Department for Work and Pensions

Whilst UK graduates continue to have strong and above-average employment rates, we recognise some face challenges in getting jobs. Starting out in the world of work is a pivotal moment for young people, where the right support at the right time can help jobseekers to access better opportunities and significantly improve labour market participation.

This is why Jobcentre Plus provides personalised support, from CV advice to interview coaching, and connects graduates to roles through partners like Milkround, Gradplus, and Prospects. Jobcentres also have strong links with universities and signpost graduates to specialist support. To support employers, Jobcentre District Employer & Partnership teams work with them to promote local opportunities and provide suitable employment and skills support, where appropriate.

We are working collaboratively with employers to shape the new Jobs and Careers Service to meet their diverse needs, including helping graduates find meaningful work and develop the skills to progress in their careers.

We are committed to reviewing Universal Credit, to make sure it is doing the job we want it to, to make work pay and tackle poverty. As part of the review we have considered the impact that fluctuating incomes including those paid on a four-weekly cycle has on households including engaging with expert stakeholders and those with direct experience. The Department is considering this insight and will provide updates on the review in due course.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reviews and amends its approach for migration to Universal Credit based on lessons learned from earlier migrations (Tax Credits, Income Support) and continues to refine support strategies for customers.

We recognise that many claimants making this transition have complex health conditions and additional needs, which can make the process particularly challenging. DWP is committed to ensuring that these individuals receive the support they need.

We have dedicated support mechanisms in place for customers with vulnerabilities. This includes clear communication, accessible guidance and personalised assistance where needed.

The Migration Notice itself signposts to our helpline, gov.uk website and ‘Help to Claim’, a service provided by Citizens Advice Bureau. Contact via these routes allows further support to be provided, based on individual need from the outset.

All Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) customers who have not made their claim to Universal Credit within two weeks of the deadline of their migration notice will automatically enter the Enhanced Support journey. This journey provides tailored and flexible assistance, including phone calls and home visits, to support the migration process.

We recognise that the digital nature of Universal Credit can pose significant challenges for claimants with learning disabilities, dyslexia, or limited digital literacy. To address this, we offer alternative access routes, including telephone support and face-to-face appointments, which can be arranged upon request. Additionally, Universal Credit statements and letters are written and formatted in plain English and undergo rigorous content design testing to ensure clarity and accessibility. DWP is regularly reviewing its correspondence templates to ensure that responses are concise, clear and free from unnecessary technical language while maintaining transparency and accuracy.

Furthermore, Jobcentre staff are trained to discuss complex needs and vulnerabilities. There is a facility in the Universal Credit account to record these, along with any agreed reasonable adjustments. Customers can request email communications, home visits, or support from an authorised representative (family member, friend, or adviser).

In addition to this, we also offer:

• Enhanced Support Journey for vulnerable claimants, including proactive calls, text reminders, and home visits.
• Financial safeguards such as Transitional Protection and two-week run-on payments for ESA claimants.
• Digital and manual process enhancements to ensure accurate transitional protection calculations and prevent payment delays.

DWP continues to review and iterate our services to optimise our services and any further feedback is welcomed.

No changes have been made to Access to Work policy. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation has closed. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives.

Forecast spending on disability and incapacity benefits in 2029-30 can be found in Table 4 of DWP’s Spring Statement 2025 Benefit Expenditure and Caseload publication.

Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2025 - GOV.UK

We recognise that some young people are struggling to find their place in work, education or training.

The report into young people and work will seek to:

• Understand the drivers of the increase in the number of young people who are Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) and claiming health and disability benefits, including childhood experience
• Investigate the root causes of this rise in economic inactivity among disabled young people and those with health conditions
• Make recommendations for policy responses aimed at increasing opportunities for young people

The Right Honourable Alan Milburn will author the report and will be supported by a range of voices with expertise from the labour market and health spheres.

There are no plans to change the under 25 standard allowance rate.

This government is committed to rebuild opportunities for young people, so that every young person can fulfil their potential, and we are taking significant steps to support people to do so including through our Get Britain Working reforms. The under 25 standard allowance rate maintains the incentive for young people to find, and progress in work and the Department for Work and Pensions provides a range of support to help people into employment.

For those who live independently or have additional living costs, Universal Credit includes separate elements to support all eligible customers with these, including elements for housing, children, childcare costs, disabled people, and carers.

We continue to work in close partnership with other government departments to ensure that care leavers can access the right skills, opportunities and wider support, to move towards sustained employment and career progression. The Department provides a range of targeted additional support for care leavers including access to the higher one-bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate up to the age of 25, as well as tailored support through Jobcentre Plus. We review this regularly.

The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has been rising for too long, which is why we are tackling this crisis of opportunity with new energy and determination.

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee. Our Youth Guarantee will ensure eligible 18-to-21-year-olds have access to education, training, an apprenticeship - or ultimately guaranteed paid work if they cannot find a job.

In addition, an independent investigation has been launched to identify how we can go further to tackle the root causes of youth activity. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, the report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun, with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability. The Terms of Reference can be found here.

The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has been rising for too long, which is why we are tackling this crisis of opportunity with new energy and determination.

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee. Our Youth Guarantee will ensure eligible 18-to-21-year-olds have access to education, training, an apprenticeship - or ultimately guaranteed paid work if they cannot find a job.

In addition, an independent investigation has been launched to identify how we can go further to tackle the root causes of youth activity. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, the report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun, with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability. The Terms of Reference can be found here.

On 30 October 2025 the Department published Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2024, covering Pension Credit and Housing Benefit for pensioners in Great Britain. As these estimates are based on survey data, they are not available for lower-level geographies.

On the same day the Department also published Households potentially eligible for Pension Credit, 2023 to 2024, a sub-national analysis of eligible households in receipt of Pension Credit and potentially eligible households not claiming Pension Credit.

Estimates are not currently available for other DWP benefits, however on 15 May 2025 the Department published Unfulfilled eligibility in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates, providing estimates of how much extra money benefit claimants in Great Britain could be getting if they told us accurately about their circumstances. It does not cover take-up of benefits, which is where people could have claimed certain benefits based on their current circumstances but have not done so. As these estimates are based on sample data, they are not available for lower-level geographies.

No changes have been made to Access to Work policy, and we will announce any changes prior to them being implemented.

The Department faces significant challenges assessing the effectiveness of Access to Work due to the difficulty in establishing a counterfactual.

We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation has closed. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives, on all aspects of our proposals.

For the last year, we have worked to improve decision-making throughout the Access to Work Scheme by ensuring that guidance is applied with greater consistency, helping to provide a fairer process. This may mean that some awards change at the point of renewal, but this does not reflect a change in policy of the Scheme.

For the Review to be a success, lived experience must be at the heart of its work. The Timms Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, to ensure that expertise from a wide range of perspectives is drawn upon.

On 30 October, I published the revised Terms of Reference on GOV.UK which set out further details about its scope. I also announced that the Review will be co-chaired by myself alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We will oversee a steering group responsible for leading the co-production process, setting the Review's strategic direction, priorities and workplan.

The group will be made up of a majority of disabled people or representatives of disabled people's organisations and will be recruited through an open and transparent Expression of Interest (EOI) process, which is now live. We have worked closely with experts to ensure the EOI is accessible, inclusive and has a broad reach. The steering group will not work alone, it will oversee a programme of participation that brings together the full range of views and voices.

No such assessment has been made.

An Impact Assessment was published alongside the Pathways to Work Green Paper, which can be found here.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners receive the support to which they are entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit taken-up campaign, promoting Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their family and friends through adverts on television and radio; on social media and on digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in the press. The latest burst of the campaign began in September, and further promotional activity is planned until the end of the financial year.

We are making better use of data to directly target potentially eligible households. Since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit. In September, the Department conducted a trial in partnership with Age UK and Independent Age targeting 2,000 households in England identified using HMRC and DWP data.

We are also undertaking research specifically looking into the factors that motivate people to make a claim as well as why some older people do not claim benefits to which they could be entitled, in order to build the evidence of what works to increase take-up.

The Department is committed to modernising the Pension Credit service and regularly reviews the user experience to balance simplification with ensuring accurate awards.

A key objective of DWP’s Service Modernisation Programme is to make services more user-friendly and accessible. We are streamlining application routes by using information held internally to reduce the number of questions customers need to answer.

Claims can be made online, by telephone, or by post. The most popular method is online, where claims can be made 24/7 with help from a family member, friend, or third party. The online form now requires a maximum of 48 questions, and for some customers as few as 35. On average, it takes just 16 minutes to complete, with around 90% of new customers applying online or by phone.

For telephone claims, callers are guided through the process by an agent. We will continue to keep the Pension Credit application process under review to ensure it remains simple and accessible.

The UK government recognises the invaluable role guide dogs play in enhancing the independence and quality of life for individuals with visual impairments and hearing loss.

Assistance dogs are not funded or provided by the government. Direct provision of guide dogs is primarily handled by charitable organisations. Organisations like Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK), an umbrella coalition for well-established dog training organisations, offer information and advice on how to apply for an assistance dog.

As assistance dogs are provided by independent charities and organisations, the Government is not responsible or accountable for supply issues. We are aware of concerns around shortages of assistance dogs since the pandemic and there has been dialogue with assistance dogs charities. Guide Dogs UK have assured us that they are on course to return to pre-pandemic supply levels soon, and are working hard to reduce waiting times with record levels of investment.

In 2022, the department ran a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the Disability Confident scheme has had on their organisations. Metrics in the survey included members’ recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people, awareness of the benefits of Disability Confident membership, plans for membership renewal, and perceived impact of Disability Confident on the organisation. The findings of the survey can be accessed from: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK.

DWP is working with stakeholders, including disabled people, the Devolved Governments, local authorities, disability organisations, employers and sector experts to strengthen the scheme. This includes reviewing the current offer of an interview commitment and exploring how we can work with employers to improve transparency and accountability against scheme criteria.

DWP research report no. 434 “Attitudes to pensions: The 2006 survey” was considered as part of the Government’s decision announced in the 17 December 2024 Oral Statement.

DWP research report no. 447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts”, was referenced in the 11 November 2025 Oral Statement and a copy of this report has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

We have decided to retake the decision as it relates to the communication of State Pension age as report no.447 contains relevant information that was not considered at the time of the original decision. In re-taking the decision, we will consider the evidence from report no.447 alongside other relevant evidence and material. The process to re-take the decision has already begun.

DWP research report no. 434 “Attitudes to pensions: The 2006 survey” was considered as part of the Government’s decision announced in the 17 December 2024 Oral Statement.

DWP research report no. 447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts”, was referenced in the 11 November 2025 Oral Statement and a copy of this report has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

We have decided to retake the decision as it relates to the communication of State Pension age as report no.447 contains relevant information that was not considered at the time of the original decision. In re-taking the decision, we will consider the evidence from report no.447 alongside other relevant evidence and material. The process to re-take the decision has already begun.

DWP research report no. 434 “Attitudes to pensions: The 2006 survey” was considered as part of the Government’s decision announced in the 17 December 2024 Oral Statement.

DWP research report no. 447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts”, was referenced in the 11 November 2025 Oral Statement and a copy of this report has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

We have decided to retake the decision as it relates to the communication of State Pension age as report no.447 contains relevant information that was not considered at the time of the original decision. In re-taking the decision, we will consider the evidence from report no.447 alongside other relevant evidence and material. The process to re-take the decision has already begun.

Following recent machinery of government changes, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will have lead responsibility for the Construction Skills Package and will act as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO). Policy responsibility and budget control for different elements of the package will sit across DWP and the Department for Education (DfE), with Baroness Smith retaining ministerial responsibility for the skills portfolio, including the Construction Skills Package.

Construction skills policy and funding in Wales is devolved. HM Treasury has confirmed that information on funding received by the Welsh Government can be found in the Block Grant Transparency: October 2025 - GOV.UK. The Welsh Government is free to allocate this funding as it sees fit across its responsibilities.

The £625 million announced for construction skills training is largely for the Spending Review period from FY2026-27 to FY2028-29. Funds will be allocated and released aligned with the delivery needs of each strand of the programme.

Following recent machinery of government changes, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will have lead responsibility for the Construction Skills Package and will act as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO). Policy responsibility and budget control for different elements of the package will sit across DWP and the Department for Education (DfE), with Baroness Smith retaining ministerial responsibility for the skills portfolio, including the Construction Skills Package.

Construction skills policy and funding in Wales is devolved. HM Treasury has confirmed that information on funding received by the Welsh Government can be found in the Block Grant Transparency: October 2025 - GOV.UK. The Welsh Government is free to allocate this funding as it sees fit across its responsibilities.

The £625 million announced for construction skills training is largely for the Spending Review period from FY2026-27 to FY2028-29. Funds will be allocated and released aligned with the delivery needs of each strand of the programme.

Following recent machinery of government changes, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will have lead responsibility for the Construction Skills Package and will act as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO). Policy responsibility and budget control for different elements of the package will sit across DWP and the Department for Education (DfE), with Baroness Smith retaining ministerial responsibility for the skills portfolio, including the Construction Skills Package.

Construction skills policy and funding in Wales is devolved. HM Treasury has confirmed that information on funding received by the Welsh Government can be found in the Block Grant Transparency: October 2025 - GOV.UK. The Welsh Government is free to allocate this funding as it sees fit across its responsibilities.

The £625 million announced for construction skills training is largely for the Spending Review period from FY2026-27 to FY2028-29. Funds will be allocated and released aligned with the delivery needs of each strand of the programme.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. Since Access to Work was first designed, the style, scope and cost of the support that people require has changed significantly, yet Access to Work has stayed broadly the same. There is a strong case for looking at the future role and purpose of Access to Work, as part of the wider changes to Get Britain Working.

We have recently concluded (end of June) the Access to Work Collaboration Committees, in which we engaged with a range of stakeholders, including Disabled People’s Organisation representatives and lived experience users, to provide discussion, experience, and challenge to the design of the future Access to Work Scheme. Whilst the committees have now ended, we will seek opportunity to engage with stakeholders as we move forward with policy development, recognising the value of their input and expertise. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation has closed.

The standard definition of a complaint across DWP is:

Any expression of dissatisfaction about the service provided which is not resolved by operational staff as normal business.

An ‘Official’’ complaint would be received in writing and usually via the local MP or authorised advocate on behalf of the customer. These complaints would be logged and dealt with in line with our official complaints policy.

‘Official’ complaints have a 20-working day target.

During the period 01/11/2024 – 31/10/2025, 106 were received and 3 were not resolved within the target date.

‘Other’ complaints are also received but are dealt with informally as part of normal business and are usually handled in real-time by our DWP Telephony staff.

Other complaints have a 15-working day target.

During the period 01/11/2024 – 31/10/2025, 909 were received and 4 were not resolved within the target date.

What is not a complaint

• about government policy or law
• that have already been investigated or are currently being investigated by the Independent Case Examiner or the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman
• that are, or have been, subject to legal proceedings, including legal settlements
• dissatisfied with a benefit or pension decision

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2025 to Question UIN 84444.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2025 to Question UIN 84436.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2025 to Question UIN 84444.

The Department recognises the challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for residents in supported and temporary accommodation.

A wide range of customers currently receive rent support through Housing Benefit, including pensioners, residents in supported or temporary accommodation, and those who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper would therefore apply across these groups.

The Housing Benefit income taper ensures that people in work are better off than those wholly reliant on benefits, and it only applies to those with earnings. However, the treatment of earnings in Housing Benefit is less generous than under Universal Credit. Consequently, while customers in supported accommodation are better off working than not working, some may face disincentives to increase their hours to maintain Universal Credit entitlement.

The Department is considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported and temporary accommodation, taking account of stakeholder views. Any future decisions on housing support will be made in the round, prioritising measures that best meet Government objectives within the current fiscal environment.

It remains our priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter and sustain employment.

The spend by the Department for Work and Pensions on the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is included for the available years in a table below.

Source: outturn-and-forecast-tables-spring-statement-2025.xlsx

It is this government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office. We have been clear that we will champion disabled people’s rights and work closely with them so that disabled people’s views and voices are at the heart of decision-making.

A new fund is currently being developed to assist with the additional disability-related costs of contesting elected office. More information about the fund will be announced in due course.

Additionally, as part of the current MHCLG-funded sector support programme, the Local Government Association (LGA) delivers the Be a Councillor campaign - which aims to attract people who reflect the communities they serve to put themselves forward for local election. The LGA programme also supports disabled people in local politics, through a disabled local councillors leadership programme and a disability champions network across local authorities.

We have interpreted “providers” to mean support workers, third parties, and stakeholders who deliver support to Access to Work customers.

The Department does not hold data on how many providers may have ceased offering Access to Work services due to (a) systemic delays or (b) insufficient funding since January 2025.

Access to Work operates as a reimbursement grant, the service or support must be provided before payment is made. The customer is the recipient of the grant and claims for the support they have used, not the provider. As such, the Department does not monitor providers or track whether they have ceased offering Access to Work services.

We have no current plans to do so. Ensuring that individuals, including those below State Pension age, can get into and stay in work is important for individuals in helping them to continue saving for their own retirement and contributes to the wider economy.

Since 2019, couples have needed to claim working age benefits (usually Universal Credit) until both members reach pension age.

Once in receipt of Universal Credit, the younger partner can access the same employment support that is available for customers below State Pension age. The partner above State Pension age can still receive their State Pension, but this will be taken into account in full when assessing entitlement and calculating the couple’s Universal Credit award.

The Government is committed to spending public money as effectively as possible to support disabled people in living independent and fulfilling lives. The aim of the Review is to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment.

The Timms Review will report its findings to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for decision in autumn 2026, with an interim update expected ahead of this.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disability set out to the House of Commons on the 9 July, the Government will report the Review's outcomes to Parliament.

Since its introduction in April 2018, my Department has kept the Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loan scheme under review. As a result of this, improvements to the scheme were introduced in 2021 and in 2023. The first of these allowed loans to be ‘ported’ to a new property rather than be repaid. This was primarily aimed at disabled recipients who may need to move home due to changes in their disability requirements.

The research published in May 2025 concluded SMI had the intended impact on recipients, to reduce arrears and repossessions. There are no current plans to introduce further changes.

DWP recognises that there are many benefits to volunteering for individuals, including for those not in employment, education or training. These include gaining new skills, knowledge and experience, improving physical and mental wellbeing, growing confidence and improving a person's CV. We have worked with the Royal Voluntary Service and with a group of charities who make up Shaping the Future with Volunteering to develop a ‘Volunteering Toolkit’ to support DWP operational staff, including work coaches, to connect customers to volunteering opportunities. We also ran a two-week internal communications campaign in Autumn 2024 to raise the profile of volunteering as a step towards work.

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) protects employees and others who may be affected by work activities. This includes those volunteering for, or on behalf of an organisation. Employers must include volunteers, as well as employees, in risk assessments to identify significant risks and implement effective control measures. Any further insurance beyond statutory requirements is a commercial decision for an employer.

The information requested is not held centrally and due to the additional activity that would be required to provide it, would incur disproportionate cost.

The first seven foundation apprenticeships became available in August 2025 focussed on four industrial strategy and priority areas: construction and the built environment, engineering and manufacturing, health and social care, and digital.

In line with other apprenticeships, the minimum duration is 8 months, and we expect them to last for up to 12 months, however this may be longer to accommodate individual learner needs.

As such, it is too early to provide the information requested.

As with all policy, the government will keep foundation apprenticeships under review to ensure it meets learner and employer needs.

The first seven foundation apprenticeships became available in August 2025 focussed on four industrial strategy and priority areas: construction and the built environment, engineering and manufacturing, health and social care, and digital.

In line with other apprenticeships, the minimum duration is 8 months, and we expect them to last for up to 12 months, however this may be longer to accommodate individual learner needs.

As such, it is too early to provide the information requested.

As with all policy, the government will keep foundation apprenticeships under review to ensure it meets learner and employer needs.

The first seven foundation apprenticeships became available in August 2025 focussed on four industrial strategy and priority areas: construction and the built environment, engineering and manufacturing, health and social care, and digital.

In line with other apprenticeships, the minimum duration is 8 months, and we expect them to last for up to 12 months, however this may be longer to accommodate individual learner needs.

As such, it is too early to provide the information requested.

As with all policy, the government will keep foundation apprenticeships under review to ensure it meets learner and employer needs.

The information requested is not held centrally and due to the additional activity that would be required to provide it, would incur disproportionate cost.

As of 15 October 2025, there are 1450 active providers on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR).

New training providers can enter the apprenticeship training market under one of the three entry routes in place. These are either where there is a legitimate gap in provision that is generated by unmet employer demand, where a levy paying employer wants to become an employer-provider to train its own workforce, or where the provider is in an area we want to grow or where we identify a capacity issue.

The government continues to monitor the suitability of entry routes onto APAR as the government develops the Growth and Skills offer.