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance in (a) Filton and Bradley Stoke, (b) Kingswood, (c) North East Somerset, (d) North Somerset, (e) Thornbury and Yate, (f) Wells and (g) Weston-super-Mare constituency.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been affected by the underpayment of benefits after transitioning from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance in Bristol East constituency.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of universal credit benefit caps on people who are in receipt of statutory sick pay.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The benefit cap will not apply if total household earnings, which include Statutory Sick Pay, in each assessment period are at least £604 and households may be exempt for a period of nine-months if they have a sustained work history.
Claimants can approach their local authority for a Discretionary Housing Payment if they need additional support to meet rental costs.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of how many and what proportion of people need support accessing food; and what proportion of these people need support as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Will Quince
No such estimate has been made, but this government has been clear we will support people through this unprecedented time.
This Government is delivering free food boxes to many vulnerable people and have ensured supermarkets prioritise them for online delivery or click-and-collect slots. The Shielding Service has been set up to support people identified as ‘extremely vulnerable’ and this service has made over 564,234 food deliveries to date.
This Government has taken a number of steps to support people financially during the Covid 19 outbreak. The COVID-19 Bill offers assistance through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Self-employment Income Support Scheme and Statutory Sick Pay. The benefits system has also been made more generous. We have increased Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by £1,000 a year for the next 12 months, benefiting over 4 million of the most vulnerable households, and increased Local Housing Allowance rates, putting an average of £600 into people’s pockets this year.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of (a) bringing forward legislative proposals to protect breastfeeding mothers at work and (b) reducing the promotion of breast-milk substitutes in order to improve infant feeding in the UK.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In response to bringing forward legislative proposals to protect breastfeeding mothers at work, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not proposing to introduce legislative changes to protect breastfeeding mothers in the workplace. Breastfeeding mothers are already protected under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (the Workplace Regulations)
The Workplace Regulations require employers to provide suitable rest facilities for breastfeeding mothers. Employers are also recommended to provide a private, healthy and safe environment for nursing mothers to express and store milk. Comprehensive online guidance on how employers can meet their legal requirements can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/
Research commissioned and published in 2016 by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy found that almost all employers said they understood their legal responsibility to ensure a safe working environment for mothers returning from maternity leave. Often where difficulties arose in terms of health and safety, it was due to poor communication and a lack of ongoing discussion between managers and new and expectant mothers. HSE has published guidance which emphasises the importance of this to help address any issues or concerns. It can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg373.pdf
On reducing the promotion of breast-milk substitutes, there is strict legislation currently in place in the form of the EU Directive (2006/141/EC) which regulates the composition, labelling and marketing of infant formulae and follow-on formulae. The Directive reflects scientific advice on the essential composition of infant formulae and follow-on formulae and discussions at an international level in the Codex Alimentarius forum. This Directive is implemented in England by the Infant Formula and Follow on Formula (England) Regulations 2007 and similar legislation applies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Directive also gives effect to the principles and aims of the 1981 World Health Organisation (WHO) Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes by regulating labelling and restricting advertising and presentation of infant so as not to discourage breastfeeding.
The new Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 will apply from 22nd February 2020; as a member state, the UK Government was fully involved and committed to the introduction of the new regime within the EU. In the event of EU Exit prior to 22 February 2020, the intention is therefore to make UK-wide legislation to mirror the delegated legislation as closely as possible, and to progress with implementation of the provisions.