Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's target time-frame is for its decision letters to reach claimants from the date on such correspondence.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Our correspondence, including decision letters, is issued via 2nd class post in keeping with our responsibility to efficiently use public funds; so we expect it to arrive within three working days, including Saturdays.
There are no plans to change the start date of the period to apply for a Mandatory Reconsideration or make an appeal. The extension of that period can include the consideration of any postal delay.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 extending the time-frame for mandatory reconsideration and appeal submissions to run from the expected date of receipt of the decision letter by the claimant.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Our correspondence, including decision letters, is issued via 2nd class post in keeping with our responsibility to efficiently use public funds; so we expect it to arrive within three working days, including Saturdays.
There are no plans to change the start date of the period to apply for a Mandatory Reconsideration or make an appeal. The extension of that period can include the consideration of any postal delay.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent changes her Department has made to the the calculation of personal independence entitlement.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The calculation of the rates of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is subject to the Secretary of State’s duty to determine annually whether they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices. The most recent review was concluded in 2017 in advance of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2018 (SI 2018/281) being approved by both Houses earlier this year. The Order came in to force on 9 April 2018 in relation to the up-rating of PIP. The rates of PIP for 2018/19 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/pip/what-youll-get.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent changes her Department has made to the calculation of benefits entitlement that are consequential to personal independence payment entitlement.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Department takes our responsibility for the prevention of error very seriously. We understand that the need to make sure payments are correct as incorrect payments will have implications for benefit claimants.
We ensure the accuracy and quality of payments through internal assurance processes. This enables the Department to identify and correct error and to focus on those points in the customer journey where there is a risk of error occurring.
When a benefit is reviewed the consequential impacts on other benefits are also reviewed.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has undertaken a recent review of the calculation of personal independence payment entitlement.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The calculation of the rates of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is subject to the Secretary of State’s duty to determine annually whether they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices. The most recent review was concluded in 2017 in advance of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2018 (SI 2018/281) being approved by both Houses earlier this year. The Order came in to force on 9 April 2018 in relation to the up-rating of PIP. The rates of PIP for 2018/19 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/pip/what-youll-get.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has undertaken a review of the calculation of benefits entitlement consequential on personal independence payment entitlement.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Department takes our responsibility for the prevention of error very seriously. We understand that the need to make sure payments are correct as incorrect payments will have implications for benefit claimants.
We ensure the accuracy and quality of payments through internal assurance processes. This enables the Department to identify and correct error and to focus on those points in the customer journey where there is a risk of error occurring.
When a benefit is reviewed the consequential impacts on other benefits are also reviewed.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pension, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Glasgow North of 13 December 2017 on his constituent's employment and support allowance application and concerns about a lack of consideration given to mental health and autistic spectrum medical conditions.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Despite an extensive search, we have been unable to locate the letter. I will of course respond to any future correspondence we receive.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints relating to changes to the state pension age for women born in the 1950s the Independent Case Examiner's Office has (a) received and (b) reviewed in each year since 2010.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Details of the number of complaints (a) received and (b) reviewed by the Independent Case Examiner’s Office relating to changes in state pension age for women born in the 1950s in each reporting year since 2010 is detailed in the table below.
Reporting Year (April to March) | Received | Accepted for examination | Reviewed |
2010/11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2011/12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2012/13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2013/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2014/15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015/16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2016/17 | 246 | 198 | 0 |
2017/18 (April 2017 to January 2018) | 2,112 | 1,577 | 24 |
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases the Independent Case Examiner has reviewed in each year since 2010.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Details of the number of cases the Independent Case Examiner’s Office has reviewed (examined and cleared) in each reporting year since 2010 is detailed in the table below:
Year (April to March) | Cases reviewed (examined and cleared) |
2010/11 | 1390 |
2011/12 | 1338 |
2012/13 | 1297 |
2013/14 | 1192 |
2014/15 | 1145 |
2015/16 | 763 |
2016/17 | 873 |
2017/18 (April 2017 to January 2018) | 757 |
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether resources for the Independent Case Examiner have been ringfenced or increased to deal with cases regarding the state pension age for women born in the 1950s.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Independent Case Examiner Office has received no additional resource to deal with cases regarding the state pension age for women born in the 1950s, but a team of Investigation Case Managers was set up at the beginning of October 2017 to investigate this group of complaints.