Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that all claimants suffering from any progressive and incurable condition will be exempt from employment and support allowance medical re-assessment.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
As announced on 1 October, we will stop requiring people with the most severe, lifetime conditions to be repeatedly assessed for their out-of-work benefits.
Over the coming months we will work with our health assessment provider, medical professionals and other stakeholders to develop a set of criteria to switch off re-assessments for people with the most severe health conditions or disabilities.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time a person waited after applying to a hardship fund to receive funding was in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Edinburgh in the last 12 months.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
The information is not available at the level requested and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.
The Department has, however, published information on the number of hardship applications and awards for Jobseekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance which can be accessed via the link below.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people subject to benefit sanctions applied to a hardship fund in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Edinburgh in 2015.
Answered by Priti Patel - Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
The information is not available at the level requested and could only be provided at disproportionate costs.
The Department has, however, published information on the number of hardship applications and awards for Jobseekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance which can be accessed via the link below.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of claimants of carer's allowance in Scotland who stopped receiving that allowance due to earning more than £110 per week in the last 12 months.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The information requested is not available.
A carer can earn up to £110 a week after National Insurance, tax and other allowable expenses are deducted and still be able to receive Carer’s Allowance. The earnings limit was increased by 8% in April 2015 and 4,000 people will benefit from this increase this year. We have no plans to move to a taper system.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Scotland caring for someone who are not eligible for carer's allowance.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
A number of conditions have to be satisfied to receive Carer’s Allowance. These can only be tested when an actual claim is made. As such there is no basis on which such an estimate could be made.