PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES - United Kingdom Parliament

1023W
Written Answers
26 MARCH 2013
Written Answers
1024W
Disability Living Allowance
Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for
Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of a
disability living allowance award and have an been
re-assessed in the most recent 12 months for which
figures are available have had their benefit payment (a)
terminated, (b) reduced and (c) increased. [149573]
Esther McVey: The information requested is
contained in the following table:
Number of disability living allowance renewal claims in Great Britain
between the period March 2012 to February 2013
Disability living allowance March 2012 - February 2013
Total Renewal claims 266,400
(a) Disallowed 33,900
(b) Reduced 33,400
(c) Increased 12,200
Employment: Learning Disability
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for
Work and Pensions what work he is doing with
employers to ensure that they understand and
accommodate adults with moderate to mild learning
difficulties. [149562]
Esther McVey: In October 2010, DWP responded to
a number of requests from disabled people and
disability organisations to improve work opportunities
for individuals with learning difficulties by supporting
the development of a national steering group entitled
The Hidden Impairment National Group (HING).
The main aim of the HING is to improve the DWP
customer service experience for people with a range of
learning difficulties including: Autistic Spectrum
Conditions including Asperger Syndrome, ADHD,
Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Speech and
Language and Mental ill Health.
The group, led by DWP, has a strong and productive
membership including disabled people with Hidden
Impairment conditions, medical professionals and
academics and disability specific organisations such as
The Adsetts Partnership, Autism Plus, Complex
Minds, Addept, The National Autistic Society, The
Dyscovery Centre, The Dyspraxia Foundation, The
Dyslexia Foundation and Dyslexia Action.
Together, the HING has had a significant impact on
improving the DWP customer journey for people with
learning difficulties; developing a range of learning and
development resources that are supporting DWP
staff/managers to better understand the disability
agenda; this includes an on-line toolkit, available to all
staff via the intranet system that offers information on
individual conditions and hints and tips on reasonable
adjustment solutions that will be needed throughout
the process.
The HING has also recognised the importance of
sharing this information with the wider business
community across the country and had engaged with a
large number of employers to help them to better
recruit and retain disabled people and in particular
individuals with learning difficulties. The HING has
also embarked upon a national employer campaign
entitled to ’Uncovering Hidden Impairments’ to raise
awareness of the skills, talents and abilities of many
people with these conditions. For further information
the HING has created a website that enables employers
to register for free resources that will encourage them
to recruit and retain disabled talent. This can be found
at:
www.hing.org.uk
The Department’s specialist disability employment
programmes, including Work Choice, include provision
for third party providers to support both employers
and individuals with tailored support to meet their
mutual needs in entering and remaining in
employment. Access to Work is available for people
whose health or disability affects they way they do their
job, and provides support that is over and above what is
considered a reasonable adjustment under the Equality
Act.
The Department is also currently updating its
strategy on engaging with employers on disability
employment. This is expected to include deepening the
support and resources available to employers in a
strategic way.
Housing Benefit: Morecambe
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work
and Pensions how many people in Morecambe and
Lunesdale constituency in (a) the private sector and
(b) social rented housing qualify for housing benefit.
[150045]
Steve Webb: The information we have which relates
to how many people in Morecambe and Lunesdale
constituency in (a) the private sector and (b) social
rented housing are receiving housing benefit is available
at:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
Housing Benefit: Shared Housing
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work
and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number
of households affected by the raising of the age
threshold for the shared accommodation rate to 35
years old in (a) Scotland, (b) Airdrie and Shotts
constituency and (c) each local authority area in
Scotland. [149786]
Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions
published an impact assessment in August 2011 which
estimated the number of claimants affected by the
raising of the age threshold for the shared
accommodation rate to 35. Figures for Scotland and by
local authority are contained in Annex 2, Tables 1
and 4 at the following web address. Figures are not
available by parliamentary constituency.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-hb-shared-accommodationage-threshold.pdf
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work
and Pensions how many households in Scotland
containing an individual aged between 25 and 35 years
old received an exemption from the shared
accommodation rate owing to such an individual
having spent at least three months in a homelessness
hostel at which resettlement support was issued in
2012. [149794]
Steve Webb: This information is not available.