§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review the requirement for persons who have(a) chronic mental health problems and (b) chronic physical conditions to undergo (i) IB50 and (ii) personal capability assessment. [149715]
§ Maria EagleThe Personal Capability Assessment, which includes completion of IB50 self-assessment where relevant, is an effective method of determining a person's functional ability.
The IB50 self-assessment questionnaire has been designed to give people the opportunity to provide information about their problems, mental or physical, that they feel the decision maker should take into account in relation to functional assessment.
People with a severe mental illness are exempt from the Personal Capability Assessment, and procedures have been developed so that people who meet the exemption criteria are identified at the earliest possible stage. Any cause of incapacity which may include a mental health problem triggers a request for a report from the person's GP or medical specialist. People who are exempt are not required to complete a self-assessment IB50.
We have no plans to change these arrangements at present.
§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to improve access for incapacity benefit claimants to personal capability assessment tests by introducing peripatetic surgeries in rural areas. [149716]
102W
§ Maria EagleUnder the contract for provision of Medical Services, SchlumbergerSema must ensure that customers are not required to travel for more than ninety minutes by public transport, on a single journey, for an examination, unless previously agreed with the customer; SchlumbergerSema will pay all reasonable and actual expenses to customers who attend for an examination and apply for reimbursement.
Information leaflets are provided to customers, advising them to contact the Client Help desk if they expect to experience difficulties in travelling to the Medical Examination Centre. Under certain circumstances, SchlumbergerSema will authorise the refund of taxi fares if agreed in advance with the Client Help desk; domiciliary visits can also be arranged, where it is determined that a customer is unable to travel on medical grounds.
We have no plans to change these arrangements at present.
§ Annabelle EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeal tribunal decisions on incapacity benefit appeals have been challenged by social security offices in(a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the United Kingdom in each of the last two years; and how many challenges were successful in each case. [148746]
§ Maria EagleDecisions of tribunals may be appealed on a point of law to Social Security Commissioners. The numbers of tribunal decisions appealed in incapacity benefit cases in the last two years are in the tables.
Tribunal decisions on incapacity benefit appealed by the Secretary of State on a point of law during 2002 Scotland Elsewhere in the UK Decisions appealed 7 11 Successful 7 8 Unsuccessful 0 3
Tribunal decisions on incapacity benefit appealed by the Secretary of State on a point of law during 2003 Scotland Elsewhere in the UK Decisions appealed 11 34 Successful 5 13 Unsuccessful1 1 6 Result awaited 5 15 1 Figure for elsewhere in the UK includes one appeal withdrawn. Note:
Successful appeals include decision set aside by a tribunal chairman and those found by a Social Security Commissioner to be erroneous in law.