Department for Work and Pensions

I refer the Hon. Member to the response I gave on 8 September 2026 to Question UIN 22469.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment, which will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, give employers greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need, and support the industrial strategy.

To expand opportunities for young people, we are now fully funding apprenticeships for eligible young people aged under 25 and introducing a £2,000 hiring payment for non-levy paying employers (who are typically SMEs) that recruit apprentices aged under 25 from October.

Alongside this, we are introducing a targeted bursary worth up to £4,500 to support access to apprenticeships for the small number of Universal Credit households that would otherwise be financially worse off when a young person starts an apprenticeship, so that no young person is discouraged from undertaking one.

The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which comprises 3,000 employers and apprentices who volunteer to promote the benefits of apprenticeships, including in schools and colleges.

The Jobs Guarantee will provide over 90,000 jobs to eligible young people over the 2026/2027 to 2028/2029 financial years.

The scheme is due to roll out across GB from November 2026, DWP will award multi-year grants to selected delivery organisations, who will deliver the Jobs Guarantee in local areas. Aldridge-Brownhills and Walsall is part of the Black Country delivery area, where DWP expects 22,00 young people will be supported into jobs by May 2028.

The Department has published heat maps illustrating how demand for the Jobs Guarantee is distributed within the 25 delivery areas, with linked breakdowns for each area included. These can be viewed here.

Fraud and error levels are at their lowest since the pandemic, falling from 4.3% in FYE 2022 to 3.2% (£9.9bn) in 25/26. Thanks to prevention activity, use of data and analytics, and new powers under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act we remain on track to meet the OBR forecast of a 2.8% overpayment rate by 2028-29. This would be the lowest cross-welfare overpayment rate since tax credits began in 2003.

Over 243,000 people have moved into employment this year. The number of people in employment has reached a record high of 34.5 million. The unemployment level has increased by 83,000 over the year. These figures show why we must continue supporting people into work with our Get Britain Working plan, which includes creating a new jobs and careers service, tackling economic inactivity due to ill health, and delivering our Youth Guarantee.

The Department’s MP Hotlines are reserved for urgent cases involving wellbeing risks, imminent loss of income, or other situations requiring immediate action, and are not intended for routine enquiries. There is currently no MP Hotline backlog. While higher volumes and increasingly complex cases have affected wider correspondence response times, the Department has taken steps to strengthen capacity and oversight. These improvements are helping to reduce backlogs and support more timely responses for hon. Members.

Last year the Government revived the Pensions Commission to examine how to improve retirement outcomes for future generations. Its interim report, published on 19 May 2026, sets out key challenges with the current system and priorities for their next phase of work. It highlights that too many people, especially low- and middle-income earners, are not saving enough for retirement. The Government looks forward to receiving the Commission’s final report and recommendations in early 2027.

Defined benefit pensions are protected by a robust regulatory framework. They are established as trusts and the trustees have a fiduciary duty to act in the interests of scheme beneficiaries. Schemes must provide regular valuations and report their long-term funding, investment and risk management plans to the Pensions Regulator, who has a range of powers to intervene if needed. The Pension Protection Fund can provide compensation if employers become insolvent.

The Department recognises the important role hon. Members play in supporting constituents and is committed to responding to parliamentary casework as quickly as possible. While increased volumes and more complex cases have at times affected response times, we have deployed additional resources, strengthened oversight and improved case management processes. These measures are helping to reduce backlogs, increase capacity and support continued improvements in the timeliness of responses to hon. Members.

Connect to Work is being delivered locally across England and Wales and has been introduced on a phased basis, with delivery areas launching according to local readiness. As a result, there is variation in how long individual programmes have been operating, which affects the extent to which meaningful comparisons can currently be made between local authority and combined authority areas. We intend to publish data in due course on the progress local areas are making against delivery expectations, once sufficient evidence is available to support robust and meaningful comparisons.

The department regularly publishes Connect to Work official statistics. The latest statistics, which are also available in more detail on Stat-Xplore, cover the period from April 2025 to June 2026. For this period, 46 of the 48 delivery areas had launched their programmes, with 27 having operated for six months or more. Around 15,000 of the 25,000 starts on the programme occurred between March and June 2026, meaning a significant proportion of participants have not yet received sufficient support for outcomes to be fully realised.

Early indications for the programme’s performance are encouraging. Of the 4,400 participants who were out of work when joining the programme and who had received at least six months of support, 1,500 had achieved earnings from employment (34%). Moreover, of the 25,000 that started on the programme between April 2025 and June 2026, 26% of these were aged 16-24.

By June 2026, 7,200 people (including 2,700 aged 16 to 24) had started the more intensive SEQF (Supported Employment Quality Framework) support in Connect to Work. This is aimed at those with more complex barriers, including those who are neurodivergent or learning disabled. Of these, around 6,500 (90%) were out of work when starting the programme and 1,000 of these had already moved into work (including 420 young people).

We expect that the impact of the programme, including any variation in outcomes between areas, to become clearer as delivery matures and more participants complete their support journey.

Regarding a breakdown of the different complexities experienced by cohorts, the Management Information data is not currently of sufficient quality or coverage to meet the standards required for publication as Official Statistics, and therefore more detailed breakdowns are not currently published. We will keep this under review as publication of more detailed information in future Official Statistics will depend on how the MI data collection and processes mature.

Connect to Work is being delivered locally across England and Wales and has been introduced on a phased basis, with delivery areas launching according to local readiness. As a result, there is variation in how long individual programmes have been operating, which affects the extent to which meaningful comparisons can currently be made between local authority and combined authority areas. We intend to publish data in due course on the progress local areas are making against delivery expectations, once sufficient evidence is available to support robust and meaningful comparisons.

The department regularly publishes Connect to Work official statistics. The latest statistics, which are also available in more detail on Stat-Xplore, cover the period from April 2025 to June 2026. For this period, 46 of the 48 delivery areas had launched their programmes, with 27 having operated for six months or more. Around 15,000 of the 25,000 starts on the programme occurred between March and June 2026, meaning a significant proportion of participants have not yet received sufficient support for outcomes to be fully realised.

Early indications for the programme’s performance are encouraging. Of the 4,400 participants who were out of work when joining the programme and who had received at least six months of support, 1,500 had achieved earnings from employment (34%). Moreover, of the 25,000 that started on the programme between April 2025 and June 2026, 26% of these were aged 16-24.

By June 2026, 7,200 people (including 2,700 aged 16 to 24) had started the more intensive SEQF (Supported Employment Quality Framework) support in Connect to Work. This is aimed at those with more complex barriers, including those who are neurodivergent or learning disabled. Of these, around 6,500 (90%) were out of work when starting the programme and 1,000 of these had already moved into work (including 420 young people).

We expect that the impact of the programme, including any variation in outcomes between areas, to become clearer as delivery matures and more participants complete their support journey.

Regarding a breakdown of the different complexities experienced by cohorts, the Management Information data is not currently of sufficient quality or coverage to meet the standards required for publication as Official Statistics, and therefore more detailed breakdowns are not currently published. We will keep this under review as publication of more detailed information in future Official Statistics will depend on how the MI data collection and processes mature.

Connect to Work is being delivered locally across England and Wales and has been introduced on a phased basis, with delivery areas launching according to local readiness. As a result, there is variation in how long individual programmes have been operating, which affects the extent to which meaningful comparisons can currently be made between local authority and combined authority areas. We intend to publish data in due course on the progress local areas are making against delivery expectations, once sufficient evidence is available to support robust and meaningful comparisons.

The department regularly publishes Connect to Work official statistics. The latest statistics, which are also available in more detail on Stat-Xplore, cover the period from April 2025 to June 2026. For this period, 46 of the 48 delivery areas had launched their programmes, with 27 having operated for six months or more. Around 15,000 of the 25,000 starts on the programme occurred between March and June 2026, meaning a significant proportion of participants have not yet received sufficient support for outcomes to be fully realised.

Early indications for the programme’s performance are encouraging. Of the 4,400 participants who were out of work when joining the programme and who had received at least six months of support, 1,500 had achieved earnings from employment (34%). Moreover, of the 25,000 that started on the programme between April 2025 and June 2026, 26% of these were aged 16-24.

By June 2026, 7,200 people (including 2,700 aged 16 to 24) had started the more intensive SEQF (Supported Employment Quality Framework) support in Connect to Work. This is aimed at those with more complex barriers, including those who are neurodivergent or learning disabled. Of these, around 6,500 (90%) were out of work when starting the programme and 1,000 of these had already moved into work (including 420 young people).

We expect that the impact of the programme, including any variation in outcomes between areas, to become clearer as delivery matures and more participants complete their support journey.

Regarding a breakdown of the different complexities experienced by cohorts, the Management Information data is not currently of sufficient quality or coverage to meet the standards required for publication as Official Statistics, and therefore more detailed breakdowns are not currently published. We will keep this under review as publication of more detailed information in future Official Statistics will depend on how the MI data collection and processes mature.

The level of Bereavement Support Pay (BSP) is reviewed annually as part of the uprating process, and Government keeps wider bereavement support under review to ensure it remains effective and sustainable. BSP was designed to provide support during the immediate period following a bereavement, rather than replace income over the longer term.

The Timms Review shared a set of emerging recommendations on 9th September. These are not final recommendations of the Review. The steering group developed them using the evidence they have heard so far from D/deaf and disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, organisations and subject experts.

The steering group is now testing and refining these emerging recommendations through shaping recommendations workshops taking place across the UK in September and October.

The review will report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with its final recommendations in autumn 2026.

The Timms Review shared a set of emerging recommendations on 9th September. These are not final recommendations of the Review. The steering group developed them using the evidence they have heard so far from D/deaf and disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, organisations and subject experts.

The steering group is now testing and refining these emerging recommendations through shaping recommendations workshops taking place across the UK in September and October.

The review will report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with its final recommendations in autumn 2026.

The Timms Review shared a set of emerging recommendations on 9th September. These are not final recommendations of the Review. The steering group developed them using the evidence they have heard so far from D/deaf and disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, organisations and subject experts.

The steering group is now testing and refining these emerging recommendations through shaping recommendations workshops taking place across the UK in September and October.

The review will report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with its final recommendations in autumn 2026.

No assessment is currently available.

While the Department’s permitted expenses framework is designed to align, wherever feasible, with the approach taken by HMRC, the tax and welfare systems serve different purposes and operate under different legislative frameworks so complete alignment is not always possible. The Department does routinely keep its policies under review.

The number of households receiving the Universal Credit (UC) Housing Element or Housing Benefit, who are subject to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA), is available on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/). ‘Households on Universal Credit’ and ‘Housing Benefit – Data from April 2018’ would be the datasets of interest, and filters can be applied to show information for Wales and households with children only.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest, and if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

The department publishes monthly official statistics on the number of households in Great Britain receiving Housing Benefit (HB) or Universal Credit (UC) which are affected by the benefit cap. The statistics are currently available to May 2026 in the HB Point in Time Caseload and the UC Point in Time Caseload datasets on Stat-Xplore. These statistics can be broken down by country and Family Type.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract information.

The Government is committed to tackling poverty and supporting people to achieve financial independence. The benefit cap supports the fundamental principle that work is the best route out of poverty by encouraging those who can work to move into and progress in work, while protecting those for whom work is not possible.

In addition, the Government is tackling cost of living pressures facing families. In Wales, this includes targeted measures such as raising the minimum wage and removing the two child limit in Universal Credit. Discretionary Housing Payments may also be available to households in Wales that are subject to the cap and need additional support with their housing costs.

This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment. This will support 50,000 more young people across the country, including in rural areas, into apprenticeships over the next three years.

We know that small businesses are more likely to offer apprenticeships to young people but recognise that they don’t have the economies of scale or HR resources of larger employers.

To support them, we are introducing a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (who are typically SMEs) when they take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. Employers hiring apprentices aged 18-24 who have been on Universal Credit for over six months will also be eligible for the new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant

This is on top of the £1,000 we provide to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care.

In addition, the government now fully funds apprenticeship training for all eligible under 25s at employers of all sizes, as we prioritise funding toward young people.

Alongside this, employers benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.

The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), which comprises around 3,000 employer and apprentice volunteers, to promote the benefits of apprenticeships. It operates across all parts of England through nine regional networks which provide buddying and mentoring support to small businesses to help them recruit and retain apprentices.

This Government published its Animal Welfare Strategy in December 2025, outlining plans to take coordinated action to improve the welfare of pets. This includes committing to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. This Government will improve traceability and welfare by consulting on dog breeding reform.

The Government plans to abolish the direct pay service entirely so all parents can access the collect and pay service.

The removal of the Direct Pay service to a streamlined Collect and Pay service will enable CMS to monitor all payments and intervene promptly if an arrangement breaks down, as well as removing the need for parents to manage payment arrangements directly, providing a safer, more consistent service for families.

The Government believes that this is the most effective to improve compliance within CMS and strengthen protections for victims and survivors of domestic abuse, which includes economic abuse.

Our intention is to implement these changes as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

In the meantime, the CMS is strengthening its support for victim/survivors by making it easier for parents to switch to the Collect and Pay service through improvements to the ‘change to service type’ process. It is also being clearer in its communication about what support is available for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and how to access it.

Work is also ongoing with stakeholders to understand what additional support we can give to victims and survivors of abuse across the CMS customer journey.

The Department introduced around 1,000 Pathways to Work Advisers in March 2025 so that customers with Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) could be offered this voluntary support. Many of these customers had received little or no employment-focused contact for extended periods. This offer of support is made to all those assessed as LCWRA, not only those who have had LCWRA status for a long time.

Since April 2025 across Great Britain more than 100,000 customers with LCWRA have accessed voluntary Pathways to Work Adviser support (1). Recent published analysis shows that customers who received Additional Work Coach Support, the approach which Pathways to Work Adviser support builds on, were 40% more likely than a similar group of customers with LCWRA who did not receive support to be in work after two years (2). This published impact analysis is the best available evidence on the effect of this support.

Information on the number of claimants with a higher rate mobility component for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and enhanced rate mobility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in 2015 and 2025, can be found on Stat Xplore.

You can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore is also available here: Personal Independence Payment data on Stat-Xplore: user guide - GOV.UK.

The table below shows the Average Time to Answer for all calls to Access To Work services in an hours, minutes and seconds format (hh:mm:ss), itemised by Reporting Year. Please be aware that we DO NOT hold data for the 2015-2016 reporting year.

*Please note, that the current 2026 – 2027* reporting year, shows data up to and including 13/09/2026 only.

Disclaimer

The above answer contains unpublished figures.

The data provided is derived from the Department’s management information, designed solely for the purpose of helping the Department to manage its business. As such, it has not been subjected to the rigorous quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics.

As DWP holds the information internally, we have released it. However, it is possible information held by DWP may change due to operational reasons and we recommend that caution be applied when using it.

Since the start of the 2026/27 operational year, Access to Work has made positive progress in reducing outstanding work. As of 1 October 2026, using the full reporting period from April to August 2026, we have achieved a net backlog reduction of almost 3,000 cases, specifically 2,980. With recruits now arriving and needing to be coached and trained for the next six months, we expect the backlog to stabilise before falling in the spring of 2027.

Overall, the programme remains on track, and our assessment is that Access to Work continues to be on course to clear the backlog by September 2027.

The average wait time for a decision following an Access to Work application was:

2021/22: 28.3 days

2022/23: 57.8 days

2023/24: 45.1 days

2024/25: 67.1 days

2025/26: 100.9 days

Comparable data prior to 2021/22 is not available.

Please note that this data is derived from unpublished management information collected for internal use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics standards.

Since the start of the 2026/27 operational year, Access to Work has made positive progress in reducing outstanding work. As of 1 October 2026, using the full reporting period from April to August 2026, we have achieved a net backlog reduction of almost 3,000 cases, specifically 2,980. With recruits now arriving and needing to be coached and trained for the next six months, we expect the backlog to stabilise before falling in the spring of 2027.

Overall, the programme remains on track, and our assessment is that Access to Work continues to be on course to clear the backlog by September 2027.

The Access to Work online service has been designed to enable customers to manage their claims securely following identity verification using GOV.UK One Login. At present, the service does not support appointees accessing or submitting claims on behalf of customers. This is because the current service relies on individual identity verification to protect customers' personal information and maintain the security and integrity of the claims process, using GOV.UK One Login.

DWP is committed to ensuring Access to Work services are accessible to all customers. Customers can apply for Access to Work support and renew existing awards through the online service, which has been developed in line with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 and is fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard.

Recognising that some customers may be unable to use the online service, alternative channels remain available. Customers can contact Access to Work by telephone and, for those who are unable to hear or speak on the phone, Relay UK is available as an alternative communication route.

The Department keeps its services under review and is committed to meeting accessibility and reasonable adjustment requirements that are considered as part of the design and delivery of Access to Work services.

Digital work is currently planned to commence during the second half of financial year 2027-28 to explore the barriers preventing appointees from accessing the online service and to identify potential options for enabling appointee access in the future, while maintaining appropriate security and identity assurance standards.

The Access to Work online service has been designed to enable customers to manage their claims securely following identity verification using GOV.UK One Login. At present, the service does not support appointees accessing or submitting claims on behalf of customers. This is because the current service relies on individual identity verification to protect customers' personal information and maintain the security and integrity of the claims process, using GOV.UK One Login.

DWP is committed to ensuring Access to Work services are accessible to all customers. Customers can apply for Access to Work support and renew existing awards through the online service, which has been developed in line with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 and is fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard.

Recognising that some customers may be unable to use the online service, alternative channels remain available. Customers can contact Access to Work by telephone and, for those who are unable to hear or speak on the phone, Relay UK is available as an alternative communication route.

The Department keeps its services under review and is committed to meeting accessibility and reasonable adjustment requirements that are considered as part of the design and delivery of Access to Work services.

Digital work is currently planned to commence during the second half of financial year 2027-28 to explore the barriers preventing appointees from accessing the online service and to identify potential options for enabling appointee access in the future, while maintaining appropriate security and identity assurance standards.

The Access to Work online service has been designed to enable customers to manage their claims securely following identity verification using GOV.UK One Login. At present, the service does not support appointees accessing or submitting claims on behalf of customers. This is because the current service relies on individual identity verification to protect customers' personal information and maintain the security and integrity of the claims process, using GOV.UK One Login.

DWP is committed to ensuring Access to Work services are accessible to all customers. Customers can apply for Access to Work support and renew existing awards through the online service, which has been developed in line with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 and is fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standard.

Recognising that some customers may be unable to use the online service, alternative channels remain available. Customers can contact Access to Work by telephone and, for those who are unable to hear or speak on the phone, Relay UK is available as an alternative communication route.

The Department keeps its services under review and is committed to meeting accessibility and reasonable adjustment requirements that are considered as part of the design and delivery of Access to Work services.

Digital work is currently planned to commence during the second half of financial year 2027-28 to explore the barriers preventing appointees from accessing the online service and to identify potential options for enabling appointee access in the future, while maintaining appropriate security and identity assurance standards.

In December 2024, a Lead Minister for Disability was appointed in every government department, including the Department of Health and Social Care, to represent the interests of disabled people and champion disability inclusion and accessibility across their department, as they drive forward progress on the government’s manifesto commitments. The Lead Ministers for Disability have met regularly as a group to discuss improving outcomes for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.

The Health and Growth Accelerators programme has been established to test the effectiveness of health interventions across three systems- South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and North East and North Cumbria- in supporting people back to work or keeping them in work. The programme supports people with common conditions including musculoskeletal, mental health, and metabolic conditions, with early results indicating improved health and employment outcomes. Integrated working and local partnerships are key success factors: a multidisciplinary team nationally across DWP, DHSC and NHSE and locally across Integrated Care Boards and MCAs successfully co-design and deliver the programme as one team.

The information requested is not readily available or held centrally. To provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

The Department does, though, publish statistics on the number of State Pension recipients in Poland on Stat Xplore at Stat-Xplore - Log in. This does not give claimant nationality.

Certain UK benefits, including the State Pension, may continue to be paid to eligible individuals resident in Poland under the social security coordination provisions of the EU Withdrawal Agreement and the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The Government published an Impact Assessment alongside the Pension Schemes Act 2026, which included an assessment of member security impacts from surplus extraction is considered low.

Decisions to release surplus will be subject to trustee discretion and underpinned by strict safeguards. Trustees, who are required to act in the interests of scheme beneficiaries, will determine how members may benefit from any release of surplus.

We have recently consulted on draft regulations setting out the requirements for surplus release and protections for scheme members. They require actuarial certification that scheme funds remain sufficient to pay members’ promised pensions, both at the point of release and under a forward-looking test. The scheme actuary must be satisfied that the sufficiency test will continue to be met for a three year period after surplus funds have been released to employers and any additional member benefits which may have been included, ensuring that member protections are not eroded. Schemes will remain subject to the statutory funding framework.

When the surplus regulations come into force, the Pensions Regulator will issue guidance outlining matters for trustees to consider when releasing surplus, including whether members may also benefit. This guidance will be subject to consultation before it is published.

The Government recognises that the gender pensions gap reflects a range of factors, including differences in earnings, working patterns, labour market participation and the accumulation of private pension savings over working lives.

The Department for Work and Pensions has assessed differences in pension outcomes between men and women through its published analysis of the Gender Pensions Gap in Private Pensions: 2020 to 2022, which found that the Gender Pensions Gap for those approaching retirement (aged between 55 and 59) between 2020 and 2022 stood at 48%. This publication also highlights underlying causes of the gender pension gap and that the differences in pension outcomes between men and women become most apparent once women reach their 30’s, a trend driven by childcare responsibilities.

A range of activity is already underway across Government that could help improve pension outcomes for women. This includes a Government review of the parental leave and pay system and the appointment of Mariella Frostrup as Women’s Employment Ambassador in April 2026. The Ministry of Justice has also consulted on proposals to support greater use of pension sharing on divorce, where appropriate.

The Pensions Commission is exploring how to improve retirement outcomes, especially for those on the lowest incomes and at the greatest risk of poverty or under saving, including women. The Government will consider their recommendations carefully on publication of the Pension Commission’s final report in early 2027.

The Government recognises that the gender pensions gap reflects a range of factors, including differences in earnings, working patterns, labour market participation and the accumulation of private pension savings over working lives.

The Department for Work and Pensions has assessed differences in pension outcomes between men and women through its published analysis of the Gender Pensions Gap in Private Pensions: 2020 to 2022, which found that the Gender Pensions Gap for those approaching retirement (aged between 55 and 59) between 2020 and 2022 stood at 48%. This publication also highlights underlying causes of the gender pension gap and that the differences in pension outcomes between men and women become most apparent once women reach their 30’s, a trend driven by childcare responsibilities.

A range of activity is already underway across Government that could help improve pension outcomes for women. This includes a Government review of the parental leave and pay system and the appointment of Mariella Frostrup as Women’s Employment Ambassador in April 2026. The Ministry of Justice has also consulted on proposals to support greater use of pension sharing on divorce, where appropriate.

The Pensions Commission is exploring how to improve retirement outcomes, especially for those on the lowest incomes and at the greatest risk of poverty or under saving, including women. The Government will consider their recommendations carefully on publication of the Pension Commission’s final report in early 2027.

DWP recognises that while customers greatly value the support provided by the Access to Work scheme, they also have concerns about the scheme’s timeliness, consistency and appreciation of the complex barriers faced by people with disabilities in a modern workplace. The Department is addressing these points in order to deliver an improved scheme that will better help disabled people start and stay in work.

Efforts undertaken by the Department to achieve this include the recruitment of 480 additional staff to help reduce the Access to Work backlog by September 2027. These members of staff will receive extensive training to support them to handle complex applications. In addition, the Department is continuing to engage with a range of stakeholders to develop a richer understanding of the challenges disabled people face. The feedback from this engagement will be used to shape improvements to the scheme that better reflect the current needs of customers. Any improvements to Access to Work will be announced in advance of their implementation.

The Department does not hold information on the average processing time for Access to Work applications from self-employed customers. Access to Work management information does not differentiate by employment status once applications have been allocated to a Case Manager and average processing times for self-employed customers are therefore not available.

Access to Work is an important programme that supports many people and reform in this area is complex. We are committed to ensuring the system remains fair, and sustainable and changes must be carefully designed to ensure they deliver real improvements and this work takes time, but it is important we get it right.

We have taken the time needed to consult widely, collaborate, and gather evidence from disabled people, employers, and representative bodies. We are continuing to refine policy options, and ministers will announce next steps when the policy, evidence, and delivery plans are fully developed.

Connect to Work is a voluntary programme. Participation in the programme does not automatically trigger a reassessment of disability benefits. As with all employment support programmes, where a participant moves into employment, there may be an impact on benefit entitlement, depending on their earnings and individual circumstances. Specialist Connect to Work employment advisers help participants understand any potential impact before taking up employment.

The Government wants disabled people and people with health conditions to have confidence that exploring or taking up work will not, in itself, lead to a reassessment of their benefits. The Right to Try regulations, which came into force on 30 April 2026, establish in law that starting paid or voluntary work alone will not trigger a Work Capability Assessment reassessment or a PIP award review. This protection is intended to remove uncertainty and give disabled people and people with health conditions greater confidence to try work while receiving benefits.

The Pension Schemes Act 2026 provides greater flexibility for more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus, while maintaining strong protections for members. Scheme trustees, working with sponsoring employers, will be responsible for decisions on surplus release and must act in the interests of scheme beneficiaries. They will determine how members may benefit from any release of surplus, which could include discretionary benefit increases. As part of any agreement to release surplus funds to the employer, trustees may negotiate additional benefits for members.

The Government recognises that some members have pre-1997 accrued pension rights that are not subject to statutory annual increases. The Pensions Regulator already expects trustees to consider members who would benefit from discretionary increases and to take account of any history of making such awards.

When the surplus regulations come into force, the Regulator will issue guidance outlining matters for trustees to consider when releasing surplus, including whether members may also benefit. This guidance will be consulted on before it is published.

In 2030, 57% of people in Great Britain over State Pension Age are forecasted to be in receipt of the new State Pension. This rises to 74% in 2035 and 85% in 2040.

This is based off DWP’s internal modelling consistent with Spring Statement 2026 forecasts and the ONS’ 2024-based population projections.

Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent Keep Britain Working review report, published on 5 November 2025, highlighted the scale of the problem of people falling out of work for reasons of ill-health and disability, including mental health, and the vital role employers can play in addressing this.

The review proposed three areas for reform over the next 3 years. These were:

• The development of good practice and outcomes for creating thriving, healthy workplaces, to be developed into a robust, recognised standard.

• Creating effective, employer-facing Workplace Health Provision.

• Driving adoption through evidence and incentives.

Alongside these reforms the review also called for the launch of a “Vanguard phase” to work with volunteer employers, providers and regions of the UK to develop and test the ideas and initiatives in the review, proving what works and building the evidence to support scaling towards general adoption. The Vanguard consists of a range of forward-thinking employers across different sizes, sectors and services, including legal, insurance, financial, and accountancy.

We are working with the Vanguard to test and refine what works best for helping people with long-term health conditions and disabilities, including mental health conditions, get the support they need to stay in work. This will be developed over the course of this year into an employer facing standard working in partnership with the British Standards Institution.

As per the recommendations of the review, the Vanguard phase also includes deep dives into key issues, one of which is addressing mental health at work. We’re working with employers and health services to improve support for people with mental health conditions, including better training, early intervention, and more flexible workplace practices.

The DWPs’ Strategic Relationship Team (SRT) works with employers across a wide range of sectors to promote workplace health and wellbeing and raise awareness of the support available to employees experiencing mental health conditions. This includes promoting services such as Access to Work and Able Futures, providing guidance to employers and encouraging good practice on disability inclusion, workplace adjustments and the retention of employees with health conditions.

In addition, DWP regularly engages with employers to increase understanding of the support available to people with health conditions and disabilities, which includes promoting the Disability Confident scheme, to encourage inclusive recruitment practices and help employers to better support disabled people and those with health conditions throughout the recruitment process and in employment.

The percentage of desks as a proportion of the total number of colleagues at Caxton House equates to approximately 62%.

In addition, colleagues can work from a range of alternative spaces within the building including meeting rooms, collaboration areas and privacy booths.

The third State Pension age Review will consider what the timetable for any State Pension age changes should be in the coming decades. The Review must report by the end of March 2029. No decisions have yet been made.

The Government is committed to providing clear and sufficient notice of any changes to the State Pension age, so people can properly plan for their retirement.

The Review will not consider the appropriate level for the Normal Minimum Pension Age, the lowest age at which members can usually take benefits from a registered pension scheme without incurring tax charges.