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  • Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Helen Hayes – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the removal of a tenant’s right to choose whether to have a payment of the housing element of the universal credit paid directly to their landlord on (a) private sector and (b) social sector landlords.

    Priti Patel

    The independent evaluation of the Universal Credit (UC) Direct Payment Demonstration Projects report showed that asking claimants to take responsibility for paying their rent did not lead to big increases in rent arrears. We are drawing on the findings from these Projects as part of our approach to continually improving the service. The reports can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/direct-payment-demonstration-projects-final-reports

    “

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to respond to correspondence on case reference ZA12785.

    Priti Patel

    A response to the hon. Member was sent on 9 June 2015.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what support or respite care is available to full-time carers who wish to work part-time in addition to their caring responsibilities.

    Alistair Burt

    Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a responsibility to support carers in a number of ways. Local authorities will be required to undertake carers’ assessments, based on the appearance of a need for support. An assessment must establish the impact of caring on the carer, and the outcomes they wish to achieve, including engaging in work, education, training or recreation. For the first time, local authorities have a duty to meet carers’ eligible needs for support: this may include access to training to support them in their caring role or support to maintain employment where this is a desired outcome.

    Through the Care Act 2014 local authorities are required to provide information and advice and universal preventative services for carers. Local authorities can also support the person in understanding other types of support available to them for example to seek to promote access to appropriate employment, education or training, which can be an effective way of maintaining independence.

    In May 2014, NHS England published an action plan NHS England’s Commitment to Carers, which includes a series of commitments around 8 priorities, among which are raising the profile of carers. The Department of Health has also made available additional funding of £400 million to the National Health Service between 2011 and 2015 to enable carers to take a break from their caring responsibilities to sustain them in their caring role. The carers’ breaks funding of £130 million for 2015 – 16 will also be in the Better Care Fund.

    In February 2015 the Government launched a joint Department of Health, Government Equality Office and Department for Work and Pensions investment of £1.6 million in pilots in nine local authority areas to explore ways in which people can be supported to combine work and care.

    We also fund the Carers Direct service which includes web-based information and advice for all carers through NHS Choices, as well as a telephone helpline service through which carers can be signposted to information. Carers Direct includes training materials that build on the Caring with Confidence programme – a time-limited national programme funded by the Department of Health to support the development of carer training, which closed in September 2010.

    On July 2015 my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Mr Jeremy Hunt) announced that the Government will develop a new carers’ strategy that looks at the best of international practice and examines what more we can do to support existing carers and new carers. This will include consideration how best to support carers to maintain employment and of the training requirements of carers and whether current measures are fully meeting these.

    Specifically regarding carers of people with dementia, the Department of Health contributed to the funding of the Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Dementia Guide’, designed to help guide people with dementia and their carers through their journey with dementia. The Guide provides useful information for carers, following a diagnosis of dementia, and includes advice to help people understand a diagnosis of dementia to enable them to live well with the condition.

    With Department of Health funding, the Royal College of General Practitioners has developed a Dementia Roadmap that can be accessed by families and carers. It is a web based platform that provides high quality information about the dementia journey alongside local information about services, support groups and care pathways, primarily to assist primary care staff to more effectively support people with dementia, their families and carers.

    The Department is supporting the Dementia Action Alliance’s Carers Call to Action and the establishment of a Life Story Network for family carers of people with dementia. The Department provided funding of £30,000 to the Life Story Network during 2014/15 to support the establishment of a new involvement network for family carers of people with dementia, which is being established as part of the legacy of the Dementia Action Alliance’s Carers Call to Action.

    NHS England’s 2015/16 Dementia Enhanced Service encourages GP practices to increase the health and wellbeing support offered to carers of patients diagnosed with dementia.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of carers who depend on carer’s allowance as their only or primary source of income; and what assessment his Department has made of whether that allowance benefit is set at a high enough level to keep the income of carers above the poverty line.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested is not available. Such data is not collected. It is the circumstances of the claimant themselves, including their earnings, that may affect the Carer’s Allowance award. But any other income that may come into the household does not affect the claim, so we do not record whether Carer’s Allowance is the only or primary source of income.

    This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by carers. The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person.

    In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Income Support and Pension Credit. Income-related benefits help ensure that people can afford to meet their normal daily living needs. These benefits include a carer premium, currently £34.60 a week. Universal Credit also includes a carer element at the rate of £150.39 per monthly assessment period. This means that those on lower incomes can be better off if they have caring responsibilities than others who receive these benefits.

  • Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Vicky Foxcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Vicky Foxcroft on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 1.160 of the Summer Budget 2015, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of aligning the rate of employment and support allowance for new claimants who are in the work-related activity group with jobseeker’s allowance on people who have mental and physical illnesses.

    Priti Patel

    The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. These are available on the Parliament website: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html

    “

  • Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what statistics his Department holds on the number of sick notes provided by jobseeker’s allowance or employment and support allowance claimants which have been lost by Jobcentre Plus.

    Priti Patel

    The Department does not collect statistics on the number of fit notes reported as lost.

    Claimants post their fit note into the Department or if it is urgent can hand it in at their local Jobcentre where staff are trained to update computer systems and arrange for benefit payments to be made if one is due.

  • Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Phil Boswell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Phil Boswell on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the report by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, Downward mobility, opportunity hoarding and the glass floor, published in June 2015, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that report’s findings that children from better-off families are hoarding opportunities in the education system in the labour market.

    Nick Boles

    This report by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission raised some important issues around social mobility in the UK. As you will be aware the Government is concerned with this issue and plan to tackle this problem, as highlighted by the Prime Ministers’ Conference speech earlier this month.

    I would like to highlight however, that this report was largely focused on a cohort of British children born in 1970. So while it is important in illustrating that social mobility in the UK has been poor for a long period of time it bears no reflection on the Government’s current policies.

    Concerning current policies and their implications on social mobility it is clear that the achievement of over 2 million apprenticeships in the last parliament and the target of 3 million in this is helping to increase social mobility by providing young people with the skills they need in order to acquire professional careers. This policy alongside an increase in participation in higher education, helped by policies such as the removal of the student cap, has helped start to bridge the skills and educational gaps which were previously detrimental to social mobility.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Gareth Thomas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for funeral payments were (a) made and (b) granted in each region in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14 and (v) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Tables 1 and 2 give the number of the Funeral Expense Payment applications received and awards made by the Department for Work and Pensions by region from 2010/11 to 2014/15.

    Table 1: Funeral Expense Payment applications received by region, 2010/11 to 2014/15

    Region

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    East of England

    4,200

    4,800

    4,700

    4,100

    3,500

    East Midlands

    8,400

    4,600

    4,500

    4,000

    3,200

    London

    6,800

    6,900

    6,700

    6,500

    5,800

    North East

    4,400

    4,700

    4,200

    3,600

    3,000

    North West

    10,600

    10,400

    10,300

    9,200

    8,100

    Scotland

    8,300

    8,500

    8,000

    7,400

    6,300

    South East

    6,200

    6,400

    5,700

    5,200

    4,400

    South West

    4,000

    4,300

    4,200

    4,000

    3,100

    Wales

    4,300

    4,300

    4,400

    3,700

    3,500

    West Midlands

    7,200

    6,800

    6,600

    6,000

    4,900

    Yorkshire and Humberside

    4,300

    6,700

    6,400

    5,500

    4,900

    Total

    68,800

    68,500

    65,600

    59,100

    50,600

    Table 2: Funeral Expense Payment awards made by region, 2010/11 to 2014/15

    Region

    2010/11

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    East of England

    2,500

    2,600

    2,500

    2,200

    2,200

    East Midlands

    4,200

    2,500

    2,300

    2,200

    2,100

    London

    3,800

    3,900

    3,600

    3,500

    3,600

    North East

    2,400

    2,400

    2,100

    1,900

    2,000

    North West

    6,100

    6,100

    5,700

    5,300

    5,000

    Scotland

    5,100

    5,000

    4,800

    4,400

    4,300

    South East

    3,100

    2,900

    2,500

    2,700

    2,700

    South West

    1,800

    2,300

    2,100

    2,100

    1,900

    Wales

    2,600

    2,400

    2,400

    2,200

    2,200

    West Midlands

    4,100

    3,800

    3,700

    3,300

    3,000

    Yorkshire and Humberside

    2,500

    3,600

    3,500

    3,300

    3,200

    Total

    38,200

    37,700

    35,200

    33,100

    32,100

    Notes:

    • All figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
    • Figures may not sum due to rounding.
    • The applications figures are based on applications received by DWP, not applications processed. Some applications may have been withdrawn before a decision was made.
    • The award figures include awards made after review, reconsideration or appeal following an initial refusal.
    • These figures do not include cases which have been processed clerically and have not been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System.
  • Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mrs Sharon Hodgson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Sharon Hodgson on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of kinship carers which are affected by the benefit cap.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We do not collect data on the number of kinship carers subject to the benefit cap.

  • Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-10-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department will complete mandatory reconsideration of case reference number FBH 1826.

    Justin Tomlinson

    There is no record of a mandatory reconsideration being requested for case reference number FBH 1826.