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Tag: Kate Green

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time for applicants for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in each region of the UK is between submission of the PIP2 form and the date of the face-to-face PIP assessment from each assessment provider.

    Mike Penning

    I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Liverpool, West Derby, official report, 5 March, column 850W.

    In order to manage the gap between Personal Independence Payment go-live and the first release of Official Statistics in Spring 2014, we are assessing whether we can release some further information. If the quality assurance of this information shows that it is sufficiently robust and reliable then we will publish it via ad-hoc statistical releases.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether all staff employed by Atos Healthcare to perform the company’s contract with his Department for the conduct of work capability assessments will receive full protection under TUPE provisions.

    Mike Penning

    When Atos Healthcare withdraws from the delivery of work capability assessments in February 2015, a new national provider will be brought in. It is expected that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations will apply and most of the Atos Healthcare employees will transfer to the new provider.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work capability assessments for new claims were undertaken by Atos in each of the last 12 months.

    Mike Penning

    This information for completed functional assessments can be found in tables at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics

    “

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department’s proposed Help and Support for Separated Families co-ordinated telephone network is in place; and what processes his Department has put in place to monitor and evaluate its effectiveness in promoting collaborative parenting in the interests of children.

    Steve Webb

    The HSSF initiative has funded four organisations which provide telephone support for separating and separated families so that their agents can be trained in delivering appropriate messages about the benefits of collaborative parenting. These organisations are: Relate; Family Lives; the National Youth Advocacy Service; and Wikivorce.

    Representatives from all participating organisations have received tailored training and they are now cascading that training to their agents. We expect full roll-out by the end of April 2014.

    We are currently considering a variety of evaluation approaches, including call listening, ‘mystery shopping’ exercises and a satisfaction survey.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of Child Support Agency cases subject to case closure which have child maintenance arrears based wholly or partly on an interim maintenance assessment; and what steps he is taking to re-evaluate the amount of arrears owed and to inform the non-resident parent and parent with care accordingly.

    Steve Webb

    We have identified around 1,400 cases subject to case closure which have child maintenance arrears based wholly or partly on an interim maintenance assessment.

    The arrears existing on cases coming up for closure will be reviewed, and where necessary revised, to ensure accuracy. Both parents will be informed of the arrears balance prior to their case closing.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the abolition of the Independent Living Fund; what discussions he has held with his ministerial colleagues on this issue; and what steps he is taking to monitor the effect of this decision on disabled people at a national and local level.

    Mike Penning

    My Department is committed to working closely with the ILF and other Government Departments to support the work required to enable an effective transfer for ILF users by 30 June 2015.

    The ILF also has undertaken a dedicated programme of engagement with local authorities and is also engaging directly with all of those authorities who will be involved in the transfer of user care and support in 2015.

    This includes a local authority commitment to the Code of Practice between the ILF and local authorities in England, backed by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and the Local Government Association (LGA).

    DWP is currently developing plans for monitoring the impact of ILF closure on those groups who share protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, both on former users of the ILF and on disabled people more generally.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what costs his Department has incurred in the development, promotion, monitoring and evaluation of the Sorting Out Separation web app to date; and what budget his Department assigned for the future promotion, updating, monitoring and redesign of that web app.

    Steve Webb

    The costs of the Sorting out Separation web app are £417.5k to date. This includes initial build, maintenance and development, hosting and promotion. It also includes the costs of the development of the diagnosis tool and the videos hosted on Sorting out Separation.

    The Department is in the process of considering the future direction of the Sorting out Separation web app and will shortly be taking steps to improve the profile of the app through search engine optimisation.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how often powers in the Child Support Information Regulations 2008 to require suppliers of gas and electricity to (a) provide the Child Support Agency with information to confirm the whereabouts of a non-resident parent and (b) obtain account information to assist enforcement action to recover child maintenance arrears have been used to date.

    Steve Webb

    The powers available within Section 4(1) of the Child Support Information Regulations 2008 are used as part of the normal trace process available to caseworkers when required. However, this information is not routinely recorded for management information purposes. To provide this would require the creation of new information, which could only be completed and appropriately assured at a disproportionate cost.

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures adopted following the Kinsella Review of anti-knife crime projects, published in February 2011; and if she will make a statement.

    Norman Baker

    There has been no formal assessment of the measures introduced following the
    publication of the Kinsella Review. However, we keep the current Ending Gang
    and Youth Violence programme under close review, which supports the work of the
    33 areas in England and Wales identified as having the most significant gang
    problems. This programme is aimed at tackling gang and youth violence and
    includes knife crime. Our assessment of the first year (2012-13) of the
    programme was positive, with local areas considering it to have been a success.
    We are currently finalising the assessment of the second year (2013-14).

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-04-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of recovery actions in respect of child support arrears owed to the parent with care have been suspended in the last year for which figures are available.

    Steve Webb

    Information on the number of cases, in which recovery actions in respect of child support arrears owed to the parent with care have been suspended, is not available as it is not routinely recorded for management information purposes. To provide this information would require the creation of new information which could only be completed and appropriately assured at a disproportionate cost.