Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2015-10-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the contribution of the Minister of State for Disabled People to the debate on Welfare Reform (Sick and Disabled People) of 27 February 2014, what progress his Department is making on an assessment of the effect of welfare changes on disabled people and carers; and when his Department plans to publish that assessment.

Justin Tomlinson

Cumulative impact assessment analysis published by HMT is the most comprehensive available, as spending is not the only way to help disabled people and carers. It is crucial that any assessment includes looking at further support including health spending, employment support, and investment in infrastructure, as well as the introduction of the National Living Wage, the extended childcare offer for working parents of three and four year olds and the increase to the personal allowance. HM Treasury’s analysis includes these wider impacts in its cumulative analysis.

However, it is not possible to produce a cumulative impact assessment of policies on disabled people and carers using this model only.

The Government has published analysis showing how the share of public spending that benefits households and the share of tax paid by households changes as a result of government policy.

The richest fifth will be paying a greater proportion of taxes in 2017-18 than in 2010-11 as a result of government policy – and more than all other households put together.

The proportion of spending received by households in each quintile has not changed since 2010-11: around half of all spending on welfare and public services is still going to the poorest 40 per cent of households.