Department for Work and Pensions

The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum financial support available for renters receiving housing support in the private rented sector. LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions reviewed LHA at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, such as rent levels across the country were considered against the fiscal context and the level of housing support that Government provides overall.

Renters receiving housing support who face a shortfall in meeting their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.

The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum financial support available for renters in the private rented sector. LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, such as rent levels across the country were considered against the fiscal context and the level of housing support that Government provides overall.

Renters receiving housing support who face a shortfall in meeting their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.

The Department recognises that response times to enquiries from Members of Parliament have been impacted by increased volumes and the complexity of cases requiring detailed investigation.

To address this, the Department has deployed additional resources to complaints and correspondence teams, prioritised the reduction of backlogs, strengthened performance monitoring, introduced enhanced senior oversight, and improved case management processes to support faster and more consistent responses.

As a result of these measures, the Department has begun to reduce outstanding backlogs and increase case-handling capacity, helping to improve response times for hon. Members.

Where a complaint requires formal investigation, the Department aims to provide a full response within 15 working days. More complex cases may take longer, but customers are kept informed of progress and expected timescales.

The Department is committed to ensuring that hon. Members receive timely and accurate information on behalf of their constituents and is taking urgent action to restore performance to expected standards.

The Department for Work and Pensions takes fraud very seriously and we are taking a robust and rigorous approach to protect public money including across the entire Youth Guarantee. This includes on the Youth Jobs Grant where the Department conducts a comprehensive due diligence process to ensure that employers are legitimate and verifies employment through HMRC's RTI (Real Time Information) feed to ensure that a young person has been employed and paid for the required periods.

Similar rigorous checks apply for the Jobs Guarantee, and the vast majority of payments will be made in arrears, against evidence of actual spend, reducing the risk of fraud occurring. We will closely monitor our fraud risk for the entirety of both programmes. For both schemes, wherever we believe that an employer, or delivery partner, has acted in a way that is contrary to the scheme’s aims or is misusing public money, we will take steps to address this, including recovery of payments we believe may have been obtained through fraud or employers acting in bad faith.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring that it delivers a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all the parents that use it. It recognises that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly at a time of separation.

The CMS takes the interests and safety of its customers very seriously. All colleagues who directly support customers complete mandatory training to help identify and support vulnerable customers.

Caseworkers have access to several tools and procedures to help support customers when they advise they cannot afford to pay child maintenance or are struggling with the cost of living in general and are in financial or emotional crisis. This includes the National District Provision Toolkit and Affordability Hub which provides information to allow caseworkers to signpost to national and local support organisations for debt help and mental health assistance across the UK. Additionally, caseworkers can refer particularly vulnerable customers to the DWP Advanced Customer Support Team.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring that it delivers a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all the parents that use it. It recognises that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly at a time of separation.

The CMS takes the interests and safety of its customers very seriously. All colleagues who directly support customers complete mandatory training to help identify and support vulnerable customers.

Caseworkers have access to several tools and procedures to help support customers when they advise they cannot afford to pay child maintenance or are struggling with the cost of living in general and are in financial or emotional crisis. This includes the National District Provision Toolkit and Affordability Hub which provides information to allow caseworkers to signpost to national and local support organisations for debt help and mental health assistance across the UK. Additionally, caseworkers can refer particularly vulnerable customers to the DWP Advanced Customer Support Team.

In November 2025 (the latest available data), in areas under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales and abroad), 88,000 people receiving the higher Daily Living rate of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) were in receipt of Carers Allowance.

No such assessment has been made.

Universal Credit is assessed using a claimant's net earnings. Employee contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted when calculating earnings for Universal Credit purposes, in line with the legislative framework for determining entitlement.

The Department has not considered introducing limits on the level of pension contributions that may be deducted from earnings for Universal Credit purposes.

Employers have duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to assess and control risks to workers and others arising from their activities. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) already provides guidance on infections and biological hazards at work, including risk assessment, infection control measures, and preventing exposure to biological agents.

HSE's guidance makes it clear that employers should identify biological hazards, assess who may be harmed and implement proportionate control measures. These may include the use of disinfectants, appropriate hygiene arrangements and surfaces that can be easily cleaned where necessary to reduce the likelihood and spread of infection. Where no specific biological hazards are identified, employers should nevertheless ensure suitable workplace hygiene arrangements are in place.

For settings with specific infection prevention requirements, such as health and adult social care, additional sector-specific guidance is available from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England.

HSE keeps its guidance under review and has not identified a need for additional formal guidance specifically on workplace cleanliness and hygiene standards to prevent the spread of infectious diseases or antimicrobial resistance.

For Universal Credit, a defined contribution pension pot that has not yet been accessed is generally disregarded. Once pension savings are accessed, regular drawdown payments are treated as income for Universal Credit purposes, while any lump sum withdrawals are treated as capital and assessed under the normal Universal Credit capital rules.

The Department's guidance, Pension freedoms and DWP benefits, explains how accessing pension savings, including through drawdown, can affect Universal Credit entitlement.

AI has potentially transformative benefits for the economy and wider society, and the Government is doing all it can to ensure that the United Kingdom is at the forefront of this technological transition.

As part of that, teams across DWP, for instance working in policy, operational and digital, are considering how AI could impact the social security and welfare system to ensure the Department continues to deliver effectively for citizens in the future.

With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.

This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including through expanded network of Youth Hubs, earlier intensive support in Job Centres through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, additional work experience and training opportunities, a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant and £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for employers, and a fully funded six month job for long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds.

We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.

In total, over the next three years almost one million young people on Universal Credit and looking for work in Great Britain will benefit from the Youth Guarantee Gateway receiving a dedicated work support session, followed by four additional weeks of intensive support.

The Department does not forecast demand at a constituency level. All young people in Royal Sutton Coldfield who are eligible will benefit from the Youth Guarantee Gateway.

Apprenticeships is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This government is committed to working closely with the devolved governments on the apprenticeships policy in each of the devolved nations, including on the development of the Growth and Skills Levy for England, to share best practice and support one another in boosting growth and spreading opportunity throughout the UK. We regularly talk to large employers who operate across the UK to support them with their apprenticeship programmes.

The equivalent table for the PIP caseload at April 2026 is provided below.

ADHD / ADD is defined in the same way as the category used in the “PIP cases with entitlement form 2019” release.

Anxiety and Depression is a disaggregation of the Psychiatric Disorders group on the “PIP cases with entitlement from 2019” release; as previously included in the notes of the referenced response to question 47466, the group contains the following primary conditions:

- Anxiety disorders - Other / type not known

- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

- Stress reaction disorders - Other / type not known

- Generalised anxiety disorder

- Phobia - Specific

- Phobia - Social

- Agoraphobia

- Panic disorder

- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

- Anxiety and depressive disorders - mixed

- Conversion disorder (hysteria)

- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

- Dissociative disorders - Other / type not known

- Somatoform disorders - Other / type not known

- Depressive disorder

- Bipolar affective disorder (Hypomania / Mania)

- Mood disorders - Other / type not known

Table 1: PIP Daily Living claimants by primary condition group

Source: PIP Administrative Data

Notes:

- Figures are based on the PIP caseload at the end of April 2026 (latest available data).

- Data only includes claimants awarded Daily Living component.

- Data only includes claimants living in regions under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales and Abroad).

- Data only includes working age claimants

- Data includes normal rules claimants only and excludes special rules for end of life (SREL) claimants as they typically receive maximum or very high scores.

- Data may show minor differences to published award level information due to missing or poor-quality score data for a small number of claims.

- Health condition category is based on primary health condition as recorded on the PIP Computer System at time of latest assessment. Many claimants have multiple health conditions, but only the primary condition is available centrally for analysis.

- Only the 18 disabling condition groups which make up the highest proportions of the PIP caseload are displayed in this table.

- Other disabling condition groups which cover smaller proportions of the PIP caseload are covered in the "Other Conditions" category. This includes:

• Visual Diseases
• Other General Musculoskeletal Diseases
• Endocrine Diseases
• Hearing Disorders
• Gastrointestinal Diseases
• Genitourinary Diseases
• Skin Diseases
• Autoimmune Diseases (Connective Tissue Disorders)
• Infectious Diseases
• Diseases of the Liver, Gallbladder or Biliary Tract
• Haematological Diseases
• Metabolic Diseases
• Multisystem and Extremes of Age
• Diseases of the Immune System

- Figures may not sum due to rounding.

- Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 for volumes and the nearest percentage point for proportions.

The Government’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy is the responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Care for England. Wales and Scotland have their own national strategies.

This government is committed to evidence-led policymaking which supports our aims to increase both the rate of employment, as well as the attractiveness of work.

From April 2026, the National Minimum Wage for those aged 18 to 20 increased to £10.85 per hour and the National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over increased to £12.71 per hour. These rates were set following the recommendations of the independent Low Pay Commission, which considers labour market analysis, pay data, stakeholder evidence and the cost of living.

The Government has also committed to aligning the 18 to 20 National Minimum Wage rate with the National Living Wage rate. Our most recent LPC remit, for the minimum wage rates for April 2027, ensures that the Low Pay Commission will retain flexibility over the pace and timing of this alignment while prioritising the employment prospects of younger workers.

We have sought to balance these reforms to encourage employers to take on new talent. Employers are not required to pay Employer National Insurance Contributions for employees under-21s and for under-25 apprentices, on earnings up to £50,270.

The Government has also more than doubled the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, protecting the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions.

AI has potentially transformative benefits for the economy and wider society, and the Government is doing all it can to ensure that the United Kingdom is at the forefront of this technological transition.

The government is actively monitoring the impact AI may cause in the labour market, including job creation and displacement. Where workers are displaced, as you would expect, they will benefit from support from work coaches to find reemployment.

DWP is committed to ensuring that Work Coaches are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to provide tailored support to customers navigating a changing labour market. All Work Coaches undertake a comprehensive learning programme, including induction, consolidation and continuous professional development throughout their careers.

The learning programme is regularly updated to reflect changing customer needs and developments in the labour market, including the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This supports Work Coaches to have informed conversations with customers about emerging employment opportunities, changes in skills demand, and the support available to help people move into or progress in work.

This Government is investing £187 million in digital and AI learning. Every UK adult is eligible for free AI upskilling via the AI Skills Boost, with the ambition of upskilling 10 million workers in AI skills by 2030.

This is in conjunction with a range of wider reskilling opportunities, such as Sector Based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs) which provides opportunities to those who are looking to change career or sectors through providing placements for pre-employment training, a work experience placement and a guaranteed interview for a real job.

The Department offers a range of appointment channels, including face-to-face, telephone and video appointments and will use the most appropriate channel based on the purpose of the appointment, the claimant’s individual circumstances and the support identified by their Work Coach.

Face-to-face support remains an important part of Universal Credit service delivery. Claimants are asked to attend face-to-face appointments with Work Coaches where this channel is considered most appropriate to their circumstances. However, all channels provide an opportunity for tailored support; ensuring claimants receive the assistance they need to progress their claim and optimise their labour market outcomes.

This is consistent with the Department’s wider commitment to ensuring individuals recieve support through the channel that best meets their needs. For example, the Department is increasing the proportion of face-to-face health assessments, while continuing to provide reasonable adjustments and alternative delivery channels, including home visits where appropriate, for people whose disability or health condition makes attendance difficult.

The proportion percentages for attended appointments for the most recent 12 weeks are 58.5% in person, 16.2% by video and 25.3% by phone.

Phase One of the Jobs Guarantee commenced in May and will be followed by national rollout from November 2026. The information requested is planned for future publication and will be made available in due course.

Birmingham and Solihull is one of six Phase One areas where support is being offered first. In Birmingham and Solihull, DWP has partnered with Catch-22 to deliver the Jobs Guarantee and referrals started in May. Long-term unemployed young people who are enrolled on the scheme will be provided six months of paid employment alongside wraparound support and training.

This table outlines the total people employed for each Arm’s Length Body (ALB) for each salary band of total earnings or nearest equivalent, and the total unfunded public sector pensions liability for each ALB.

The Department for Work and Pensions has slowed the increase in health and disability benefit caseloads, and in welfare spending as a proportion of GDP compared to the last Government.

The Timms Review, the first ever full review of PIP, was launched to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater in-dependence, including through employment.

The steering group is now moving towards designing and testing its recommendations for change, which will be published in a final report in due course.

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

The requested information for new claims under normal rules in areas under DWP policy ownership are included below. This data is for initial decisions between 1 April 2024 and 31 December 2025, the most recent date for mandatory reconsiderations and appeals data.

Table 1: award rates (%) for initial decision, mandatory reconsideration (MR), and appeal by condition subgroup.

Notes:

• There were insufficient appeals for claimants with conduct disorder for an appeal overturn rate to be meaningful.
• The rate for MRs is the percentage of cleared MRs which resulted in an award being changed.
• The overturn rate for appeals is the number of appeals that were overturned at a tribunal as a percentage of appeals which were cleared or lapsed (decision changed by DWP without going to a tribunal).
• The claimants’ primary conditions at the time of initial decision were used to categorise these percentages. Many PIP claimants have additional conditions which factor into the decisions made and claimants who have the listed conditions as supplementary conditions will not be included in the table.
• Percentages have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.

The Timms Review, the first ever full review of PIP, was launched to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater in-dependence, including through employment.

As part of this work, the Review is gathering evidence from a wide range of sources, including lived experience, expert insight, existing research and new data, to inform its analysis and recommendations.

The steering group published its interim report on 9 July, providing an update on its work to date, including an evidence pack and a summary of the Call for Evidence, which received over 38,000 responses.

The steering group is now moving towards designing and testing its recommendations for change, which will be published in a final report in the autumn.

The Timms Review, the first ever full review of PIP, was launched to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater in-dependence, including through employment.

As part of this work, the Review is gathering evidence from a wide range of sources, including lived experience, expert insight, existing research and new data, to inform its analysis and recommendations.

The steering group published its interim report on 9 July, providing an update on its work to date, including an evidence pack and a summary of the Call for Evidence, which received over 38,000 responses.

The steering group is now moving towards designing and testing its recommendations for change, which will be published in a final report in the autumn.

Information on the day rate is already available. Members of the Timms Review steering group will be paid at a rate of £300 a day, with an expected time commitment of up to 5 days a month. The Review’s two external co-chairs, who were appointed in October 2025, are paid at a rate of £400 a day, with the same expected time commitment.

The rates per month may vary.

"Relevant partners" refers to charities and organisations with expertise in disability benefits, welfare rights and claimant support, such as Citizens Advice.

As part of keeping this area under review, the Department will continue to consider evidence about the activity of commercial providers and any poor practice, including where this may affect the quality or reliability of evidence submitted in support of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims.

Healthcare Professionals (HPs) and Case Managers are required to undertake a detailed review of all available evidence as part of the assessment and decision-making process and to assess the consistency, relevance and sufficiency of the information provided in support of a claim.

The PIP Assessment Guide requires HPs to consider any inconsistencies in the evidence available, determine whether further supporting evidence is required, and record the rationale for the conclusions reached. Where appropriate, HPs may seek additional evidence from professionals involved in the claimant’s care, including GPs, hospital clinicians and other relevant practitioners, to help inform their advice to DWP.

DWP is focussed on preventing fraud and error from entering the system and has robust detect and correct capabilities in place to address inaccurate payments at the earliest opportunity.

"Relevant partners" refers to charities and organisations with expertise in disability benefits, welfare rights and claimant support, such as Citizens Advice.

As part of keeping this area under review, the Department will continue to consider evidence about the activity of commercial providers and any poor practice, including where this may affect the quality or reliability of evidence submitted in support of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims.

Healthcare Professionals (HPs) and Case Managers are required to undertake a detailed review of all available evidence as part of the assessment and decision-making process and to assess the consistency, relevance and sufficiency of the information provided in support of a claim.

The PIP Assessment Guide requires HPs to consider any inconsistencies in the evidence available, determine whether further supporting evidence is required, and record the rationale for the conclusions reached. Where appropriate, HPs may seek additional evidence from professionals involved in the claimant’s care, including GPs, hospital clinicians and other relevant practitioners, to help inform their advice to DWP.

DWP is focussed on preventing fraud and error from entering the system and has robust detect and correct capabilities in place to address inaccurate payments at the earliest opportunity.

With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.

This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including through expanded network of Youth Hubs, earlier intensive support in Jobs Centres through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, additional work experience and training opportunities, a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant and £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for employers, and a fully funded six month job for long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds.

We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.

The government's Employment Rights Act 2025 is tackling one-sided flexibility partly through a right to guaranteed hours, where the number of hours offered reflects a qualifying worker’s working hours during a reference period.

The government has published a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts of the zero hours contract measures in the Employment Rights Act 2025. This includes consideration of the potential impact of the right to guaranteed hours on employment for different types of roles or groups in the labour market.

The government is consulting on these measures, and will consider responses before finalising regulations and implementation.

Skills England is focused on developing new, and reviewing existing, apprenticeships which will have the greatest impact on government priorities, including supporting young people into employment and supporting industrial strategy and other priority sectors.

Skills England has engaged with stakeholders on the development of a counselling apprenticeship. This included exploring whether the existing Level 4 Counsellor occupational standard, which was developed for Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) provision, could be used as the basis for an apprenticeship. However, to date, no decision has been made on the development of such an apprenticeship.

DWP is committed to expanding its digital services enabling more customers to engage with us online. Although some benefits, such as Universal Credit, can be claimed online and any further communications can also be conducted digitally through the use of the customer journal, applying online does not automatically mean all subsequent communications will be digital.

DWP operates a multi-channel approach to ensure customers receive important information in a way that is accessible, secure and inclusive. In some cases, letters remain the formal method for notifying customers of a decision or providing information about their award and appeal rights. Postal notifications also support legal, policy and accessibility requirements for certain decisions and customer groups.

Our approach is to expand digital services while maintaining alternative channels so that no customer is excluded. We also remain committed to ensuring that customers have a choice of those alternative channels.

The Department is making full use of automated notifications of earnings from HMRC to notify Carer’s Allowance recipients that they may be exceeding the weekly earnings limit. This should reduce both the number and size of overpayments linked to earnings, and was a measure welcomed by Liz Sayce in her independent review into such overpayments.

With respect to recovery of debt caused by overpayments, the Department remains committed to working with all customers to agree repayment terms, and strives to set affordable, sustainable repayment plans. Anyone who is unable to afford the proposed rate of repayment can contact DWP’s Debt Management at the earliest opportunity.

For a case to be considered for prosecution, there must have been a suspicion of fraud, a full criminal investigation, consideration of the public interest test and agreement from the Crown Prosecution Service to bring the case forward.

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

The total number of cases outstanding at all stages of the Personal Independence Payment Award Review (PIP) process, at the end of May 2026 is 300,000.

Please note this data is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard and represents England and Wales only. The figure has been rounded to the nearest 10,000 cases.

All claims remain in payment whilst award reviews are in progress and award increases identified during a planned review will be backdated as appropriate. Should customers report a change of circumstance and trigger an unplanned review, their claim will be prioritised alongside new claims.

We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through PIP in a timely manner. Reducing customer journey times for our claimants is a priority for the Department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service.

We know PIP can be improved, which is why we launched the Timms Review, which is being co-produced with disabled people and their organisations to ensure the benefit is fair and fit for the future. The Review aims to report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in Autumn 2026 and we have committed to reporting its outcomes to Parliament.

The Department is making full use of Verify Earnings and Pensions alerts from HMRC to notify Carer’s Allowance recipients that they may be exceeding the weekly earnings limit. This should reduce both the number and size of overpayments linked to earnings, and was a measure welcomed by Liz Sayce in her independent review into such overpayments. The Government has also launched a Call for Evidence as part of its longer-term work on modernisation of Carer’s Allowance. This includes seeking views on the way in which earnings interact with the benefit.

All claimants, regardless of their nationality, must demonstrate that they are resident in the UK and have an immigration status that qualifies them to receive taxpayer-funded benefits.

Migrants with recourse to public funds are subject to the same eligibility criteria as any other claimant, including the need to be ‘habitually resident’ (meaning they have made the UK their home) in addition to having a legal right to claim benefits.

Most non-UK nationals are granted an immigration status by the Home Office with a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)’ condition. Individuals may have their NRPF condition removed once they are granted Indefinite Leave to Remain/settled status, which is usually after 5 years. These claimants can still access contribution-based benefits such as New-Style Jobseeker’s Allowance.

The full eligibility criteria, including the residency tests, for each benefit type can be found on GOV.UK.

Support for households affected by rising heating oil prices is administered by local authorities through the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). Local authorities are responsible for determining eligibility, processing applications and holding data relating to applications and awards.

Please see attached breakdown of spend for ‘Purchase of goods/services – Hosting’ and ‘Purchase of good and service - Social care’.

Where a parent provides credible evidence that income has been misrepresented, the case may be referred to the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU). The FIU investigates whether the financial information used in the child maintenance assessment is correct and will either confirm the existing assessment or identify grounds for a revised liability.

Investigation timescales vary according to the complexity of the case. All credible allegations are investigated thoroughly and proportionately, with relevant evidence fully considered before a decision is made, helping to ensure accurate and evidence-based outcomes. The Child Maintenance Service's primary objective remains securing maintenance for children, and more intrusive investigatory action may, in some cases, risk disrupting ongoing payments.

FIU referrals and outcomes, for the last financial year, can be found at GOV.UK, table 7 in the following link: Child Maintenance Service statistics: data to March 2026 - GOV.UK

Where a parent provides credible evidence that income has been misrepresented, the case may be referred to the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU). The FIU investigates whether the financial information used in the child maintenance assessment is correct and will either confirm the existing assessment or identify grounds for a revised liability.

Investigation timescales vary according to the complexity of the case. All credible allegations are investigated thoroughly and proportionately, with relevant evidence fully considered before a decision is made, helping to ensure accurate and evidence-based outcomes. The Child Maintenance Service's primary objective remains securing maintenance for children, and more intrusive investigatory action may, in some cases, risk disrupting ongoing payments.

FIU referrals and outcomes, for the last financial year, can be found at GOV.UK, table 7 in the following link: Child Maintenance Service statistics: data to March 2026 - GOV.UK

Where a parent provides credible evidence that income has been misrepresented, the case may be referred to the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU). The FIU investigates whether the financial information used in the child maintenance assessment is correct and will either confirm the existing assessment or identify grounds for a revised liability.

Investigation timescales vary according to the complexity of the case. All credible allegations are investigated thoroughly and proportionately, with relevant evidence fully considered before a decision is made, helping to ensure accurate and evidence-based outcomes. The Child Maintenance Service's primary objective remains securing maintenance for children, and more intrusive investigatory action may, in some cases, risk disrupting ongoing payments.

FIU referrals and outcomes, for the last financial year, can be found at GOV.UK, table 7 in the following link: Child Maintenance Service statistics: data to March 2026 - GOV.UK

With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.

This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including through expanded network of Youth Hubs, earlier intensive support in Jobs Centres through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, additional work experience and training opportunities, a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant and £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for employers, and a fully funded six month job for long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds.

We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.

The government recognises that temporary work can help young people, including those not in education, employment or training (NEET), to gain valuable experience and enter the labour market. Through the Youth Guarantee, the government is expanding access to work experience, training and employment support to help more young people move into work. For example, several Youth Guarantee Trailblazers are connecting young people who are NEET with work placement opportunities to help them gain the experience they need and develop the skills to get sustained employment.

The Employment Rights Act preserves flexibility for genuinely temporary work, including through limited-term contracts. The government is consulting employers, trade unions and wider civil society to ensure the right to guaranteed hours works for businesses and workers.

As part of the Government’s investment of an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years in the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy, young people on Universal Credit are benefiting from enhanced support to help them get into employment, apprenticeships, work experience, Sector-based Work Academy Programme, learning or training from their first appointment in the Jobcentre.

Eligible young people can also benefit from the Jobs Guarantee, which will provide a guaranteed paid job offering regular hours of work of up to 25 hours per week for six months at the relevant National Minimum Wage. Participants will receive the same statutory employment rights and protections as other employees, alongside opportunities to develop skills and experience that support progression into sustained employment. The scheme aims to provide meaningful, secure and predictable employment opportunities for eligible young people who have experienced long-term unemployment. By offering a guaranteed paid job with regular hours, the scheme is designed to help the participants to develop the skills and experience they need to progress into sustained employment.