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Tag: Tom Pursglove

  • Tom Pursglove – 2023 Statement on Supporting People Nearing the End of their Lives

    Tom Pursglove – 2023 Statement on Supporting People Nearing the End of their Lives

    The statement made by Tom Pursglove, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work on 29 March 2023.

    The Government are committed to providing support to people who are nearing the end of their lives. For people in this position, special rules allow simple and fast access to financial support through the benefits system.

    Today, I am pleased to announce the commencement of the Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Act 2022, which will apply from 3 April 2023.

    The Act enables more people nearing the end of their lives to get fast-tracked access via the special rules. It applies to three key disability benefits: personal independence payment, disability living allowance and attendance allowance.

    This change means that people nearing the end of their lives who meet the eligibility criteria for one of these benefits, can receive vital support in their final year, six months earlier than they can currently. Those eligible under the “special rules”, get their claims fast-tracked, which means they do not have to wait as long to start getting payments. They are not required to take part in a medical assessment and, in most cases, those claiming will qualify for the highest rate of benefit.

    The new 12-month special rules criteria align with the end-of-life approach in the NHS where, for those with 12 months or less to live, clinicians are encouraged to think about what help their patient may need, including financial help.

    The Government introduced similar changes to universal credit and employment and support allowance on 4 April 2022. The Act ensures a consistent approach across five key health and disability benefits.

    These changes to the special rules for end of life are a culmination of many years of work since the then Secretary of State launched an in-depth evaluation of how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their lives in 2019. I would like to pay tribute to her and my predecessors in my role, the hon. Member for North Swindon (Justin Tomlinson) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich North (Chloe Smith).

    I would also like to thank the many people nearing the end of life, groups and charities that have supported the Department for Work and Pensions. Their input has helped improve the support provided by the benefits system in this area.

    I am proud to say that when someone is in their last year of life, they can now benefit from improved support from the benefits system. By expanding eligibility, we will provide thousands more people with financial support to allow them to focus on sharing the valuable time they have left with the people who matter most to them.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2023 Statement on Personal Independence Payments

    Tom Pursglove – 2023 Statement on Personal Independence Payments

    The statement made by Tom Pursglove, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, in the House of Commons on 16 March 2023.

    Today, the department will publish the latest statistics on making backdated payments to personal independence payment claimants who are affected by the KT and SH decision of the upper tribunal. The release will be published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-upcoming-releases-of-management-information-and-ad-hoc-analyses.

    The KT and SH UT decision, handed down on 21 August 2020, concerned how we decide whether hearing impaired or deaf people need an aid, appliance, or supervision, to wash or bathe safely under the PIP assessment.

    The department revised the guidance used for the PIP assessment process, for all new decisions, on 17 May 2021. We started the administrative exercise to check eligible claims back to the date of the UT decision on 4 April 2022.

    Since April 2022, we have reviewed around 4,000 cases against the KT and SH decision. This includes cases where claimants have previously been assessed as needing an aid or appliance to hear. All reviews have been carried out by a case manager within the department.

    Around 4,000 arrears payments, totalling around £11 million, have been made. No one should have seen their PIP reduced because of this exercise.

    Although we have completed the exercise, claimants can still ask the Department for Work and Pensions to conduct a review of their case, if they think they are affected.

    Our approach demonstrates that we have prioritised claimants who are most likely to benefit, to make backdated payments as quickly as possible.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2023 Statement on the Health and Disability White Paper

    Tom Pursglove – 2023 Statement on the Health and Disability White Paper

    The statement made by Tom Pursglove, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, in the House of Commons on 16 March 2023.

    Yesterday, the Secretary of State published “Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper”. This White Paper is a significant milestone, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to ensuring that disabled people and people with health conditions can lead independent lives and fulfil their potential. It sets out an ambitious policy reform package that will transform the health and disability benefits system, and help disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay in and succeed in work.

    We will deliver action in three ways. First, we will transform the future benefits system so that it focuses on what people can do, rather than on what they cannot, including by removing the work capability assessment. In our new system, there will be no need to be found to have limited capability for work or work-related activity in order to receive additional income-related support for a disability or health condition. We will introduce a new universal credit health element that people receiving both personal independence payment and universal credit will be entitled to, which will enable people to try work without the fear of losing their benefits. We will roll this out carefully from 2026-27, and we will ensure that no one currently on universal credit and with limited capability for work or work-related activity will lose out once they move on to the new system.

    Secondly, while de-risking work is one side of the coin in supporting disabled people and people with health conditions into work, we know that we also need to provide more employment and health support for this group. The White Paper sets out how we will introduce a new personalised approach to employment support and engagement, with the aim of helping people to reach their potential and live a more independent life. We are investing in additional work coach time and tailored support. The Chancellor also set out yesterday that we will introduce a new programme called universal support, which will provide wraparound support for individuals and employers, as well as additional money to provide more mental health and musculoskeletal treatment for this group.

    Finally, we will ensure that people can access the right support at the right time, and have a better overall experience, by testing new initiatives to make it easier to apply for and receive health and disability benefits. I am certain that our White Paper reforms will support more people to reach their full potential and reap the health and wellbeing advantages of work.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many civil servants in her Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to her Department.

    Mr Ben Wallace

    My Department does not hold records on the number of staff who are members of a trades union as this is a matter for the individual.

    Facilities time is made available to the union representatives in the Northern Ireland Office. During the last quarter for which figures are available they used a total of two hours for meetings at a cost to the Department of approximately £37.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-03-16.

    To ask the Attorney General, how many unduly lenient sentences were given out to (a) British nationals, (b) non-British EU nationals and (c) nationals from outside the EU in each of the last three years.

    Robert Buckland

    The nationality of the offenders referred to the court is not collated centrally and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 26 April 2016 to Question 35188, if he will estimate the cost of collecting information on the number of personal independence payment assessment appointments which are cancelled.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Information on cancelled appointments, and the reasons for them, is not held centrally within the Department. In order to obtain this information we would need to ask our providers to clerically collate, prepare and quality assure this information. We estimate this would take in excess of 5 days to complete and the cost would be disproportionately excessive.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many civil servants in his Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to his Department.

    David Mundell

    The Scotland Office does not hold information on how many civil servants in the office are members of trade unions. There are no staff with facility time arrangements for trade unions duties and activities.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-03-15.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits and costs of a business rates holiday for the steel industry.

    Mr David Gauke

    The Government has worked hard to deliver on the steel industry’s key asks. We (a) secured state aid approval to compensate for energy costs, (b) secured flexibility over EU emissions regulations, (c) published guidance so that the true value of UK steel can be taken into account in major procurement decisions, and (d) continue to tackle unfair trading practices at an EU and an international level.

    Further, Budget 2016 confirmed that the annual indexation of business rates will switch from the Retail Price Index to be consistent with the main measure of inflation, currently the Consumer Prices Index, from April 2020 for all ratepayers, including the steel industry. This represents a cut every year from 2020 worth £370 million in 2020-21 and growing significantly thereafter.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Pursglove – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2016-05-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2016 to Question 37198, how many of the leaflets entitled Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK have been returned to his Department; and what the postage cost to the Government has been of such returns.

    Mr David Lidington

    I refer my Hon Friend to the Prime Minister’s response of 25th May 2016. This information is not collated centrally by the Department.

  • Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Tom Pursglove – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Pursglove on 2015-10-28.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many civil servants in his Department are members of trades unions; how much working hours facility time is claimed by each such civil servant; and what the cost of that facility time is to his Department.

    Alun Cairns

    The Wales Office does not record how many of its staff are members of trades unions. No civil servant working at the Wales Office currently claims facility time.