Department for Work and Pensions

Information about hours worked by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants is not collected and held centrally by the Department.

There are strict rules that govern who can access benefits. Parents who are not British or Irish nationals can only access Universal Credit with a valid immigration status of a kind that gives them the right to access public funds. Most migrants with temporary visas cannot access the benefit system. Access to public funds and benefits is usually at the point of settlement, which for most people will be after they have lived in the UK legally for five years, and the Home Office Earned Settlement policy consultation is looking at increasing this to ten years. The Home Office is also consulting on changing the default position to maintain No Recourse to Public Funds at settlement and lifting this only at the point of British citizenship. This would mean that migrants would need to wait longer to access benefits.

DWP also plans to consult on changes to the benefit rules to prioritise access for those who are making an economic contribution to the UK. The consultation will look at how the benefit rules apply to everyone arriving or returning to the UK.

Based on the information held, since December 2024, the recorded legal costs on litigation brought by WASPI including disbursements and VAT are £149,409.74.

Where a complaint is raised by an MP, it is referred to the DWP Complaints Team who will investigate the complaint and aim to resolve it within 15 working days. If the matter is complex and will take longer than 15 days, the complaints resolution manager will keep the MP updated and tell them when they can expect a response. Upon completion of the investigation, a full written response will be issued to the MP via their designated Parliament.uk secure email address.

In terms of dealing with matters quickly, it may be possible with MP agreement to do a telephone resolution and this can be followed up with a written response if requested.

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

The Pension Schemes Bill will enable more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus with employers and deliver better outcomes for members. Trustees, working with the sponsoring employer, will be responsible for determining how members may benefit from any release of surplus.

The choice to release surplus is underpinned by strict safeguards, including the requirement for a prudent funding threshold, actuarial certification and member notification. Employers will not have direct access to surplus funds, with any surplus release having to be agreed by trustees.

The surplus release provisions, introduced by the Pension Schemes Bill, will rely on trustees exercising their powers appropriately and in accordance with their trust law duties. If trustees breach these requirements, the Pensions Regulator has powers to take action.

We will consult on the surplus release draft regulations once the Pension Schemes Bill has received Royal Assent. We look forward to receiving the responses on the proposals.

The Pension Schemes Bill will enable more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus with employers and deliver better outcomes for members. Trustees, working with the sponsoring employer, will be responsible for determining how members may benefit from any release of surplus.

The choice to release surplus is underpinned by strict safeguards, including the requirement for a prudent funding threshold, actuarial certification and member notification. Employers will not have direct access to surplus funds, with any surplus release having to be agreed by trustees.

The surplus release provisions, introduced by the Pension Schemes Bill, will rely on trustees exercising their powers appropriately and in accordance with their trust law duties. If trustees breach these requirements, the Pensions Regulator has powers to take action.

We will consult on the surplus release draft regulations once the Pension Schemes Bill has received Royal Assent. We look forward to receiving the responses on the proposals.

The Pension Schemes Bill will enable more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus with employers and deliver better outcomes for members. Trustees, working with the sponsoring employer, will be responsible for determining how members may benefit from any release of surplus.

The choice to release surplus is underpinned by strict safeguards, including the requirement for a prudent funding threshold, actuarial certification and member notification. Employers will not have direct access to surplus funds, with any surplus release having to be agreed by trustees.

The surplus release provisions, introduced by the Pension Schemes Bill, will rely on trustees exercising their powers appropriately and in accordance with their trust law duties. If trustees breach these requirements, the Pensions Regulator has powers to take action.

We will consult on the surplus release draft regulations once the Pension Schemes Bill has received Royal Assent. We look forward to receiving the responses on the proposals.

Jobcentre Plus (JCP) actively promotes vacancies, including roles with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), by matching a claimant’s skills and circumstances to available roles.

The DWP’s Strategic Relationship Team is working with the DVSA to test a new recruitment approach for Driving Examiner roles in six priority locations. This work involves the introduction of a one day assessment centre under a Direct Temporary Recruitment (DTR) model to create a faster and more efficient process. Part of this process will include JCP Work Coaches identifying suitable candidates, arranging informal discussions and driving assessments.

Locations deemed as priority sites by DVSA are Bedford, Bletchley, Bromley, Slough, Southampton and Tottenham in North London. Across theses initial pilot sites there will be at least 30 vacancies and capacity for up to 96 referrals.

The pilot will help determine whether this streamlined route can support areas that have been hardest to recruit for and whether it should be expanded to additional locations in future.

No formal assessment has been made.

Connect to Work is our voluntary, locally led Supported Employment programme that will help around 300,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and individuals with more complex barriers to employment by the end of the decade, across England and Wales.

Mayors and Local Authorities have been funded to design and deliver local Connect to Work programmes. It is delivered through a higher number of smaller delivery areas than has been the case for recent national DWP contracted employment programmes. This approach aims to support better integration with local services and enable more smaller local organisations to have the opportunity to be involved in delivery.

Areas choose how the programme is delivered, for example, in house or through external providers; and how any external provider is selected. DWP has not mandated the type of provider, but the grant guidance includes the voluntary and charitable sector as examples of potential local partners and supporting organisations. Areas have been encouraged to ensure any delivery organisation has good local knowledge, as well as the ability to deliver Supported Employment.

Evaluation is a key driver in delivering DWP’s priority outcomes and ensuring alignment with the Government’s Plan for Change. As set out in the DWP Evidence and Evaluation Strategy, ongoing evaluation of employment support programmes assesses whether they are achieving intended results and informs future policy design.

For example, an evaluation of the Work Choice programme - a voluntary scheme supporting disabled people facing employment barriers or at risk of job loss – was published in April 2025. Voluntary sector organisations, including providers such as Shaw Trust and Leonard Cheshire Disability, played a significant role in delivering Work Choice, both as prime contractors and as subcontractors.

The evaluation found that, eight years after referral, participants had a payrolled employment rate 11 percentage points higher than the comparison group. This meant that the programme delivered strong value for money, estimated to return £1.67 to the Exchequer, in benefit savings and taxes, for every £1 spent.

On 29^th January 2026, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced in Parliament the Government’s new response to the PHSO report on State Pension age communications.

We have set out our detailed reasoning for our new decision in our decision document, including consideration of the 2007 report. This can be read in full in the House library. The decision document is also available here: Government response to Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension age communications and associated issues - GOV.UK

The report in question was published in 2007. We have now placed it in the House library, where it can be read in full. This report is also available here: Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts

In the year 2024/ 2025, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out 1,444 inspections in Scotland.

Seven of these took place on farms (not including premises predominately involved in forestry or aquaculture); and eleven took place in social care settings.

These figures are based on raw live data and can be subject to change due to updates to historical cases. Therefore these figures may differ to the figures published in HSE’s Annual Reports.

The information requested is not held because data is not held at individual country level.

Access to Work provides support for individual needs within the workplace, above and beyond the employer’s reasonable adjustments.

When an award is renewed, Access to Work case managers consider all relevant evidence and current guidance to ensure that the support offered continues to be appropriate for the customer to carry out their job.

The support that a customer will receive from Access to Work is dependent upon their needs and circumstances at the time they make an application. Case managers will use the current guidance to ensure Access to Work principles are considered when making a decision on support.

Information on the average weekly amount of Housing Benefit paid to private landlords, by regions, is available on Stat-Xplore via the Housing Benefit official statistics (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/). The information can be found in the Housing Benefit – Data from April 2018 dataset and is currently available to August 2025.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest, and if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

We have interpreted your question as relating to DWP workforce.

As part of the Jobs and Careers Service Programme the department will develop a plan to support the transition to the new organisation. As the design is still evolving so are our plans relating to the workforce. At present we continue to anticipate workforce needs in line with our existing processes and remain flexible as the design continues to take shape.

We apologise for the delay in responding to this case. A reply was issued on 27 January 2026.

MP casework is handled by the Department’s complaints and correspondence teams as a priority, with a target response time of 15 working days. However, increased volumes of complaints and a rise in more complex cases have led to some delays. To address this, the Department has recruited additional staff to improve the timeliness and efficiency of responses.

The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The requested information is provided below.

a) In November 2025, 1.9 million people on UC had net earnings above £1047.50 (which is the £12,570 annual personal allowance divided by 12). This includes earnings from employment and self-employment.

b) This equates to 22% of all people on UC.

Notes:

Volume is rounded to the nearest 100,000

Percentage is rounded to the nearest 1%

The first phase of the Jobs Guarantee will provide jobs to more than 1,000 young people in Birmingham & Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire & Essex, Central & East Scotland, Southwest & Southeast Wales.

In phase one, we expect to make around 150 referrals across the Central and East Scotland region, which includes areas covered by both Glasgow City Council and The City of Edinburgh Council, alongside other local authorities.

Maps published alongside our grant guidance show the phase one delivery areas and the distribution of demand across local authorities. These can be viewed here: Phase One Delivery Area Heat Maps - GOV.UK.

Phase One will be followed by national roll out of the Jobs Guarantee across Great Britain later in 2026, providing a total of 55,000 jobs over the next three years.

The Department recognises that the recent increase in the volume of MP enquiries, alongside a rise in the complexity of cases requiring more detailed investigation, has contributed to delays in meeting our standard response timescales.

To address this, the Department has taken a number of steps to improve the timeliness and efficiency of responses to MP enquiries:

• Additional resource has been deployed to our complaints and correspondence teams, with ongoing monitoring of the impact on response times.
• The Universal Credit MP hotline service has been streamlined through the introduction of a single national contact number, improving accessibility and consistency.
• Guidance on the W4MP website has been updated to ensure MP offices have clear visibility of the appropriate contact numbers for each benefit product line.
• Recruitment is underway for additional Universal Credit complaint handlers to support efforts to reduce the volume of outstanding enquiries and improve response times.

As at 31 December 2025, we can confirm the following joiner data for the 16–24 age band:

We have provided the number of consolatory payments made in the last five years to benefit recipients in recognition of delays and errors made by DWP in the table below.

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to reducing waiting times for claimants awaiting a WCA reassessment. The department is increasing assessment capacity by working with suppliers to expand their workforce, including through accelerated recruitment and training of additional assessors. These measures will help ensure that the department continues to prioritise assessments for new claims, while also increasing throughput of reassessment activity.

From 1 January 2018 to 31 January 2026, the mean average working days for outstanding Work Capability Assessment (WCA) reassessments currently stands at 290 days, whilst the current longest waiting time for an outstanding WCA reassessment to be completed is 1,870 working days (3 December 2018).

Please note

• All volumes have been rounded to the nearest 10.
• All the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the Assessment Providers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
• The date range for the mean average working days for outstanding WCA reassessments 1 January 2018 to 31 January 2026 has been used because the outstanding cases within our head of work can be traced back to 1 January 2018.

The number of Access to Work applications has risen significantly. We are committed to reducing waiting times. We also prioritise applications from customers who are due to start work within the next four weeks, as well as renewals for existing grants, to minimise disruption to employment.

In March 2025, the Department published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, launching a consultation on the future of Access to Work and how the scheme can better support disabled people in employment. We are reviewing all aspects of the programme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

As of the 1st of February 2026, there were 66,218 applications awaiting a decision.

As of the 1st of October 2025, please refer to the answer given on 22 October 2025 to Question UIN 80759. As of the 1st of April 2025, please refer to the answer given on 10 June 2025 to Question UIN 56299.

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.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken an investigation into the incident and has been in touch with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), most recently on 19 January.

HSE does not publish its reports.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken an investigation into the incident and has been in touch with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), most recently on 19 January.

HSE does not publish its reports.

The Fraud, Error and Recovery Act will deliver on the government’s manifesto commitment to safeguard taxpayers’ money and demonstrates the government’s commitment not to tolerate fraud, error or waste anywhere in public services, including the social security system. It will reduce public sector fraud and error and allow the more effective recovery of monies owed to government. It includes powers to modernise DWP’s investigation powers to help prove or disprove suspected fraud more quickly and allows DWP to take greater control in our investigations into serious organised crimes through new powers of entry, search and seizure.

All powers in the Act are underpinned by a principle of fairness and proportionality, with numerous safeguards and independent oversight in place. The measures in this Act will provide benefits to the taxpayer of £2.1 billion by 2030/31, part of wider plans that will save £14.6 billion.

In December 2025, DWP launched a 12-week consultation on three Codes of Practice which, once finalised, will be laid before Parliament and will support delivery of key measures in the Act.

The Government is reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain to enable everyone to access support to find meaningful work and progress in employment. In England, this includes bringing together Jobcentre Plus with the National Careers Service into a unified jobs and careers service.

The replacement for the Find a Job service will be developed as part of this wider programme, providing an integrated, digital first offer that helps people search and apply for jobs and access careers advice, alongside tailored support from Work Coaches where needed.

As with other modern digital services delivered by the Department, the new service will be iterated over time. Before and after changes are made, we undertake user research with customers to gain feedback on their experience and suggestions for improvements, ensuring that services are designed around the needs of users, including those who require additional support to access digital channels. We will continue to align our approach with wider cross government ambitions for secure, user centred and efficient online services, as set out in the Government’s roadmap for digital and data. We are also following all relevant departmental and cross government governance processes in line with the blueprint for digital government.

The Department is committed to ensuring the new Jobs and Careers Service is fit for the

future and will leverage the right technology, including AI, to deliver improved outcomes for citizens. The Department is considering a wide range delivery options for the Jobs and Careers Service.

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Ensuring that individuals can get into, progress and stay in work is important in helping them to continue saving for their own retirement and contribute to the wider economy.

The requirement for mixed age couples to seek financial support from the working-age social security system until both members of the couple reach State Pension Age ensures that, once in receipt of Universal Credit, the younger partner can access the same employment support that is available for customers below State Pension Age including dedicated employment support for customers over the age of 50. The pension-age partner is placed in the no-work related requirements group.

The Government recognises the critical role Universal Credit has to play in tackling poverty and making work pay and is taking important steps to support people with their living costs. For the first time ever, we have introduced a sustained above inflation increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance for all claimants. From April 2026, this will see the standard allowance uprated by 3.8%, followed by a further 2.3%.

DWP has existing arrangements with three of the UK’s leading credit unions: COMMSAVE, HEY (Hull and East Yorkshire) and VOYAGER.

The payroll savings scheme with credit unions is part of DWP’s wider financial wellbeing toolkit, which is readily available to all employees through the staff intranet, and is promoted as part of our wider wellbeing offer.

The Government’s aim is for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to remove the direct pay service in order to tackle non-compliance more quickly. This change will be made when Parliamentary time allows. Moving to a single, strengthened Collect and Pay system will allow the CMS to monitor all payments, identify missed or partial payments immediately, and take faster enforcement action. Ahead of this change, the CMS is already moving noncompliant parents more quickly from Direct Pay to Collect and Pay.

Where compliance cannot be achieved, the CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that are designed to get money flowing quickly, prevent the build-up of arrears and ensure children get the financial support they deserve.  These powers include the ability to deduct directly from the paying parent’s earnings or bank accounts and disqualifications from holding or obtaining driving licenses and passports.

To further improve arrears collection, the CMS will introduce administrative liability orders (ALOs) to replace the current court based process. This will streamline enforcement, reduce delays, and help the CMS act more quickly against parents who avoid their responsibilities. Work with HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government is underway, and regulations will be brought to Parliament as soon as possible.

The current system already permits people with capital between £6,000 and £16,000 to receive means-tested support through a tapered reduction in entitlement to Universal Credit. It also includes a specific capital disregard for funds that are required for essential home alterations - for example, if these are needed to meet disability-related needs. There are no plans to introduce additional exemptions.

Extra cost benefits such as Personal Independence Payment are available to eligible customers with long-term health conditions and disabilities. These benefits are to contribute towards the additional costs associated with these conditions and can be used according to the claimant’s own priorities. They can be paid in addition to other financial and practical support which someone can receive, including provision from the NHS and Local Authorities towards specialist equipment, mobility aids, and home adaptations.

Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement, and we recognise the wealth of skills and experience that older workers bring both to the workplace and the economy. We are committed to supporting workers over the age of 50 through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes age-inclusive employment practices, flexible working, and progression and career development.

We have a dedicated offer for older workers within jobcentres, including our 50PLUS Champions who provide a critical layer of support to ensure the needs of older jobseekers are met. We also offer a Midlife MOT, which helps people to review their health, finances and skills and signpost to suitable support. Our Employer and Partnership Teams in jobcentres work with a range of employers and partners to enhance the skills and employment support available locally for customers.

As part of our plans to Get Britain Working and create a new Jobs and Careers Service, we are committed to reforming employment support to ensure it is inclusive and meets the needs of our customers. We are considering the support we offer to those aged 50 and over so that they can access support to find good, meaningful work, and help them progress in work or increase their earnings.