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Written Question
Work Capability Assessment
Monday 9th June 2014

Asked by: Michael Meacher (Labour - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants died in each month of the last three years (a) after attending a work capability assessment and (b) having been assessed as fit for work and then appealed, but died before that appeal was heard.

Answered by Mike Penning

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Written Question

Question Link

Wednesday 7th May 2014

Asked by: Michael Meacher (Labour - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants were sanctioned in each month since August 2013; and how many such claimants continued to sign on during the period for which they were sanctioned.

Answered by Esther McVey

We have interpreted the question to be for the number of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) claimants who were sanctioned and this information is published and can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance for users is available at:

https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

The information requested on how many JSA claimants continued to sign on during the period for which they were sanctioned is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 03 Apr 2014
Sanctioning of Benefit Recipients

"I beg to move,

That this House notes that there have been many cases of sanctions being wrongfully applied to benefit recipients; and call on the Government to review the targeting, severity and impact of such sanctions.

I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for granting me this debate. …..."
Michael Meacher - View Speech

View all Michael Meacher (Lab - Oldham West and Royton) contributions to the debate on: Sanctioning of Benefit Recipients
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 03 Apr 2014
Sanctioning of Benefit Recipients

"I will give way to the hon. Gentleman because I respect his concern about these matters, but I will not give way again because we are short of time, with the Government having put on two statements before this debate...."
Michael Meacher - View Speech

View all Michael Meacher (Lab - Oldham West and Royton) contributions to the debate on: Sanctioning of Benefit Recipients
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 03 Apr 2014
Sanctioning of Benefit Recipients

"I very much agree with that. Jobcentres Plus have the right to “reconsider”, which is a euphemistic term, and they sometimes do, but I agree that appeals often take three or more months, and are extremely bureaucratic, long-winded and difficult. Far more effort should be put in before the decision …..."
Michael Meacher - View Speech

View all Michael Meacher (Lab - Oldham West and Royton) contributions to the debate on: Sanctioning of Benefit Recipients
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 03 Apr 2014
Sanctioning of Benefit Recipients

"The Minister talks, in his very earnest way, about the claimant commitment. He does not seem to realise that there is a complete disconnect between how the system is supposed to work and how it is actually working on the ground. We are not talking about a few isolated or …..."
Michael Meacher - View Speech

View all Michael Meacher (Lab - Oldham West and Royton) contributions to the debate on: Sanctioning of Benefit Recipients
Written Question

Question Link

Monday 31st March 2014

Asked by: Michael Meacher (Labour - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants have been sanctioned for (a) four weeks, (b) three months and (c) three years (i) nationally and (ii) in Oldham in the last year.

Answered by Esther McVey

The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 25 Mar 2014
amendment of the law

"Listening to the Chancellor and then turning to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s analysis of the Budget is like being seduced by “Fifty Shades of Grey” only to be brought down to earth by a harsh and unrelenting textbook on morality and sexual ethics. Leaving aside all the election giveaways, …..."
Michael Meacher - View Speech

View all Michael Meacher (Lab - Oldham West and Royton) contributions to the debate on: amendment of the law
Written Question

Question Link

Monday 17th March 2014

Asked by: Michael Meacher (Labour - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants have been sanctioned for (a) four weeks, (b) three months and (c) three years in each month since January 2010.

Answered by Esther McVey

The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 13 Jan 2014
Welfare Reforms and Poverty

"I beg to move,

That this House believes that a commission of inquiry should be established to investigate the impact of the Government’s welfare reforms on the incidence of poverty.

I am very grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for giving the House the opportunity to debate this issue, which …..."
Michael Meacher - View Speech

View all Michael Meacher (Lab - Oldham West and Royton) contributions to the debate on: Welfare Reforms and Poverty