Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to support people with learning disabilities access (a) benefits and (b) employment opportunities.

Universal Credit provides enhanced personalised support for all claimants. All claimants receive continuous tailored support managed through personal work coaches, who know each person. Our work coaches receive extensive training to ensure they can offer effective support to different claimant groups, including those with learning disabilities.

From 1 April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland are delivering the new ‘Help to Claim’ support to claimants making a new Universal Credit (UC) claim or moving from a legacy benefit to UC because of a change of circumstances. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a UC claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time. It is available online, through web-chat, through a Freephone number and face to face through local Citizens Advice services.

Telephony support is also available through the Universal Credit Freephone line for claimants who cannot make or maintain their claim online. Where a claimant is unable to manage their own affairs, an appointee can act on their behalf, taking responsibility for making and maintaining a claim.

Personal Independence Payment can be paid to disabled people irrespective of their employment status. Claimants with a severe mental health or behavioural condition, learning disability, developmental disorder or cognitive problems, who may have difficulty engaging with the claims process, and with no support network in place can be provided with additional support during the claims process if they need it. This support can include help filling in the form or the questionnaire and additional protections for failing to return the questionnaire or for failing to attend a face-to-face assessment.

We are supporting disabled people, including those with learning disabilities, to prepare for employment, enter and retain work through a range of initiatives, for example: Access to Work; the Local Supported Employment proof of concept; and the new Intensive Personalised Employment Support scheme, which is expected to be running by the end of 2019.