§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what training Benefits Agency staff and Benefits Agency medical services doctors receive in mental health problems in assessing applications for incapacity benefit. [15868]
§ Mr. BurtThe administration of incapacity benefit is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Chris Smith, dated 28 February 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what training Benefits Agency staff and Benefit Agency Medical Services (BAMS) doctors receive in mental health problems in assessing applications for Incapacity Benefit (IB).BA staff receive training in handling claims from persons suffering from mental health conditions as part of a general IB training course. This course provides instruction in dealing with all aspects of claims to IB, including guidance on identifying when customers may be suffering from mental health conditions; and the appropriate action to take to obtain sufficient information to enable the adjudication officer to give a decision on the appropriate test of incapacity.All doctors, full time, contract and sessional, employed by BAMS to carry out assessments for IB have undergone specific training to carry out the mental health assessment. All BAMS doctors attend a four day training course which includes a module designed specifically to cover the assessment of mental health problems.In addition all full-time and short term contract doctors attend a two-day medical education conference during which there is a session devoted specifically to the assessment of mental health problems, this session is led by a consultant psychiatrist.I hope you find this reply helpful.
§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the effect on public revenues in 1996–97 and 1997–98 of extending the linking rule for periods of incapacity for work or interruption of employment from eight weeks to(a) 13 weeks, (b) 26 weeks, (c) one year and (d) two years. [18229]