Mims Davies: The Department has no plans to amend the support that homeowners receive in respect of service charges.
Mims Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 February 2024 to PQ11939.
Mims Davies: People on ‘long-term sickness benefits’ have been assumed as those in the main phase of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and the Universal Credit (UC) Limited Capability to Work (LCW) and Limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) groups. The Department regularly publishes Benefit Combination statistics on Stat-Xplore and these were extended inFebruary 2024 to...
Mims Davies: There are no plans for DWP to make this specific assessment. Whilst we recognise the importance of early identification of autism, a diagnosis is not required to be eligible for reasonable adjustments and the provision of workplace support. These are made, in line with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, based on functional need. We are encouraging employers to adopt more...
Mims Davies: People living with a condition arising from exposure to the Covid-19 virus can access the financial support that is available through Statutory Sick Pay, Universal Credit, New Style ESA or Pension Credit depending on individual circumstances. Disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment or Attendance Allowance do not include or exclude by condition, instead they look at the...
Mims Davies: The funding for Armed Forces Champions forms part of the overall allocation for Jobcentre Work Coaches and Leaders. There is no specific funding separately identifiable for the role of either employing or supporting our Armed Forces Champions, however the Department is committed to providing 11 dedicated Armed Forces Champion lead posts who oversee 50 Armed Forces Champions posts across the...
Mims Davies: In March 2023, I appointed Helen Tomlinson as the Government’s first menopause employment champion. We are working across Government and with employers to increase awareness and develop policies to support women experiencing the impact of menopause at work. We recently launched new guidance on the Help to Grow portal to empower businesses to educate their organisation about menopause.
Mims Davies: I am absolutely delighted to welcome all of that work. I also welcome the fact that the hon. Member for Swansea East (Carolyn Harris) was able to join us in a roundtable discussion at Gower College. In fact, Jane from the BSI was one of a number of women to join our first menopause roundtable for International Women’s Day at No. 10, where we celebrated the BSI and its international...
Mims Davies: The Government have a programme of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions in starting, staying and succeeding in work. That includes Access to Work, Disability Confident, and a digital information service for employers, which aim to increase inclusivity and accessibility for disabled people in the workplace.
Mims Davies: I met representatives from the Disability Charities Consortium yesterday, and some of those matters were discussed. We have invested £2 billion in improving inclusivity and accessibility at work for disabled people and people facing health barriers. We have hundreds of jobcentres across the country, and fantastic work coaches are tapping into extra support through our network of disability...
Mims Davies: The Access to Work scheme is a demand-led personalised discretionary grant, but working with employers, looking around occupational health and other interventions to support people are equally as important. I can assure the hon. Lady that I met my officials yesterday about the Access to Work scheme. I am looking at any delays, any impacts and any changes every couple of weeks to ensure that...
Mims Davies: The Youth Offer launched on the 20 September 2020 and provides support for 16–24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit to help them move into employment. It includes three elements: The Youth Employment Programme, which provides young people dedicated intensive Work Coach support in finding & applying for jobs, with additional assistance available for those who have recently begun their...
Mims Davies: The department regularly meets with groups of carers and those representing them at both Ministerial and Official level to discuss a range of issues, including Carer’s Allowance. Officials met a delegation of young carers, supported by the Carers Trust and the Learning and Work Institute, on 13 March. Carer's Allowance was introduced principally to provide a measure of financial support...
Mims Davies: The Department does collect information on Access to Work recipient's primary medical condition, however, we do not hold information to the level required to identify people with musculoskeletal conditions. Therefore, we cannot assess the effectiveness of Access to Work scheme for people with a musculoskeletal condition. Information on Access to Work volumes and expenditure by primary...
Mims Davies: Universal Support is a new, voluntary employment programme for disabled people, those with health conditions and those with additional barriers to employment, and this will include veterans. The programme will offer veterans up to 12 months of ‘place and train’ support from a dedicated keyworker – helping them to find a suitable role and providing tailored support for the participant...
Mims Davies: The performance of Armed Forces Champions is reviewed in line with the Department’s performance management approach that includes regular one-to-ones with line managers to discuss team objectives, personal development and career progression. There are no specific metrics used, but good performance and achievements are recognised. In those areas where there are particularly high levels of...
Mims Davies: There has been no recent conversations with housing associations or renter groups regarding the formula to convert weekly rental liabilities to calendar monthly values in Universal Credit. Universal Credit always converts weekly amounts to monthly sums using 52 weeks. This may lead to a slight advantage to the claimant when converting weekly incomes and to a slight disadvantage when dealing...
Mims Davies: We spend around £30bn annually on housing support for low-income renters in the private and social rented sectors. From April we are investing £1.2bn increasing the Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of market rents, ensuring 1.6m private renters gain on average almost £800 in 2024/25 in additional support towards rental costs. This significant investment will cost...
Mims Davies: We are unable to comment on individual cases. Claims for Access to Work payments can be submitted via our online portal or through the post and this is clearly explained in customer letters. Approved claims submitted through the proper channels are typically processed within 10 days.
Mims Davies: [In British Sign Language: “Happy Sign Language Week everybody.”] It is a key priority for the Department for Work and Pensions to provide effective support for our vulnerable customers. We provide training on how to support customers’ mental health, and we have a six-point plan for supporting claimants who may be at risk of suicide or self-harm. The DWP regularly reviews processes to...