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  • Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Social Fund funerals were made in each year between 2010 and 2015; how many such applications were refused; and what the (a) budget and (b) lowest payment made was.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Table 1 shows the number of applications for Funeral Expenses Payments which were made and the number refused in the financial years 2010/11 to 2014/15.

    Table 1

    Applications (000)

    Initial Refusals (000)

    2010/11

    69

    34

    2011/12

    69

    36

    2012/13

    66

    34

    2013/14

    59

    27

    2014/15

    51

    24

    Data sourced from the DWP policy, Budget and Management Information System and is published in the Annual Report by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Social Fund for the relevant year.

    The budget for the Social Fund, Funeral Expenses Payment (FEP) expenditure is demand-led. Legislation prescribes that payments are made to all eligible applicants. That is people responsible for arranging a funeral who meet the rules on relationships with the deceased and receive a qualifying benefit. Provision for FEPs is made by central Government through the supply estimate process, but these figures are not translated into an operational budget and do not impact eligibility or award amounts.

    In a minority of cases funeral expense payments are subsequently recovered from the deceased’s estate and in these cases the net amount can be very small. Given the small numbers involved it is not appropriate to release figures as there is a risk of identifying individuals.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) new or existing Housing Benefit claimants and (b) those in supported accommodation will have their allowance cut to Local Housing Allowance rates from 1 April 2016.

    Justin Tomlinson

    This measure does not apply until April 2018. We value the work of the supported housing sector extremely highly and are working closely with them to ensure they are supported as effectively as possible in advance of the police taking effect.

    The Department alongside the Department for Communities and Local Government has jointly commissioned an evidence review of supported housing.

    The results of this research will determine our future policy development and any appropriate exemptions.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many venues where assessments for personal independence payments or employment and support allowance are carried out do not have (a) disabled parking facilities, (b) disabled access toilets, (c) a distance between the car park and the venue of 50 metres or less, (d) a ramp in addition to stairs to the entrance, where there are stairs; and for what reason it is not his Department’s policy that such facilities must be provided at assessment centres.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information you have requested is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. All our sites fully comply with current legislation: Building Regulations, the Disability Discrimination Act and the Equalities Act 2010.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2016 to Question 23428, whether the prognosis statements issued after assessments for employment and support allowance are an indication of an assessment of the likelihood of improvement in the claimant’s medical condition.

    Priti Patel

    Section 3.10 of the Revised WCA Handbook for healthcare professionals states that prognosis advice "refers to the time frame for when the claimant could be considered fit for work or fit for work-related activity."

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-capability-assessment-handbook-for-healthcare-professionals

    “

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the contribution made by the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth on 27 January 2015, Official Report, column 259, what the terms for the one year review of cuts to housing benefit will be.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The evidence review commissioned by the Department will work closely with charities, landlords stakeholders etc. and will look at the shape, scale and cost of the supported housing sector.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer 27 January 2016 to Question 23759, whether there is scope for the Work Coach to pass on details of the claimant’s universal credit application to their local authority in order to begin automatically the application for council tax reduction.

    Priti Patel

    A process to automate the sharing of data between Universal Credit and Local Authorities to support applications to Local Council Tax Reduction Schemes will be implemented in the next month.

    There are no plans to automate applications for Council Tax Reduction through Universal Credit. This must be done separately by the claimant with the Local Authority.

  • Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Coyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what contribution his Department is making to the delivery and monitoring of the Preventing Suicide in England strategy with specific reference to people identified as being vulnerable due to social and economic circumstances.

    Priti Patel

    The Department for Health (DH) lead the Preventing Suicide in England Strategy and since 2014 have published two annual reports. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has provided information to contribute to the annual reports, to address the guidance and training it provides for staff and the DWP and DH joint work to look at improving co-ordination of mental health and employment support services.

  • Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has prepared for government departments on implementing the Family Test.

    Priti Patel

    In October 2014, the Department for Work and Pensions published guidance for Government officials on how the Test should be applied when formulating policy. Produced in collaboration with third sector partners from the Relationship Alliance, the guidance outlines the basis for the Family Test and provides policy officials with information on how the Test can be applied.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Jobcentre Plus advisers were employed in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014 and (f) 2015.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is shown in the table below.

    Year

    Number of Advisers Employed by Jobcentre Plus

    2010/11

    11,978

    2011/12

    12,018

    2012/13

    13,244

    2013/14

    12,978

    2014/15

    11,685
  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to require GP surgeries to provide his Department with details of all the Med 3 fit notes they issue in respect of people receiving disability benefits.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department will receive anonymised and aggregated GP practice level statistics on Med 3 forms or ‘fit notes’.