Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has a single individual who is responsible for leading on her Department's application of the Family Test.
Answered by Will Quince
As the lead department for the Family Test, DWP is currently leading on work to strengthen implementation of the Family Test across government. As part of this work, we set up the Family Test Network, which was designed to bring departments together to share best practice and work collaboratively to strengthen implementation of the Family Test.
Each department has a Family Test lead who is part of our Family Test Network. This Network is the central forum through which we have sought input and comments on the support departments need to help with Family Test implementation. This includes Network members feeding into improvements to the existing guidance for officials in all departments on Family Test implementation.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the merits of combining the assessment of medical records for Personal Independence Payments and Employment and Support Allowance claimants.
Answered by Sarah Newton
In Improving Lives The Future of Work, Health and Disability, the Government set out its vision for all claimants to experience a streamlined assessment process for both Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance, enabled by secure, timely sharing of relevant data between benefits systems. We are exploring options for data-sharing between these benefits, informed by relevant consultation responses received through the Improving Lives consultation responses.