Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 2.15 of the National Audit Office report, Investigation into Errors in Employment and Support Allowance, HC 837, published on 19 March 2018, if she will extend the scope of the exercise to review the benefit entitlements of people who were mistakenly awarded contribution-based employment and support allowance instead of income-based employment and support allowance to include lost entitlement to free school meals and NHS prescription charges.

Eligibility for passported benefits such as free NHS prescriptions and school meals is determined by the relevant Department.

People can also qualify for help in other ways, for example by applying for the NHS Low Income Scheme, which covers prescription, dental and eye care costs, wigs, fabric supports and assistance with healthcare-related travel costs. The Low Income Scheme assessment takes into account council tax and housing costs, so people could get help with health costs even if their income is too high to qualify for a means-tested benefit.

At no point have we actually stopped individuals from making a claim to income-related benefits. When we transitioned people from Incapacity Benefit to Employment and Support Allowance, we protected the amount of Incapacity Benefit they were being paid. We sent out letters and attempted to call people at the time to advise them that they could also be entitled to income-related benefit and to contact the Department if they believed they were eligible.