Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many performance measurement review officers his Department has employed.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
The Department’s Performance Measurement team totals 230 staff in post. There are 91 visiting staff in post undertaking face to face reviews.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with MS have been awarded (a) personal independence payment and (b) the enhanced mobility award of personal independence payment to date.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
Information on the number of claimants in receipt of personal independence payment, by a range of detailed breakdowns, has been published and can be found at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm.
Breakdowns by main disabling condition are currently available against 21 high level descriptors. From 17 December more detailed breakdowns of main disabling condition, including multiple sclerosis, will be available.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to protect sensitive information from being shared by performance measurement review officers when visiting a claimant who lives in shared accommodation.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
Performance Measurement staff, like all DWP staff, follow the processes and policies the Department has in place to safeguard claimant’s information. This includes undertaking the Responsible for Information Security learning. They understand the Handling Official Information and follow the guidance on this and Remote Working Securely. Their line managers also carry out validation checks to ensure that they are compliant with the necessary processes. In all cases when visiting a claimant to undertake a review they request evidence verification to ensure they are speaking to the right person before proceeding with the review interview.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what response he has given to the recommendation of the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament that (a) those living with long-term progressive conditions should not be subject to reassessments and (b) changes should be made to the work capability assessment criteria to better recognise the impact of hidden symptoms and fluctuating conditions including multiple sclerosis.
Answered by Mike Penning
As Minister of State with the responsibility for this policy area I responded to the letter dated 21 March 2014 from the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament on 26 April. In this letter I:
a) responded by explaining the importance of claimants having contact with the Department; the need to move away from the old style Incapacity Benefit; and that Employment and Support Allowance claimants, including those claimants with progressive illnesses, will be placed in the Support Group if they meet the criteria.
b) responded that through the Evidence Based Review of the Work Capability Assessment the current descriptors were tested against an alternative assessment and what the findings indicated
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what response he has given to the letter to him of 21 March 2014 from the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament on the recommendations of its review of work capability assessments.
Answered by Mike Penning
As Minister of State with responsibility for this policy area I responded to the letter from the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament on 26 April 2014 thanking them for their recommendations and drawing out the links between those and the recommendations made by Doctor Litchfield in the fourth Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment published in December 2013.
Asked by: Russell Brown (Labour - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is available on autism for jobcentre plus advisers.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
All Jobcentre Plus advisers have access to a comprehensive learning programme which includes a specific focus on taking consideration of individuals' personal circumstances. This training ensures staff are aware that disabilities and health conditions including autism can affect individuals in different ways.
Specialist help can be provided by Disability Employment Advisers who have extensive additional courses appropriate to this specialist area. This training has been designed with input from Specialist DWP Work Psychologists to enable these advisers to support people with particular complex needs. This training includes case studies relating to autism.