Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department issues guidance to benefit assessors on assessing (a) Crohn’s Disease, (b) Ulcerative Colitis and (c) other fluctuating conditions for Personal Independence Payments.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
All assessment providers (APs) are required to ensure that health professionals (HPs) carrying out Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments have a broad training in disability analysis, as well as awareness training in specific conditions ranging from common to rare.
At present, neither Independent Assessment Services nor Capita have a specific Condition Insight Report (CIR) relating to Crohn’s Disease. However, HPs have access to a range of resources as well as experienced clinicians to support them in assessing individuals with conditions that they may not be familiar with. Additionally, assessment providers engage with medical experts, charities, and relevant stakeholders, to strengthen their training programmes and Capita recently developed a CIR for HPs on Ulcerative Colitis in collaboration with Crohn’s and Colitis UK.
It is stressed in the HP training that, although a claimant may sometimes be able to perform a task, they may not be able to do so safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, or in a reasonable time-period due to pain, fatigue, etc. HPs are expected to be mindful of the fact that many conditions fluctuate, producing symptoms that vary in intensity from mild to severe, and are instructed not to base their opinion solely on the situation as observed at the assessment. This is further explained in the PIP Assessment Guide for APs available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessments his Department has made regarding the adequacy of the managing toilet needs or incontinence descriptor for Personal Independence Payment claims.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was established in collaboration with a wide range of experts and stakeholders, and following a comprehensive public consultation between 2010-2012, including on the activities and descriptors.
We believe the resulting descriptors relating to the managing toilet needs or incontinence activity is the best way of identifying people whose daily living is most affected by this.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of Universal Credit and subject to deductions who were (a) assessed and (b) not assessed to have (i) limited capability for work and (ii) limited capability for work and work-related activity had (A) up to five per cent, (B) between six and 10 per cent, (C) between 11 and 15 per cent, (D) between 16 and 20 per cent, (E) between 21 and 25 per cent and (F) more than 25 per cent of the Standard Allowance deducted in the most recent month for which data is available; and what the average deduction was for each category.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The requested information is provided in the attached spreadsheet. Table 1 provides the number of Universal Credit households broken down by the level of deduction and Table 2 provides the average deduction amount for each of the Universal Credit household types requested that have at least one deduction.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of Universal Credit and subject to deductions with (a) no one and (b) at least one person in work had (i) up to five per cent, (ii) between six and 10 per cent, (iii) between 11 and 15 per cent, (iv) between 16 and 20 per cent, (v) between 21 and 25 per cent and (vi) more than 25 per cent of the Standard Allowance deducted in the most recent month for which data are available; and what the average deduction was for each category.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The requested information is provided in the attached spreadsheet. Table 1 provides the number of Universal Credit households broken down by the level of deduction and Table 2 provides the average deduction amount for each of the Universal Credit household types requested that have at least one deduction.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of Universal Credit and subject to deductions (a) with and (b) without children had (i) up to five per cent, (ii) between six and 10 per cent, (iii) between 11 and 15 per cent, (iv) between 16 and 20 per cent, (v) between 21 and 25 per cent and (vi) more than 25 per cent of the Standard Allowance deducted in the most recent month for which data are available; and what the average deduction was for each category.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The requested information is provided in the attached spreadsheet. Table 1 provides the number of Universal Credit households broken down by the level of deduction and Table 2 provides the average deduction amount for each of the Universal Credit household types requested that have at least one deduction.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of Universal Credit and subject to deductions of their Standard Allowance who were (a) assessed and (b) not assessed to have (i) limited capability for work and (ii) limited capability for work and work-related activity had (A) up to five per cent, (B) between six and 10 per cent, (C) between 11 and 15 per cent, (D) between 16 and 20 per cent, (E) between 21 and 25 per cent and (F) more than 25 per cent of their Standard Allowance deducted in the most recent month for which data is available.
Answered by David Rutley
The information requested for Universal Credit households with limited capability for work and work-related activity with deductions is provided in the attached spreadsheet.
Deductions are made for a number of reasons including to help claimants pay back rent arrears or debt to energy companies so they are not evicted and can heat their homes, as well as to pay court fines.