Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce mandatory epilepsy training for (a) employers and (b) employees.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Employers have a key role to play in supporting workers with long-term health conditions or disabilities in the workplace and it is for employers to assess the training requirements for their workforce. However, the Department of Health and Social Care has no plans to introduce mandatory epilepsy training.

The Department for Work and Pensions’ current offer to employers includes a digital information service which provides tailored guidance to businesses to support employees, including epileptic employees, to remain in work.

The service was developed with user-centred design principles. It offers a simple, interactive, and highly usable resource which helps employers to feel more confident having conversations with their employees about health and disability as well as understanding and fulfilling their legal obligations.

This digital service provides tailored guidance on supporting employees in common workplace scenarios involving health and disability. This enables small businesses to self-serve, by guiding them through key processes. Employers are also able to access links to related government products and services as well as links to sources of external expert support including Epilepsy Action and Epilepsy Society.

The digital information service is available at the following link:

https://www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/support-with-employee-health-and-disability

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make an assessment of the fairness of income‑banded Council Tax Reduction schemes where a small increase in Universal Credit entitlement results in a large reduction in Council Tax support.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Support for working age households, including the treatment of benefits, is designed by councils in consultation with their residents, taking into account the needs and circumstances of their local communities. Each year, councils must consider whether to revise or replace their scheme. This review may include the provision for those migrating between benefits. For pension age households, councils administer a centrally prescribed Council Tax Reduction scheme, which is reviewed annually. The government currently has no plans to assess these schemes, however it encourages those who are struggling to pay their council tax bill to discuss their circumstances with their council.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in Council Tax Reduction entitlement following migration to Universal Credit on low‑income households, particularly where the Limited Capability for Work or Work‑Related Activity element results in claimants being placed in a higher income band.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local council tax support for working age households, including the treatment of benefits, is designed by councils in consultation with their residents, taking into account the needs and circumstances of their local communities. Each year, councils must consider whether to revise or replace their scheme. The government has not undertaken an assessment, including any discussions with local authorities, of the potential impact of Universal Credit migration on individual claimants.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with local authorities on the treatment of the Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work‑Related Activity elements of Universal Credit as income for the purposes of Council Tax Reduction calculations.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local council tax support for working age households, including the treatment of benefits, is designed by councils in consultation with their residents, taking into account the needs and circumstances of their local communities. Each year, councils must consider whether to revise or replace their scheme. The government has not undertaken an assessment, including any discussions with local authorities, of the potential impact of Universal Credit migration on individual claimants.