Welfare Reform Bill

I hope to start this afternoon by being quite brief. I recognise the noble Lord’s concern for the well-being of vulnerable customers. That underlies these amendments, which make provision for an intermediary in necessary cases. I hope that I can persuade noble Lords of the Government’s intentions about encouraging intermediaries or advocates to accompany any employment and support allowance customer. Considering first the personal capability assessment, we all agree that it is important to gather the right evidence during any stage of the PCA process, whether they determined limited capability for work, limited capability for work-related activity or the work-focused health-related assessment. That is necessary to allow an accurate assessment of the customer's functional limitations and capability. The need to gather appropriate information also extends to the face-to-face medical examination and the work-focused health-related assessment part of the process. To identify the health interventions that would help the customer into work, we need to have accurate information. Indeed, for this part of the process, the customer's perception of the effect of his or her condition is a key part of the assessment. Healthcare professionals carrying out PCA examinations will be trained, among other things, in appropriate interview techniques, and how to treat customers sensitively and with empathy. Of course, people with mental health problems or a learning disability, for instance, may find it very difficult to articulate at a face-to-face interview, the full extent of their difficulties. We do not want anybody to lose out on benefit entitlement because they cannot give an accurate picture of themselves, their condition and the limitations that it places on their functional ability. It is entirely reasonable that such people or any other customer should be able to make use of a spokesperson on their behalf: perhaps a member of their family, or a care worker who knows them well. As the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, said, my noble friend Lord McKenzie made it clear during Second Reading on 29 January that the facility for them or any customer to do so already exists. It is already established practice in all examination centres. Customers are informed—I think this is what the noble Lord, Lord Addington, was looking for—when their appointment is confirmed, that they can bring a representative or companion with them if they wish. On work-focused interviews and work-related activity, we will build on our good practice in Pathways areas. There, we encourage intermediaries to join customers when they engage in help and support. We also take steps to make sure that our customers can access our services. In introducing work-related activity, we will build on the support in place in Pathways to Work areas and we will ensure that similar procedures are in place as now. We will also continue to consider how best all our services can be accessed by all customers and, where necessary, we will not hesitate to review procedures. My note reminds me to add that, yes, anyone can have a representative at any of the interviews that I mentioned. I hope that the Committee will be reassured to know that the presence of intermediaries is both firmly embedded in the normal procedures for providing help and support during the PCA and in Pathways currently, and an integral part of our plans for the future. It is not necessary to make provision for this in the Bill, as the amendments would do, but I welcome the opportunity to put that on record. I urge the noble Lord to withdraw the amendment.