Department for Work and Pensions

Pensioners who are in receipt of a means-tested benefit such as Pension Credit, and who live in a care home are not entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment. This is because most will have their care and accommodation costs met by the Local Authority.

For purposes of Winter Fuel Payments, a care home is defined by section 3 of the Care Standards Act 2000 in England (Care Standards Act 2000) or Part 1 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 in Wales (Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016). Assisted living accommodation does not fall under this definition.

The latest take up figures were published in October 2024. They showed that in financial year 2022/23, 65% of those entitled to Pension Credit claimed the benefit.

Data on Pension Credit claims and awards was published in November. It showed that there has been a 145% increase in Pension Credit claims received by DWP in the 16 weeks following the Chancellor’s Winter Fuel Payment announcement on the 29 July, compared to the number received in the 16 weeks prior to the announcement.

Benefit expenditure and caseload forecasts are regularly made publicly available by the Department. The latest published forecasts estimate that Winter Fuel Payments will cost £330m in nominal terms, for financial year 2025/26.

The Department for Work and Pensions does offer paternity leave to its staff from their first working day.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.

The most recent information on processing times for Pension Credit was published in the DWP annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK (ARA) on 22nd July 2024. This shows that in 2023/24 DWP cleared 192,000 Pension Credit claims within the planned 50 working day timescale, equating to 77.7%. The next publication of the ARA will include claims processed in the Financial Year 2024 to 2025, which is due for publication in the summer.

As announced in the recent Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice. This new service will transform our ability to support people into work, help those on low pay to increase their earnings, and create a more flexible workforce for a fast changing, higher skilled jobs market. This transformation is expected to contribute significantly to economic growth by addressing local skills gaps and providing tailored support to meet the needs of local labour markets.

We are currently considering our evaluation strategy to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the new service. This includes funding in 2025/26 to take forward the first steps of building the new service through a pathfinder, as set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper.

Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.

Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.

Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live.

Disabled people and people with health conditions, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.

Our recently published Get Britain Working White Paper sets out our aspirations to overhaul the Jobcentre system and establish a new Job and Career Service, which will focus on people’s skills and careers instead of just monitoring and managing benefit claims. This will be kickstarted by £55million of investment, to help people – including parents - get into work, stay in work, build skills and progress in their career.

We are also considering how we can improve our support to help parents into work as part of our Child Poverty Strategy which will be published later this year.

Work Coaches provide individual, tailored support to all customers, this includes advice to parents on childcare support or help to address their skills gaps to aid career progression.

In England, the Household Support Fund is a scheme providing discretionary support to those most in need towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water and to support with essentials linked to these for example, energy efficient items which reduce bills and the purchase of equipment such as slow cookers.

Local Authorities have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have set out for the fund. This is because they have the ties and the knowledge to best determine how support should be provided in their local communities.

In 2022/23 in Northumberland there were 10,858 children living in relative poverty before housing costs. Figures on an after housing costs basis are not available below region level. Source: Children in Low Income Families statistics

In 2022/23 in the North East there were 0.1m children living in relative poverty on a before housing costs basis and 0.2m children living in relative poverty on an after housing costs basis. Source: Households Below Average Income statistics

In 2022/23 in the UK there were 3.2m children living in relative low poverty on a before housing costs basis and 4.3m children living in relative poverty on an after housing costs basis. Source: Households Below Average Income statistics

2023/24 figures will be published in March 2025.

The latest statistics show that in 2022/23, there were 1,557 children living in absolute poverty and 2,215 children living in relative poverty in South Cotswolds constituency. Figures are provided for all children (including 16- to 19-year-olds) and on a before housing costs basis, available on Stat-Xplore. Figures on an after housing costs basis are not available below region level.

Source: Stat-Xplore (Children in Low Income Families Statistics)

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ensures workers are protected from work-related violence and harm within the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. For sexual harassment, existing protections under the Equality Act 2010, enforced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), provide a robust framework. HSE complements these protections by promoting safe working environments and referring cases to the appropriate regulatory bodies. With the updated legal duties to the Equality Act 2010 in October 2024, employers have enhanced responsibilities to prevent sexual harassment, reinforcing the comprehensive framework already in place.

Travel between work and home is not a work activity so outside of HSE’s remit. Protection from sexual harassment during such journeys is the responsibility of others including the police.

The exercise was completed by 31^st May 2024 ensuring all National Insurance records were corrected within the expected timetable with the data shared with HMRC. As stated when the issue was originally raised, relatively few cases, with benefits already in payment, were affected (20,604). Arrears of £7,338,393.81 have been paid.

No assessment has been made. Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is continuing its urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy. Families can receive benefits up to the value of gross earnings of around £25,700 or £30,300 in London. Where households require more support, they can approach their Local Authority, for help and guidance with housing costs.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The three month qualifying period is not a waiting period. Its purpose is to help establish that the disability or health condition, and the resulting care, supervision or mobility needs are of a long-standing nature. This ensures that disability benefits are targeted to support those with long term health conditions or disabilities.

Children applying for DLA do not always have to wait for the full three months from the date of their claim before they become entitled to the benefit. The case manager will always look at whether, and for how long, the person has required the necessary level of help for care/daily living and/or mobility purposes before the date of claim and consider whether some or all of the qualifying period has already been completed.

Children claiming DLA under the special rules for end of life do not have to satisfy the three--month qualifying period. Their claim is fast tracked, and they are eligible for the higher-rate care component from the date of claim.

Financial and practical support may be available during the qualifying period, for example through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme or support provided by Local Authority.

Judgment was handed down in the Work Capability Assessment (WCA): Activities and Descriptors consultation Judicial Review on 16 January 2025.

DWP’s litigation costs between 1 November 2023 and 21 January 2025 were £211,345.42.

DWP has been ordered to pay the Claimant’s reasonable costs of the claim. The DWP will endeavour to agree those reasonable costs with the Claimant following the standard legal process where necessary. The DWP has been ordered to pay £254,458.63 as a payment on account of the Claimant’s costs representing 60% of an estimate of the costs she has incurred in bringing this claim.

The Department for Work and Pensions applies the statutory eligibility criteria for shared parental leave, which includes the parent or parents we employ working for at least 26 weeks up to a relevant date. DWP does not offer its staff shared parental leave from their first working day, with the possible exception of existing civil servants who join DWP with continuous/linked service in another government department.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.

Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live.

Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.

As well as these initiatives, in Spalding, we support learning disabled and neurodiverse customers alongside partner organisations that we work closely with and have led and co-created the learning pathway for all sites in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland to have Neuro Diversity champions. We liaise with Local Supported Employment (Showcase), a DWP funded programme led by Lincolnshire County Council. The Jobcentre also works closely with an employment agency working specifically with those who are Autistic and looking for work, mainly within project-based roles that can be done from home. There is also excellent links with over 20 Disability Confident Employers, and other partners including: Adult ADHD Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire Autistic Society.

There are a wide range of studies and estimates for the extra cost of disability. As such, there is no objective way of deciding what an adequate level of the extra costs disability benefits should be, and everyone has different requirements reflecting their own circumstances and priorities.

DWP pays close attention to the evidence base on the extra costs faced by disabled people; including academic research, analysis by Scope, and DWP’s own commissioned research.

Our research with former tax credit customers who did not claim UC found that the majority of respondents did not intend to claim UC in the future and customers were generally making an informed decision. The report did identify potential barriers for some groups claiming UC. DWP sets out the range of support available for making a claim to Universal Credit within the Migration Notice, including independent support through Help to Claim. This support is also available online and has been highlighted through our extensive media campaign. Our published official statistics show that those receiving a DWP legacy benefit or Housing Benefit are claiming at a higher percentage, in line with Discovery claim rates.

The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health.

Notwithstanding these positive outcomes from work, the Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.

The Family Test Guidance was published in the House of Commons Library on 01 April 2019 and is also available on gov.uk, and can be accessed at the links below:

House of Commons Library:

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7714/

Gov.uk:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-test-assessing-the-impact-of-policies-on-families/the-family-test

The DWP collaborates across Government to enhance operations, share data across government, and represent DWP at cross-government Digital and Data forum to deliver outcomes.

DWP works jointly across Government Departments and Law Enforcement Agencies on investigations into benefit fraud carried out by organised crime gangs.

The protections for staff within the Department for Work and Pensions against unfair dismissal include the application of a fair, published, accessible discipline procedure, formal appeal of the decision to an independent appeal manager and an ability for the trade unions to raise with the central HR team any dismissal decisions they are concerned about.

These rights can be exercised by staff from their first day of working.

Where staff externally make a claim of unfair dismissal to the Employment Tribunal, the rules of the tribunal apply and this is outside DWP’s control.

A consultation on proposed reforms to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. This included removing Direct Pay and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster, and exploring how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported. This follows the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act receiving royal assent in July 2023.

The consultation was extended by this Government at the end of July and ran until 30 September 2024. We are currently analysing the responses we have received, and the Government will publish a response in due course.

At the end of September 2024, the CMS was managing 749,000 arrangements of which approximately 60% of arrangements used Direct Pay and 40% Collect and Pay.

The Department has been conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose and reflects today’s social trends. This process is ongoing and no date for announcing the outcome has yet been set. When it is, any changes will be subject to extensive consultation and legislation brought forward where necessary for approval.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) removed the £20 application fee in February 2024. This has removed any requirement to report domestic abuse. It has also removed one of the affordability barriers for parents who wish to apply to the scheme.

A consultation on proposed reforms to the CMS was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. This included:

• removing Direct Pay and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster,
• exploring views on collection fees and the impact of proposals to reduce, but maintain, fees and
• exploring how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported. This follows the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act receiving royal assent in July 2023.

The consultation was extended by this Government at the end of July and ran until 30 September 2024. We are currently analysing the responses we have received, and the Government will publish a response in due course.

In 2024, the previous government announced fit note trailblazers to be included in some of the 15 WorkWell pilot areas across Integrated Care Boards in England.

Due to the timings of the General Election the trailblazers were not launched.

The learning from the Fit Note Trailblazers will be applied to three of the eight inactivity trailblazers that are NHSE led health and growth accelerators, where £45 million has been specifically allocated to three integrated care boards to improve population health outcomes and reduce health-related economic inactivity as part of the Get Britain Working Plans.

The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. This is so that disabled customers have the same access to goods and services and are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers. This is an anticipatory duty, meaning providers should not wait to be asked before acting, but should expect that some of their customers will be disabled and require adaptations.

The Government welcomes steps some retailers are taking to introduce sensory friendly hours for customers who may find busy or loud shopping environments overwhelming.

Encouragingly, many establishments are already adopting practices like offering "quiet hours" or optimising acoustics for a more welcoming atmosphere.

The National Autistic Society has produced guidance for businesses on how this can be implemented: Autism Hour guidance (including tips for social distancing).pdf

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) supports DCMS in their work to tackle Loneliness and social isolation through Jobcentres, who carry out an important role in identifying people at risk of loneliness, directing people to tailored support such as social prescribing, volunteering opportunities, befriending schemes and other local community opportunities and helping them to return to, or prepare to return to the labour market.

More specifically, the Jobcentre network promote local opportunities relevant to those at risk of Loneliness such as the Warm Welcome Spaces in the community.

The Cost of Living Payments were intended to relieve the immediate financial pressures caused by the rapid rise in cost of living. There are no plans to reintroduce these payments.

The scope of the review is set out in the Keep Britain Working Terms of Reference which will be published on Gov.Uk on 24 January 2025. The review will consider evidence from a variety of sources and it will be for the review lead, Sir Charlie Mayfield, to determine how any data informs the development of recommendations.

The independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) are responsible for the LFS, which is an important source of labour market information for the Department. In order to monitor the department's progress towards an 80% employment rate we need a robust Labour Force Survey (LFS). As such, we are engaging regularly with the ONS on these data issues and supporting ONS to improve the quality of the LFS.

The Department for Work and Pensions also continues to make more use of statistics based on administrative data (for example, benefit caseloads or HMRC PAYE data) alongside LFS statistics to form the best labour market view.

The ONS are also working on the Transformed Labour Force Survey to replace the LFS. The Department are working closely with the ONS and other government to ensure it is fit for purpose and provides reliable estimates of labour market trends.

We remain focussed on getting more people into work to grow our economy and improve living standards across all parts of the country.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) places duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises (the Responsible Person) to report work-related fatalities, certain injuries, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses). Reports are made via a dedicated RIDDOR submission form.

An electrocution that occurred during window cleaning being carried out as a ‘work activity’ (as opposed to by the homeowner) would be reportable under RIDDOR as a work-related fatality.

HSE collects information on deaths from contact with electricity in the category of ‘building and industrial cleaning activities’. However, it does not collect specific information relating to electrocutions caused by the use of water-fed poles in window cleaning.

Budgeting Advances help Universal Credit customers meet intermittent miscellaneous expenses, such as buying essential items like furniture or household equipment. These advances ensure that low-income families that have an emergency financial need and do not have access to adequate savings or affordable loans can access funding to meet the emergency.

Only eligible customers are able to access Budgeting Advances and there are limits set out in regulation on the amount that can be awarded. Information on the eligibility criteria can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides a contribution to the extra costs that may arise from a long-term disability or health condition. PIP is a non-contributory, non-means-tested, additional cost benefit and can be worth over £9,500 a year, tax free. Individuals can choose how to use the benefit, in the light of their individual needs and preferences.

The benefit can also be paid in addition to any other financial or practical support someone may be entitled to such as Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, NHS services, free prescriptions, help with travel costs to appointments. It can also act as a passport to additional support such as premiums and additional amounts paid within certain benefits, Carer’s Allowance for an informal carer or the Blue Badge scheme. The benefits have been consistently uprated in line with inflation since they were introduced and were, like other benefits, increased by 6.7% from 8 April 2024.

No assessment has been made. This would be a matter for the Scottish Government and National Records of Scotland: Life Expectancy in Scotland 2021-2023 - National Records of Scotland (NRS)

All employees of DWP, including foster carers, have access to flexi time and can exercise their legal right to request other kinds of flexible working. Specific provision exists for foster carers to have paid time off for their initial assessment, training or attendance at formal meetings. Once approved as a foster carer, specific provision also exists for paid time off to deal with emergencies and for ongoing training and further formal meetings. In addition, any foster carer may apply for time off under provisions that are not restricted to foster care, such as paid compassionate leave. Other support provided for all employees is available for foster carers to use, such as professional advice and counselling from our employee assistance service.

For Arms-Length Bodies in scope there are different mechanisms in place for supporting their employees. These details are provided below:

• The Pensions Regulator (TPR) ‘s adoption policy allows those members of staff who are fostering with the intention to adopt to get paid time off for settling a new child into their home as well as for five introductory adoption meetings. Those who are fostering without the intention to adopt have the statutory right to apply for flexible working along with all employees. While TPR does not offer specific training or support for those members of staff who are foster carers, their Employee Assistance Programme offers general support to them as they go through the process and beyond.

• The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) does not currently have a specific Foster Policy, but all employees can request flexible working arrangements and take carers or dependency leave as outlined in its Flexible Working and Family Leave policies. While MaPS' policies align with statutory provision, it prioritises and expedites requests to ensure timely support for colleagues who receive requests for placements at very short notice. It is committed to supporting colleagues through options like paid leave, special paid leave, or unpaid leave, as agreed with line managers.

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not have a specific policy that covers employees who are foster carers. All their employees can apply for flexible working, and they offer hybrid working. HSE advises line managers of employees who are foster carers, to look sympathetically at any request for paid time off using our special leave policy.

• The Pensions Ombudsman have not been advised by any current employees that they are foster carers. They do not have an explicit reference in their policies regarding special leave as it relates to foster care but do have good mechanisms to demonstrate flexibility around dependents and care needs.

For the period requested, there was NIL spend on these types of training.

The Health and Safety Executive Energy Division, having completed their investigation, on 20 November 2024 submitted a report to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Once the Procurator Fiscal has reviewed the report and due process has been followed, the factual findings around the incident will be available.

Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.

As part of the Get Britain Working plans the Government is launching Keep Britain Working, an independent review into the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces.

Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people and people with health conditions have the opportunity to work and save for as long as they wish and are able to.

Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. Through the Employment Rights Bill we are taking steps to improve the Right to Request Flexible Working so that an application is only refused if it is not reasonably feasible. Flexible working can include home working.

Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, and the Disability Confident scheme.

We also have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.

The requested information is not readily available as it is not centrally collated and to provide this would be at disproportionate cost. Depending on the benefit being claimed, the clerical NCC1 forms are either handed into the Jobcentre Plus office, for Universal Credit, or are sent to the relevant postal address for Child Tax Credits and Income Support.

The annual statistics about the policy that provides support for a maximum of 2 children in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit provides a range of statistics including statistics relating to the exceptions to the policy. The latest and previous publications can be found here: Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children, April 2024 - GOV.UK

Those who are ordinarily resident in Great Britain on their 80^th birthday and who meet the required residency conditions will receive the increase automatically without having to make a claim if their basic State Pension is less than £101.55 a week (£105.70 from April 2025). Those who are getting no State Pension at age 80 or who get Graduated Retirement Benefit only, will need to make a claim.

The Category D over 80 pension is not part of the new State Pension, but it continues to be available for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016.

Information about the over 80 pension is available on Gov.uk.