TUPE and HB staff:
Stephen Timms:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local authority housing benefit staff he expects to transfer into his Department under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 rules; and when he expects such transfers to take place. [38684]
Chris Grayling:The Department for Work and Pensions will be responsible for organising the delivery of universal credit. We have not yet finalised the detail and therefore the impact on organisations currently delivering benefits that universal credit will replace. In respect of housing, we are working closely with local authorities and the housing sector as our plans develop.
DHP's and medical assessment
Mike Weatherley:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider the merits of extending the time between medical assessment for people with severe illnesses and disabilities and claiming discretionary housing benefit. [34022]
Maria Miller:Local authorities can make discretionary housing payments to people who are entitled to housing benefit or council tax benefit where the local authority considers that the person concerned is in need of further help with their housing costs. There are no other prescribed conditions of entitlement or resources tests.
HB, social security and the electoral role:
Guto Bebb:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will discuss with the Deputy Prime Minister the potential effects on the completeness of the electoral register of requiring benefits claimants to be registered on the electoral register before being eligible for welfare benefits. [37786]
Maria Miller:Such a measure is not under consideration as it is likely that would be successfully challenged under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European convention on human rights (ECHR).
DLA and the proposed cap on benefits:
Barry Gardiner:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the effects of his proposed cap on the level of household benefits on the number of applications for disability living allowance. [36431]
Maria Miller:Households which include a member who is receiving disability living allowance will be exempt from the impacts of the benefit cap. This is in acknowledgement that DLA recipients face additional costs of every day living.
Claims for disability living allowance will continue to be determined by the assessment process.
We are unable to predict the effects of the benefit cap on the number of applications for disability living allowance.
On 6 December we launched a consultation on the reform of disability living allowance with the key proposal of a new benefit, to be known as personal independence payment, which will be introduced from 2013. The consultation proposed that personal independence payment should be subject to a new, more objective assessment process enabling us to more accurately and consistently assess individuals to determine who will benefit most from additional support.