Welfare Reform Bill

Indeed, and if I have more information on that specific point I will write to the noble Lord. The information I have concerns making both customer and employer more aware of the scheme, ensuring that the scheme is promoted and developing partnerships through which it is promoted. That work needs to be more effective. A dialogue is being conducted with UNISON, Remploy and Unite to ascertain how to make their members more aware of Access to Work. We believe that Access to Work is a very good scheme and that it is not being promoted as effectively as we would wish. However, I shall certainly get back to the noble Lord on the point he made. The noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, discussed discrimination against people with fluctuating conditions. Work capability assessments are not done on a snapshot basis. They take into account the person’s functional ability over time and assess whether he or she can carry out an activity most of the time. They also take into account the effects of symptoms such as pain and fatigue, and any relevant side-effects of medication, on an individual’s ability to carry out tasks.