The House of Commons Select Committee on Work and Pensions is currently in session. The sessions are televisised and can be viewed (live and on catch-up) via the Parliament TV service. They make surprisingly interesting viewing…
Yesterday (Dec 9th) in a ‘lively session’ the Committee questioned Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform, Howard Shiplee, Universal Credit Director General, and Mike Driver, Finance Director General. The questioning covered Universal Credit, and the DWP’s Statistics, Annual Report & Accounts for 2012-13. In their evidence, expanding on a letter previously submitted by Ian Duncan Smith, DWP ministers confirmed that £40.1 million had been written off on software and computing costs during the introduction of Universal Credit. Apparently, in Whitehall-speak, and as explained by Mike Driver, the sum involved has been ‘impaired'(!?), an English usage queried by astonished Committee member Glenda Jackson.
Tomorrow (Wed. 11th December), the Committee will take evidence on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) implementation.
The invited witnesses are Mike Penning MP (Minister for Disabled People, Department for Work and Pensions), Dr Bill Gunnyeon (Director for Health and Wellbeing, Chief Medical Adviser and Chief Scientist, Deparment for Work and Pensions) and Jason Feeney (Benefits Director, Department for Work and Pensions.Pensions).
The purpose of the session will be to assess progress with the introduction of Personal Independence Payment for new claimants and the timetable for “natural reassessment” of existing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants, which began in some areas of the country in October 2013 .Wider issues relating to contractors’ capacity to deliver all Medical Services Contract assessments and reassessments to the proposed timescales, including Work Capability Assessments, will also be discussed.
For many persons with a learning disability who are currently recipients of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and for their carers and families, any clarification of the timetable for “natural reassessment” of existing DLA claimants will be of interest.
Consideration of ‘the Medical Services Contract assessments’ will inevitably lead to consideration of the role and competence of the contractors Atos and Capita. This topic has been the subject of much debate within and outside Parliament.
Look out for a report on tomorrow’s Committee proceedings.