The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.
In our July 2023 Report Plan for Jobs and employment support, we considered DWP’s employment support provision following the …
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Department for Work and Pensions does not have Bills currently before Parliament
A Bill to make provision about additional payments to recipients of means-tested benefits, tax credits and disability benefits.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 23rd March 2023 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to provide for certain social security rules which apply where life expectancy is 6 months or less to apply instead where life expectancy is 12 months or less
This Bill received Royal Assent on 25th October 2022 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision about additional payments to recipients of means-tested benefits, tax credits and disability benefits.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 28th June 2022 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision relating to the up-rating of certain social security benefits payable in the tax year 2022-23.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 17th November 2021 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision about pension schemes
This Bill received Royal Assent on 11th February 2021 and was enacted into law.
A Bill To make provision relating to the up-rating of certain social security benefits.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 23rd November 2020 and was enacted into law.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Implement Universal Basic Income to give home & food security through Covid-19
Gov Responded - 30 Mar 2020The government should implement an immediate Universal Basic Income trial for all UK residents to ensure home and food security through the coronavirus Covid-19 crisis, to support the needs of those that need to self-isolate as well as the public health at large, and the wider economy.
Increase State pensions to £380 a week, and lower retirement age to 60
Gov Responded - 21 Sep 2022 Debated on - 12 Dec 2022The British State pension is far too low. We want the Government to increase the basic state pension to £19,760 a year (£380 a week), and extend this to anyone aged 60 or over. This should lift thousands out of poverty, and give our elderly folk more spending power and help grow the economy.
End reviews of PIP and ESA awards for people with lifelong illnesses
Gov Responded - 10 Sep 2021 Debated on - 4 Sep 2023People with a lifelong illness should not be subject to regular reviews for eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). People suffering lifelong conditions should not have to prove they are still ill every couple of years.
Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.
Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
The information requested is not available and to provide it would be at disproportionate cost.
The information requested is not available and to provide it would be at disproportionate cost.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
The average waiting time for an initial assessment for people on the Access to Work Scheme in the last five years is not available.
However, the Access to Work statistics includes how many applications result in provision being approved from 2007/08 to 2022/23. Please see Table 3 of the Access to Work statistics.
The latest Access to Work statistics can be on the Access to Work statistics on GOV.UK
When referrals to the Work and Health Programme (WHP) end in September and before Universal Support begins its rollout from Autumn 2024 there will still be services available for disabled people and those with health conditions who have employment support needs. These include Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme for disabled people and those with mild to moderate mental and physical health conditions.
It also includes, for example, the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programme for people with drug and alcohol dependency and the Local Supported Employment (LSE) programme for people who are learning disabled, neurodivergent or Autistic as well as locally led employment support delivered through Jobcentres.
People on the Universal Credit Health caseload are in the ‘Live fit note (pre-wca)’ stage if they have accepted medical evidence of a restricted ability to work, usually a statement of fitness for work (or ‘fit note’), on the caseload date, and have not yet had a Work Capability Assessment or received a Work Capability Assessment decision.
More information about the Universal Credit Health caseload, process and WCA official statistics can be found in the published UC WCA stats background information document.
The ONR contract with Lisa Ellis of Bespoke Business Solutions for diversity and inclusion training was implemented in January 2024 for a period of three years to deliver 24 courses per annum with a total value of £36k over the three-year period. ONR has no plans to terminate this contract.
As a public corporation, ONR sits outside the civil service and is not subject to the Guidance on Diversity and Inclusion and Impartiality for Civil Servants, published on 14 May.
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
However, the Access to Work statistics includes how many applications result in provision being approved from 2007/08 to 2021/23.
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
However, the Access to Work statistics includes how many applications result in provision being approved from 2007/08 to 2021/23.
The average waiting time for making Access to Work decisions for Communication Support at Interview applications is:
2023/24 = 11.6 days
April 2024 = 9.4 days
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.
In each of the last five years the following number of applications have been received for communication support in job interviews through the access to work scheme:
2019-20 = Not available (info not collected)
2020-21 = 448
2021-22 = 708
2022-23 = 718
2023-24 = 599
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.
In response to what the shortest wait time was between an individual submitting an Access to Work application and receiving initial contact from the Department in the last (a) six and (b) twelve months, the shortest time for both periods is one day.
Customers making new applications where they are starting work within the next 4 weeks or have a grant coming to an end that requires renewal are prioritised to ensure customers can enter, make changes or move within the labour market.
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.
Under current contracts the Work and Health Programme will take last referrals on 30 September, with support continuing to July 2026.