Disabled People (Hansard, 2 July 1998)

§ Mr. Denham

The administration of Disability Benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Gentleman.

Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. David Prior, dated 1 July 1998: The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked Peter Mathison to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions concerning the training given to officers in respect of dealing with disabled people and the guidance issued to offices on the treatment of disabled people when double checking benefit claims through interviews. As Mr. Mathison is on annual leave, I am replying. The Benefits Agency (BA) aims to ensure that all our customers have equal access to the benefits system, and that wherever possible, our services can accommodate their individual needs. BA staff are trained in dealing with people with disabilities. The Agency recognises the need to develop appreciation of all equal opportunity issues, and as such, provides training in serving the needs of the community. It is our policy to work in partnership with organisations from the voluntary sector to identify areas where improvements could be made. An example of this partnership is the Disability Awareness Training that was undertaken with the Disability Income Group, to enable the Benefit Integrity Project (BIP) visiting officers to understand the needs of disabled people. Refresher training for BIP visiting officers began on 18 May 1998 and was completed on 5 June 1998. This training addressed such issues as the improvements to the project, customer relations and again it concluded input from the Disability Income Group. 257W The BA operates a dedicated telephone helpline to meet the special needs of people with disabilities. Staff on the Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL) provide advice and information about social security benefits and how to claim them. They can also provide help and assistance with the completion of disability claim forms. In addition to the full range of social security benefits, the initial training for the operators includes disability awareness. This is supported by ongoing workshops which concentrate on the individual needs of customers suffering from a wide range of disabilities. Most recently this has included awareness training on the problems encountered by people with Mental Health problems. All managers are responsible for providing training which will help staff to meet the needs of their customers. We actively encourage them to use the expertise and support available from local public and private sector organisations and the voluntary sector. To assist managers, we have provided them with information on the awareness programmes and services available from a range of organisations. I hope you find this reply helpful.