Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact that the closure of Phoenix House on those seeking to claim (a) Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, (b) Pneumoconiosis compensation, and (c) the Mesothelioma Scheme due to asbestos-related illnesses.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
Plans to close Phoenix House were announced in 2017. Capability is being built in both Bradford and Barnsley to ensure the Department can continue to process claims for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit when Barrow closes, to the same high quality. This includes those customers who claim with asbestos related diseases, or under schemes such as the “Workers’ Compensation Scheme, Pneumoconiosis (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 and the 2008 Mesothelioma Scheme.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a one-off payment to all those eligible for Cold Weather Payments for individuals struggling to pay their energy bills.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Cold Weather Payment scheme helps vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits to meet the additional costs of heating for every week of severe cold weather, between 1 November and 31 March each year. A payment of £25 is made when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0 degrees C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible person’s postcode. It is paid automatically within 14 working days of a trigger to ensure claimants receive payments at the time of need. £98.8 million was paid out in Cold Weather Payments between 1 November 2020 and 31 March 2021.
There are currently no plans to change the Cold Weather Payment scheme.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to ensure maximum take up of pension credit to assist those struggling to afford energy bills.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit and encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June and working with stakeholders such as the BBC and Age UK.
We have also set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up.
Over the coming weeks, all pensioners in Great Britain, over 11 million people, will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent and a free over-75 TV licence.
Our initial internal management information suggests new claims for Pension Credit in the past twelve months to December 2021 were around 136,000, representing an increase of around 30% compared to the 12 months to December 2019 when they were around 105,000. It also suggests that we have been receiving consistently high volumes of claims over recent months, at around 3,300 per week.
This management information has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but are provided here in the interests of transparency.
The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February. These will cover the financial year 2019/20.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the start date for GMP equalisation is 17 May 1990; and what comparative assessment she has made of the potential merits of that start date being (a) 17 May 1990 and (b) the 1986 date of the UK’s ratification of The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The date relates to the court case that determines this matter. On 17 May 1990, the European Court of Justice ruled in the Barber Judgment https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A61988CJ0262 that private occupational pensions constituted ‘deferred pay’ and were therefore subject to Article 119 of the EEC Treaty (now in Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU). This means that these pensions are subject to the provisions of Article 157 on equal treatment between men and women. While the Barber Judgment was not specifically about Guaranteed Minimum Pensions, it meant that the impact of the different Guaranteed Minimum Pension rules for men and women have to be corrected.
The Court restricted the application of the Barber judgment so that it would not have effect prior to 17 May 1990, except in very limited circumstances concerning litigation existing at that time.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2021 to Question 76056 on Coronavirus: Government Assistance, for what reason that Answer did not provide details of the specific assistance the Government is providing to people who have been dismissed from their employment as a result of voluntary shielding during the covid-19 outbreak to protect a household member with underlying health conditions; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Government does not collate data on whether someone who is seeking support has been dismissed from their employment as a result of voluntary shielding during the covid-19 outbreak to protect a household member with underlying health conditions. DWP supports people who are in a range of challenging circumstances, and there is a broad spectrum of support, financial and practical, that could be available to such a person, subject to their individual circumstances and the eligibility rules applicable to that support.
For this reason, it is not possible to provide details of the specific assistance the Government is providing to people in the circumstances described in Question 76056.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure elderly residents are able to keep warm during winter 2021-22; and what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Household Support Fund.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Government has committed to keeping the winter fuel payment. This winter we will pay households with individuals who reached state pension age on or before 26 September and are below age 80, £200; and households with someone aged 80 and over, £300. Cold Weather Payments of £25 are also paid to vulnerable customers on qualifying benefits, including older people on Pension Credit, for every week of severe cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.
Vulnerable households across the country will also be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. Local Authorities in England have discretion to design their own bespoke local schemes, within the overall parameters of the Household Support Fund, with help primarily focused on food and utility bills. Up to 50% of the fund is available for councils to use on households without children, including those of state pension age. Local Authorities will use their resources to identify vulnerable households who are in most need in their area and can apply their own discretion to eligibility and the size of the award.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is responsible for the Warm Home Discount and customers in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit can receive a £140 rebate providing their energy supplier is part of the scheme.
The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government provides (a) financial and (b) other support to people who have been dismissed from their employment as a result of voluntary shielding during the covid-19 outbreak to protect a household member with underlying health conditions.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold the information requested.
There is a range of support, both financial and practical, available for people who are out of work, looking for work, including those who have been affected by the pandemic. This support is tailored to individuals’ circumstances, and can include includes benefits like Universal Credit, Job Seekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance, employment schemes like The Work and Heath Programme and a range of support as part of the Plan for Jobs, and free debt advice in England through the Money and Pension Service.