Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussion he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) other stakeholders on the proof of illness required from universal credit claimants; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
We are committed to ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care and receive the support they need to make a claim to Universal Credit. This can include a home visit to support a claimant with making their initial claim and completing any other administrative tasks required to ensure that they receive the correct payment. As we continue to deliver the full Universal Credit service, with its expanded claimant base, we are continuing to review and further develop the customer journey for claimants with complex needs, including how we support terminally ill claimants to engage in the process.
We are aware of concerns raised about the process of notifying DWP about a claimant’s terminal illness. However, we do not need to change the consent rules in Universal Credit to support these claimants. We can already accept information directly from claimant representatives, such as claimant appointees and third party organisations representing the claimant as well as details supplied to DWP Universal Credit partnership managers or external engagement officials. However, we are also aware that there are instances where this is not happening as intended in some limited circumstances and we are working to confirm that the guidance and processes are in place to ensure that it does.
The Department and the Universal Credit Programme have regular meetings with key stakeholders, including MacMillan, Maggie’s Centres and Mind, to understand how our policies are working and discuss potential areas for improvement. The design of Universal Credit for terminally ill claimants is based on the well tested processes that have been in place in Employment and Support Allowance as have the proof of illness requirements. We continue to keep these under review to ensure that they work as effectively as possible.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) other stakeholders on the steps terminally ill claimants take to claim universal credit; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
We are committed to ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care and receive the support they need to make a claim to Universal Credit. This can include a home visit to support a claimant with making their initial claim and completing any other administrative tasks required to ensure that they receive the correct payment. As we continue to deliver the full Universal Credit service, with its expanded claimant base, we are continuing to review and further develop the customer journey for claimants with complex needs, including how we support terminally ill claimants to engage in the process.
We are aware of concerns raised about the process of notifying DWP about a claimant’s terminal illness. However, we do not need to change the consent rules in Universal Credit to support these claimants. We can already accept information directly from claimant representatives, such as claimant appointees and third party organisations representing the claimant as well as details supplied to DWP Universal Credit partnership managers or external engagement officials. However, we are also aware that there are instances where this is not happening as intended in some limited circumstances and we are working to confirm that the guidance and processes are in place to ensure that it does.
The Department and the Universal Credit Programme have regular meetings with key stakeholders, including MacMillan, Maggie’s Centres and Mind, to understand how our policies are working and discuss potential areas for improvement. The design of Universal Credit for terminally ill claimants is based on the well tested processes that have been in place in Employment and Support Allowance as have the proof of illness requirements. We continue to keep these under review to ensure that they work as effectively as possible.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pension, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) other stakeholders on benefits appropriate to universal credit claimants who are unable to return to work owing to ill health or terminal diagnosis; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
We are committed to ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care and receive the support they need to make a claim to Universal Credit. This can include a home visit to support a claimant with making their initial claim and completing any other administrative tasks required to ensure that they receive the correct payment. As we continue to deliver the full Universal Credit service, with its expanded claimant base, we are continuing to review and further develop the customer journey for claimants with complex needs, including how we support terminally ill claimants to engage in the process.
We are aware of concerns raised about the process of notifying DWP about a claimant’s terminal illness. However, we do not need to change the consent rules in Universal Credit to support these claimants. We can already accept information directly from claimant representatives, such as claimant appointees and third party organisations representing the claimant as well as details supplied to DWP Universal Credit partnership managers or external engagement officials. However, we are also aware that there are instances where this is not happening as intended in some limited circumstances and we are working to confirm that the guidance and processes are in place to ensure that it does.
The Department and the Universal Credit Programme have regular meetings with key stakeholders, including MacMillan, Maggie’s Centres and Mind, to understand how our policies are working and discuss potential areas for improvement. The design of Universal Credit for terminally ill claimants is based on the well tested processes that have been in place in Employment and Support Allowance as have the proof of illness requirements. We continue to keep these under review to ensure that they work as effectively as possible.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues and others had about the appropriateness of at-home visits to terminally ill universal credit claimants; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
We are committed to ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care and receive the support they need to make a claim to Universal Credit. This can include a home visit to support a claimant with making their initial claim and completing any other administrative tasks required to ensure that they receive the correct payment. As we continue to deliver the full Universal Credit service, with its expanded claimant base, we are continuing to review and further develop the customer journey for claimants with complex needs, including how we support terminally ill claimants to engage in the process.
We are aware of concerns raised about the process of notifying DWP about a claimant’s terminal illness. However, we do not need to change the consent rules in Universal Credit to support these claimants. We can already accept information directly from claimant representatives, such as claimant appointees and third party organisations representing the claimant as well as details supplied to DWP Universal Credit partnership managers or external engagement officials. However, we are also aware that there are instances where this is not happening as intended in some limited circumstances and we are working to confirm that the guidance and processes are in place to ensure that it does.
The Department and the Universal Credit Programme have regular meetings with key stakeholders, including MacMillan, Maggie’s Centres and Mind, to understand how our policies are working and discuss potential areas for improvement. The design of Universal Credit for terminally ill claimants is based on the well tested processes that have been in place in Employment and Support Allowance as have the proof of illness requirements. We continue to keep these under review to ensure that they work as effectively as possible.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of constituents in Gower have had their personal independence payments overturned as a result of (a) mandatory reconsideration and (b) an appeal hearing in each year for which data is available.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The latest available data on personal independence payment (PIP) clearances split by type of clearance (i.e. whether the claim was awarded, disallowed or withdrawn) can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.
Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html
Table 1 below shows the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mandatory Reconsideration decisions where the award was changed by year since the introduction of PIP in the Parliamentary Constituency of Gower.
Table 1 - Number of Mandatory Reconsiderations decisions where the award changed by financial year of decision.
Year of Mandatory Reconsideration | 2013/14 | 2014/ 15 | 2015/ 16 | 2016/ 17 | 2017/18 (April 17 only) | Total |
Gower | # | 60 | 40 | 150 | 10 | 270 |
Table 2 below shows the Number of appeals found in favour of appellant by financial year, data from Ministry of Justice.
Table 2
Year | Number Found in Favour of Appellant | Percentage Found in favour of Appellant (at hearing) |
2013/14 | 0 | 0% |
2014/15 | 108 | 66% |
2015/16 | 725 | 71% |
2016/17 | 1,433 | 77% |
‘# ‘used for instances where there are less than 5 cases to avoid the release of confidential data
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what percentage of people in Gower constituency who had been categorised as lifelong recipients of disability living allowance and have subsequently been judged ineligible for personal independence payments in each year for which data is available.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.