Department for Work and Pensions

We are committed to tackling poverty and we know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. The Get Britain Working White Paper set out plans to reform employment, health and skills support to tackle rising economic inactivity levels, support people into good work, and create an inclusive labour market based on the unique needs of local communities, in which everybody can participate and progress in work.

Through our plan to Make Work Pay, we will, improve job security and boost living standards. From April, the National Living Wage increased by 6.7 per cent to £12.21 an hour, boosting the pay of 2.4 million workers. This represents an increase of £900 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.

Universal Credit has a critical role to play in tackling poverty and making work pay and we have already taken steps to help those in need. The Universal Credit Act 2025, which came into force on 6 April 2026, delivered the first sustained, above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced. And the introduction of the Fair Repayment Rate in Universal Credit, from April 2025, means that around 1.2 million of the poorest households will retain more of their award, on average £420 a year.

The Child Poverty Strategy has looked at how the government can boost families' incomes through employment and the social security system, drive down the cost of essentials so parents can meet their children’s fundamental needs, and strengthen local support to ensure families can access vital services when they need them. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures set out in our Strategy, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.

We have also introduced the new Crisis and Resilience Fund with £842 million per annum (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform crisis support in England from 1 April 2026. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis. We have allocated £28.2 million to Staffordshire over three years, (£9.3 million in 2026/27, £9.3 million in 2027/28 and £9.5 million in 2028/29) alongside £451,295 in 2026/27 to support heating oil households, with funding covering both the County and District Councils.

The LCWRA element will be paid from the start of the Assessment Period following the Assessment Period in which the ‘relevant period’ ended. This replicates the 13-week assessment period applied to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims and is used to establish that the customer has a long-term health condition or disability.

Throughout the period before the award of the LCWRA addition, claimants will receive the applicable standard allowance plus any eligible additions, such as housing costs.

The government provides a range of financial support to help employers take on apprentices, these payments are made in instalments at set apprenticeship milestones to support retention.

Foundation apprenticeships were introduced in August 2025, to give young people a route into critical sectors. Employers that take on foundation apprentices, including in building service engineering, will receive additional payments of up to £2,000. This is designed to offset the additional costs employers face whilst supporting the recruitment, retention and progression of young people, e.g. increased mentoring and pastoral care.

The payment is made in three instalments, with the first two spread across the foundation apprenticeship, and the final payment made when an apprentice progresses onto their next apprenticeship, supporting sustained employment for young people at the start of their career.

We also know that SMEs employ large numbers of young apprentices and will be critical in reversing the 40% decline in apprenticeship starts by young people that has occurred over the last decade. That is why we are introducing a new incentive of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees, to contribute to the additional costs associated with employing young people.

On top of this the government already pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an Education Health Care Plan or have been, or are, in local authority care.

Both payments will be made in two equal instalments, the first at day 90 and the second at day 365 after apprenticeship started (or day 242 if apprenticeship under 12 months).

The Department for Work and Pensions and the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) take the support of vulnerable customers, including victims and survivors of domestic abuse, extremely seriously.

All CMS Caseworkers receive comprehensive technical training, including specific modules on identifying and supporting vulnerable customers and victims and survivors of domestic abuse. This Domestic Abuse training is kept up to date through mandatory two year refresher training to ensure colleagues maintain the requisite skills and knowledge.

For the most complex domestic abuse cases, CMS uses a specialist team, which provides tailored support and reduces the need for victims and survivors to repeatedly recount their experiences.

All Caseworkers can access the Every Call Matters Hub, which provides access to supporting products and call standards to support confidence and quality when speaking with customers.

CMS aim to handle calls in a sensitive manner and ensure all customers get the help and support they need to use the service safely. This may include signposting to support organisations or reporting to the police where this may be necessary.

Further work is ongoing to strengthen quality assurance processes, including call listening, to ensure that vulnerable customers and victims and survivors of domestic abuse consistently receive the appropriate level of service. Insight from quality assurance outcomes is used to support ongoing training and learning.

DWP does not have any control over council tax schemes, and overarching responsibility for Local Council Tax Reduction lies with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). As a result, Council Tax Reduction entitlement may differ from the support customers previously received under legacy benefits.

We recognise that this can be difficult for customers, particularly where there has been no change in their overall household income following migration to Universal Credit. Transitional protection is designed to protect customers’ benefit entitlement levels when they move to Universal Credit. It does not provide cover for schemes that are administered by local authorities, including Council Tax Reduction, which are assessed separately from benefit entitlement.

The Department does not collect information centrally for analysis on whether a claimant’s condition is terminal.

The Special Rules for End of Life allow people nearing the end of their life to get faster and easier access to PIP at the highest rates. The Department considers anyone likely to have fewer than 12 months to live as nearing the end of life.

In most cases, claimants who receive two sets of monthly earnings in one Universal Credit assessment period are identified automatically and their award is corrected.

This reflects established policy intent and is implemented through system coding based on data received from HM Revenue and Customs. However, a small number of cases are not picked up by the automated process because of the complexity of the claimant’s individual circumstances.

This usually arises in situations where earnings do not follow a consistent or standard pattern, making them harder for automated systems to assess accurately. This can include irregular pay patterns or variations in how employers report earnings through Real Time Information (RTI).

In these cases, earnings may not follow a standard pattern that the system can correct automatically, and manual intervention is required to ensure the claimant receives the correct Universal Credit entitlement.

Landlords can report changes of this nature through a range of routes, including by email and via the Department’s Employment and Partnership Manager network. However, Universal Credit is designed around the principle that claimants are responsible for reporting changes of circumstance. For that reason, while information from landlords can trigger checks and investigation, claimants are still required to make a declaration through “report a change”.

The Department is committed to pursuing a just, equal, and inclusive society, ensuring independence and control for everyone, including our deaf customers.

Customers can communicate with us using Relay UK. We also offer email as a reasonable adjustment as well as a range of different (or alternative) formats such as Easy Read, which uses succinct and simplified language combined with images to convey information about government benefits and services.

UC customers can also communicate with us using the UC journal.

As a department we continue to recognise the importance and value of British Sign Language. We take our commitments seriously and are continuously seeking ways to improve the BSL services we offer.

We’re almost one year into our BSL 5-year plan and have made good progress against our goals. This includes:

• Deployment of the Video Relay Interpreting service into all Job centres and Universal Credit Review (UCR) Service Centres

• Developing our first set of BSL video standards, which are currently being reviewed by stakeholders prior to implementation

• Reviewing all existing learning content, identifying improvements for deaf and hard of hearing customers

• Creating DWP’s first ever ‘YouTube Short’ in BSL to improve our target reach and communication mediums

For customers with additional support needs, the department offers a wide range of reasonable adjustments, including a visiting service for vulnerable customers who are unable to use our other contact routes, and support from Disability Employment Advisors within our jobcentres.

We continue to review our services and make improvements to ensure they are accessible and responsive to customer needs.

The Department is committed to pursuing a just, equal, and inclusive society, ensuring independence and control for everyone, including our deaf customers.

Customers can communicate with us using Relay UK. We also offer email as a reasonable adjustment as well as a range of different (or alternative) formats such as Easy Read, which uses succinct and simplified language combined with images to convey information about government benefits and services.

UC customers can also communicate with us using the UC journal.

As a department we continue to recognise the importance and value of British Sign Language. We take our commitments seriously and are continuously seeking ways to improve the BSL services we offer.

We’re almost one year into our BSL 5-year plan and have made good progress against our goals. This includes:

• Deployment of the Video Relay Interpreting service into all Job centres and Universal Credit Review (UCR) Service Centres

• Developing our first set of BSL video standards, which are currently being reviewed by stakeholders prior to implementation

• Reviewing all existing learning content, identifying improvements for deaf and hard of hearing customers

• Creating DWP’s first ever ‘YouTube Short’ in BSL to improve our target reach and communication mediums

For customers with additional support needs, the department offers a wide range of reasonable adjustments, including a visiting service for vulnerable customers who are unable to use our other contact routes, and support from Disability Employment Advisors within our jobcentres.

We continue to review our services and make improvements to ensure they are accessible and responsive to customer needs.

Statistics on the number of people on Universal Credit are regularly published on Stat-Xplore, with the latest statistics by employment status available to February 2026. As there is no limit to how many hours a person can work and still get Universal Credit, information on the number of hours worked for those in employment is not collated.

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.

For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000.

The eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England are testing new ways to identify, engage and support young people who are, or are at risk of becoming, NEET. This includes 18–21‑year‑olds who are not claiming benefits, who can, through the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, access tailored support which connects them to meaningful employment and training opportunities.

By bringing together national entitlements with locally tailored provision and working closely with employers, colleges and the voluntary sector, the Trailblazers are helping more young people develop the skills and confidence they need to enter employment and advance their careers.

The Youth Guarantee is about reaching all NEET young people, including those outside the benefits system. That is why we recently announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in 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.

This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16-24 year olds. Youth Hubs offer access to employment and skills support, as well as links to housing and mental health services for young people, including in areas where Youth Guarantee Trailblazers operate, but they are not responsible for delivering the Trailblazer programmes. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.

This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.

Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for all young people.

There is currently no Youth Hub in the St Albans area. Youth Hubs will be expanded to 360 areas across Great Britain over the next three years. Young people in areas where Youth Hubs open later in the three-year rollout period, will still receive the full breadth of Youth Guarantee support. They will also continue to benefit from tailored help through the local Jobcentre, and, where appropriate, support from nearby Youth Hubs, so no young person is left without support during the phased rollout.

For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000.

The eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England are testing new ways to identify, engage and support young people who are, or are at risk of becoming, NEET. This includes 18–21‑year‑olds who are not claiming benefits, who can, through the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, access tailored support which connects them to meaningful employment and training opportunities.

By bringing together national entitlements with locally tailored provision and working closely with employers, colleges and the voluntary sector, the Trailblazers are helping more young people develop the skills and confidence they need to enter employment and advance their careers.

The Youth Guarantee is about reaching all NEET young people, including those outside the benefits system. That is why we recently announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in 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.

This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16-24 year olds. Youth Hubs offer access to employment and skills support, as well as links to housing and mental health services for young people, including in areas where Youth Guarantee Trailblazers operate, but they are not responsible for delivering the Trailblazer programmes. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.

This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.

Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for all young people.

There is currently no Youth Hub in the St Albans area. Youth Hubs will be expanded to 360 areas across Great Britain over the next three years. Young people in areas where Youth Hubs open later in the three-year rollout period, will still receive the full breadth of Youth Guarantee support. They will also continue to benefit from tailored help through the local Jobcentre, and, where appropriate, support from nearby Youth Hubs, so no young person is left without support during the phased rollout.

Funding for apprenticeships and skills is a devolved matter. This government is committed to engaging with the devolved governments on skills policy, 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.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring that parents meet their financial responsibilities in full and on time with payments calculated so they are reasonable and affordable for the paying parent.

When arrears are identified, parents are given a clear explanation of how the amount has been calculated. Where a parent believes the arrears to be incorrect, they have opportunity to dispute the decision and provide evidence within set timescales.

The CMS has a structured dispute resolution process, including Mandatory Reconsideration and the right of appeal to an independent tribunal, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service.

Where a dispute is raised, the case is reviewed before court‑based enforcement proceeds, as a Liability Order may only be granted where a magistrate is satisfied the debt is legally due and unpaid. This safeguards both parents and ensures enforcement is taken only on resolved debt.

The Department keeps these safeguards under regular review to ensure the accuracy of arrears and that enforcement action continues to be subject to appropriate judicial oversight.

We are committed to investing in education and skills training for adults and are investing over £1.4 billion in the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) this academic year. The principal purpose of the ASF is to engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

As of August 2025, approximately 68% of the ASF has been devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to learning providers. The Department for Work and Pensions provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas.

Hampshire is currently a non-devolved area, meaning the Department funds the providers including further education colleges who decide what provision to offer. Until powers are transferred, the Department will continue to fund providers in Hampshire directly.

We believe that local areas should have more of a say and control over adult education in their areas. As such Government agreed a devolution deal with Hampshire and the Solent including, from academic year 27/28, the devolution of the ASF. This will provide the area with the ability to commission adult education for Hampshire and the Solent residents.

Under the arrangements set out in devolution deals, local areas assume the duties set out in statute around providing free courses for adults. These national statutory entitlements ensure a level of consistency across the country. By honouring our commitments to combine and further devolve adult skills funding, we give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas and their residents.

We are adopting artificial intelligence in the Department for Work and Pensions to help colleagues deliver better outcomes for customers and to improve productivity and efficiency. While generative artificial intelligence is not currently used to assist people directly in making benefit claims, the Department continues to explore how digital tools, including artificial intelligence, could improve and enhance the claimant journey and make it easier for people to access support.

This work is focused on improving access, usability and overall user experience. Any future use of artificial intelligence would be subject to robust safeguards and appropriate ethical, legal and governance controls.

An apprenticeship is a job with training, apprentices therefore must be employed and have a contract of employment that lasts until they finish the apprenticeship, including the assessment.

If an apprentice loses their job, their apprenticeship funding will stop, and the apprentice will need to find a new employer who will support their apprenticeship. Training providers can provide support and guidance to apprentices whilst they look for a new employer. When they find a new employer, the employer should then identify a training provider who can deliver the rest of their apprenticeship training and support assessment.

If an apprentice is made redundant and their training provider can continue to deliver their government funded apprenticeship training, we will continue to fund the apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy. This is to give the individual time to find alternative employment in order to continue with the apprenticeship.

If the apprentice is unable to secure a new employer, they may still be able to finish their apprenticeship training and assessment if they have less than 6 months of training left to complete or have finished 75% or more of their training.

We provide a range of advice for apprentices facing redundancy on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/redundancy-support-for-apprentices and https://customerhelp.education.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/18228373250322-Employment-and-redundancy-in-apprenticeships

Apprentices can also contact the Apprenticeship Service helpline if they need further support and use the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ service on gov.uk to locate apprenticeship vacancies in their area.

An apprenticeship is a job with training, apprentices therefore must be employed and have a contract of employment that lasts until they finish the apprenticeship, including the assessment.

If an apprentice loses their job, their apprenticeship funding will stop, and the apprentice will need to find a new employer who will support their apprenticeship. Training providers can provide support and guidance to apprentices whilst they look for a new employer. When they find a new employer, the employer should then identify a training provider who can deliver the rest of their apprenticeship training and support assessment.

If an apprentice is made redundant and their training provider can continue to deliver their government funded apprenticeship training, we will continue to fund the apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy. This is to give the individual time to find alternative employment in order to continue with the apprenticeship.

If the apprentice is unable to secure a new employer, they may still be able to finish their apprenticeship training and assessment if they have less than 6 months of training left to complete or have finished 75% or more of their training.

We provide a range of advice for apprentices facing redundancy on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/redundancy-support-for-apprentices and https://customerhelp.education.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/18228373250322-Employment-and-redundancy-in-apprenticeships

Apprentices can also contact the Apprenticeship Service helpline if they need further support and use the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ service on gov.uk to locate apprenticeship vacancies in their area.

An apprenticeship is a job with training, apprentices therefore must be employed and have a contract of employment that lasts until they finish the apprenticeship, including the assessment.

If an apprentice loses their job, their apprenticeship funding will stop, and the apprentice will need to find a new employer who will support their apprenticeship. Training providers can provide support and guidance to apprentices whilst they look for a new employer. When they find a new employer, the employer should then identify a training provider who can deliver the rest of their apprenticeship training and support assessment.

If an apprentice is made redundant and their training provider can continue to deliver their government funded apprenticeship training, we will continue to fund the apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy. This is to give the individual time to find alternative employment in order to continue with the apprenticeship.

If the apprentice is unable to secure a new employer, they may still be able to finish their apprenticeship training and assessment if they have less than 6 months of training left to complete or have finished 75% or more of their training.

We provide a range of advice for apprentices facing redundancy on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/redundancy-support-for-apprentices and https://customerhelp.education.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/18228373250322-Employment-and-redundancy-in-apprenticeships

Apprentices can also contact the Apprenticeship Service helpline if they need further support and use the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ service on gov.uk to locate apprenticeship vacancies in their area.

An apprenticeship is a job with training, apprentices therefore must be employed and have a contract of employment that lasts until they finish the apprenticeship, including the assessment.

If an apprentice loses their job, their apprenticeship funding will stop, and the apprentice will need to find a new employer who will support their apprenticeship. Training providers can provide support and guidance to apprentices whilst they look for a new employer. When they find a new employer, the employer should then identify a training provider who can deliver the rest of their apprenticeship training and support assessment.

If an apprentice is made redundant and their training provider can continue to deliver their government funded apprenticeship training, we will continue to fund the apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy. This is to give the individual time to find alternative employment in order to continue with the apprenticeship.

If the apprentice is unable to secure a new employer, they may still be able to finish their apprenticeship training and assessment if they have less than 6 months of training left to complete or have finished 75% or more of their training.

We provide a range of advice for apprentices facing redundancy on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/redundancy-support-for-apprentices and https://customerhelp.education.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/18228373250322-Employment-and-redundancy-in-apprenticeships

Apprentices can also contact the Apprenticeship Service helpline if they need further support and use the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ service on gov.uk to locate apprenticeship vacancies in their area.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 April 2026 to Question UIN 123109.

Lack of experience is a key barrier for young people. 7-10% of 16-24-year-olds have never held any paid job or work experience, and 58% of those who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) have never held a paid job.

To address this, the Government is expanding work experience placements across Great Britain as part of the Youth Guarantee, offering 150,000 more opportunities over three years from April 2026, with priority referrals for young people.

Participating in work experience helps young people to develop core employability skills, confidence and work readiness and will support them to move into employment or training. Department for Work and Pensions is engaging with national and local employers to create these opportunities. Additionally, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which include a work experience placement, are also being expanded through the Youth Guarantee, with 145,000 starts planned by 2028/29, further supporting young people in gaining valuable work experience whilst building up sector-specific skills.

In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, including entry-level employment opportunities, and I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 March to PQ 122032. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new apprenticeship hiring grant of up to £2,000 for non-levy paying employers when hiring 16–24-year-olds as new employees, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.

On 25^th March 2026, the Government also announced the expansion of employment support through a further 80 new Youth Hubs in 2026/27. One of these Youth Hubs will be in Basildon. Youth Hubs provide tailored, locally delivered employment support, helping young people overcome barriers such as lack of work experience by connecting them to employers, work experience, training and jobs.

Lack of experience is a key barrier for young people. 7-10% of 16-24-year-olds have never held any paid job or work experience, and 58% of those who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) have never held a paid job.

To address this, the Government is expanding work experience placements across Great Britain as part of the Youth Guarantee, offering 150,000 more opportunities over three years from April 2026, with priority referrals for young people.

Participating in work experience helps young people to develop core employability skills, confidence and work readiness and will support them to move into employment or training. Department for Work and Pensions is engaging with national and local employers to create these opportunities. Additionally, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which include a work experience placement, are also being expanded through the Youth Guarantee, with 145,000 starts planned by 2028/29, further supporting young people in gaining valuable work experience whilst building up sector-specific skills.

In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, including entry-level employment opportunities, and I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 March to PQ 122032. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new apprenticeship hiring grant of up to £2,000 for non-levy paying employers when hiring 16–24-year-olds as new employees, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.

On 25^th March 2026, the Government also announced the expansion of employment support through a further 80 new Youth Hubs in 2026/27. One of these Youth Hubs will be in Basildon. Youth Hubs provide tailored, locally delivered employment support, helping young people overcome barriers such as lack of work experience by connecting them to employers, work experience, training and jobs.

Over the past decade we’ve seen apprenticeship starts by those aged 16-24, fall by 40%. At the same time, last year, the government spent 100% of its multi-billion pound apprenticeship budget. This Government wants to reverse that decline and support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships.

We are therefore reviewing the existing apprenticeship offer, which has grown to more than 700 standards, an outlier by international standards, to ensure it better supports young people starting their careers.

From September 2026, we will withdraw funding from 16 existing apprenticeship standards.

Three of these are generic leadership and management apprenticeships, which have grown significantly but are predominantly used as continuing professional development for established staff aged 25 and over.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, nearly 90% of apprentices on these leadership and management standards are over 25 (compared to 50% across the programme as a whole); and 83% are long-term employees (compared to 43% across the programme as whole – which is a 10-year high). This has happened at a time when we have seen the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) increase to nearly one million. Rebalancing the programme is necessary and proportionate to achieve our legitimate aim of rebalancing funding towards the government’s priorities supporting young people and delivering growth, whilst being aligned to the Youth Guarantee and the Industrial Strategy.

We know that apprenticeships offer strong returns, and that is particularly true for young people. The changes to streamline the apprenticeship offer will help to create headroom to invest in more opportunities for young people and new apprenticeship units for adults.

Employers who value these apprenticeship standards can continue to use them on a privately funded basis.

Over the past decade we’ve seen apprenticeship starts by those aged 16-24, fall by 40%. At the same time, last year, the government spent 100% of its multi-billion pound apprenticeship budget. This Government wants to reverse that decline and support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships.

We are therefore reviewing the existing apprenticeship offer, which has grown to more than 700 standards, an outlier by international standards, to ensure it better supports young people starting their careers.

From September 2026, we will withdraw funding from 16 existing apprenticeship standards.

Three of these are generic leadership and management apprenticeships, which have grown significantly but are predominantly used as continuing professional development for established staff aged 25 and over.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, nearly 90% of apprentices on these leadership and management standards are over 25 (compared to 50% across the programme as a whole); and 83% are long-term employees (compared to 43% across the programme as whole – which is a 10-year high). This has happened at a time when we have seen the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) increase to nearly one million. Rebalancing the programme is necessary and proportionate to achieve our legitimate aim of rebalancing funding towards the government’s priorities supporting young people and delivering growth, whilst being aligned to the Youth Guarantee and the Industrial Strategy.

We know that apprenticeships offer strong returns, and that is particularly true for young people. The changes to streamline the apprenticeship offer will help to create headroom to invest in more opportunities for young people and new apprenticeship units for adults.

Employers who value these apprenticeship standards can continue to use them on a privately funded basis.

Over the past decade we’ve seen apprenticeship starts by those aged 16-24, fall by 40%. At the same time, last year, the government spent 100% of its multi-billion pound apprenticeship budget. This Government wants to reverse that decline and support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships.

We are therefore reviewing the existing apprenticeship offer, which has grown to more than 700 standards, an outlier by international standards, to ensure it better supports young people starting their careers.

From September 2026, we will withdraw funding from 16 existing apprenticeship standards.

Three of these are generic leadership and management apprenticeships, which have grown significantly but are predominantly used as continuing professional development for established staff aged 25 and over.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, nearly 90% of apprentices on these leadership and management standards are over 25 (compared to 50% across the programme as a whole); and 83% are long-term employees (compared to 43% across the programme as whole – which is a 10-year high). This has happened at a time when we have seen the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) increase to nearly one million. Rebalancing the programme is necessary and proportionate to achieve our legitimate aim of rebalancing funding towards the government’s priorities supporting young people and delivering growth, whilst being aligned to the Youth Guarantee and the Industrial Strategy.

We know that apprenticeships offer strong returns, and that is particularly true for young people. The changes to streamline the apprenticeship offer will help to create headroom to invest in more opportunities for young people and new apprenticeship units for adults.

Employers who value these apprenticeship standards can continue to use them on a privately funded basis.

Over the past decade we’ve seen apprenticeship starts by those aged 16-24, fall by 40%. At the same time, last year, the government spent 100% of its multi-billion pound apprenticeship budget. This Government wants to reverse that decline and support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships.

We are therefore reviewing the existing apprenticeship offer, which has grown to more than 700 standards, an outlier by international standards, to ensure it better supports young people starting their careers.

From September 2026, we will withdraw funding from 16 existing apprenticeship standards.

Three of these are generic leadership and management apprenticeships, which have grown significantly but are predominantly used as continuing professional development for established staff aged 25 and over.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, nearly 90% of apprentices on these leadership and management standards are over 25 (compared to 50% across the programme as a whole); and 83% are long-term employees (compared to 43% across the programme as whole – which is a 10-year high). This has happened at a time when we have seen the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) increase to nearly one million. Rebalancing the programme is necessary and proportionate to achieve our legitimate aim of rebalancing funding towards the government’s priorities supporting young people and delivering growth, whilst being aligned to the Youth Guarantee and the Industrial Strategy.

We know that apprenticeships offer strong returns, and that is particularly true for young people. The changes to streamline the apprenticeship offer will help to create headroom to invest in more opportunities for young people and new apprenticeship units for adults.

Employers who value these apprenticeship standards can continue to use them on a privately funded basis.

The baseline report will provide further details on our approach to monitoring and evaluating the Child Poverty Strategy, as initially set out in the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework published alongside the Strategy, alongside the latest statistics and evidence.

Our Child Poverty Strategy fulfils our commitment to reducing poverty this Parliament, lifting 550,000 children out of poverty, and sets out our ambition to tackle its structural drivers as part of a long-term, 10-year strategy. This Government has taken decisive action, with the interventions in the Strategy set to lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.

From the very beginning of our time in government we have done what is needed to tackle child poverty – we have increased the minimum wage, expanded Free School Meals, invested in social and affordable housing, funded more Best Start Family Hubs, and removed the two-child limit.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has not identified any errors in our accounting system. For each case CMS maintain a full record of what is owed, what has been paid, and any balances outstanding. It ensures any over- or under-payments are fully reconciled.

The CMS acknowledges receiving multiple letters may be confusing for a parent. CMS is legally required to issue written confirmation of every maintenance calculation generated, meaning where multiple changes occur in quick succession or when there is a change which impacts a previous calculation a letter must be issued. Each letter is dated and will include an accurate record of the changes made and an updated calculation. In addition, customers can check the position of their case at any time through their online My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC).

CMS is taking steps to improve communications with parents, including retiring outdated letters and updating current letters, with a view to making them more user friendly.

Financial redress is not automatic but may be considered where there is evidence of maladministration that has caused financial loss or significant distress.

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

Ministers and officials at DWP and the Home Office regularly discuss a range of matters.

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 are 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.

An Equality Impact Assessment including consideration of the impact on affected individuals was undertaken and published by HMT as part of the Autumn Budget and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK.

The Department has made no such assessment.

The latest statistics showing the percentage of people on Universal Credit in Great Britain by immigration status were published on 17 February 2026, and reported that in January 2026 the percentage of people on Universal Credit in Great Britain with the immigration status of indefinite leave to remain was 2.6%.

Information relating to other benefits is not held on digital systems, in a way that allows it to be extracted for the publication as official statistics.

The Government undertook a comprehensive review of the Special Rules for End of Life in 2020. Following that review, legislation was amended in 2022 and 2023, with cross party support, to extend eligibility so that people who might have 12 months or less to live can access fast tracked support. This replaced the previous 6-month definition and is aligned with the approach used in current NHS practice for defining end of life.

Guidance was updated alongside these legislative changes to support consistent interpretation across clinical settings and to ensure clinicians are supported by a definition that reflects established NHS practice. Aligning the definition with the NHS helps provide greater clarity and confidence for clinicians when providing evidence, while recognising the inherent difficulty of providing precise prognostic estimates

Clinical evidence to support a claim under the Special Rules for End of Life is usually provided through the SR1 form (which can be found by searching for ‘Send an SR1 medical evidence form’ on GOV.UK). The SR1 is a short medical evidence form which can be completed by an approved clinician and provides clinical confirmation that a person is likely to have 12 months or less to live, which allows the Department to apply the Special Rules for End of Life

The Department keeps the operation of the Special Rules under review and is committed to continuous improvement. We work closely with clinicians and stakeholder organisations to gather feedback on guidance and processes. Current work is focused on reviewing and improving the SR1 digital portal to make it easier and quicker for clinicians to submit evidence, supporting timely and consistent decision making for people nearing the end of life.

Long-term sickness continues to be the most common reason for economic inactivity among the working age population. We know that good work is good for health, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. In our Pathways to Work Green Paper we set out our Pathways to Work offer, backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade.

People with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. The Government is committed to supporting people with health conditions with their employment journey.

We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants. Through Pathways to Work we are building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits, building on and bringing together initiatives such as Connect to Work, WorkWell and Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies.

Additionally, we have developed a digital information service for employers and continue to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme.

In November 2025, Sir Charlie Mayfield published the Keep Britain Working Review, setting out recommendations to help employers create healthier, more inclusive workplaces and to reshape how Government works with employers to improve work and health outcomes. We are now working with volunteer employers, providers and regions through a Vanguard Phase to test and refine approaches that support disabled people and people with long‑term physical and mental health conditions to thrive in work. This includes developing effective stay‑in‑work and return‑to‑work practices, strengthening prevention, and building the evidence needed to spread good practice so that disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions receive the support they need to remain in employment successfully.

The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan states our intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided on 17 March 2026 to question: UIN 119633.

The Government is committed to supporting all neurodivergent people, including autistic people, into and at work. This is part of our wider commitment to drive healthy and inclusive workplaces for all.

Our employment support for neurodivergent people is led by DWP’s £1 billion, voluntary, locally-led Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work. It covers all of England and Wales, with the exception of Greater Manchester which is using their Connect to Work funding to pilot their Prevention Demonstrator, through their Integrated Settlement.

Connect to Work will support around 300,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and individuals with complex barriers to employment by the end of the decade. It offers intensive, personalised employment support to help people move into and stay in paid employment, and is built around two internationally recognised evidence-based Supported Employment frameworks: Individual Placement and Support, and the Supported Employment Quality Framework. The latter has been specifically designed to support neurodivergent people and those with learning disabilities into sustainable jobs. Crucially, Connect to Work supports both participants and employers, helping to ensure that individuals are given the best chance to succeed once in work.

We recognise that supporting employers to understand the needs of neurodivergent employees is also key to our efforts. This year we funded free-of-charge neurodiversity masterclasses, delivered by ACAS, to help small and medium sized businesses build their understanding of neurodivergence and improve workplace support. Over 1800 representatives of small and medium sized businesses attended these masterclasses.

As announced early this year, we are reforming our Disability Confident scheme by strengthening its criteria and expectations to drive meaningful change across its approximately 19,000 employer members and the estimated 11.5 million employees working in their organisations. The reforms will provide clearer, more robust guidance on inclusive recruitment and retention, including for autistic people; and these reforms are being closely aligned with the work of the Keep Britain Working Review.

As part of the vanguard phase of the Keep Britain Working Review, we are working directly with employers to identify what “good” looks like in inclusive workplace practice, including for neurodivergent employees. This vanguard phase includes over 150 volunteer employers and 10 regions and will, over the next three years, work with government to test employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in and return to work.

Finally, last year, DWP launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and lived experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel considered the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. DWP has now received a final version of the Panel’s report and is considering its findings.

The Government is committed to supporting all neurodivergent people, including autistic people, into and at work. This is part of our wider commitment to drive healthy and inclusive workplaces for all.

Our employment support for neurodivergent people is led by DWP’s £1 billion, voluntary, locally-led Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work. It covers all of England and Wales, with the exception of Greater Manchester which is using their Connect to Work funding to pilot their Prevention Demonstrator, through their Integrated Settlement.

Connect to Work will support around 300,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and individuals with complex barriers to employment by the end of the decade. It offers intensive, personalised employment support to help people move into and stay in paid employment, and is built around two internationally recognised evidence-based Supported Employment frameworks: Individual Placement and Support, and the Supported Employment Quality Framework. The latter has been specifically designed to support neurodivergent people and those with learning disabilities into sustainable jobs. Crucially, Connect to Work supports both participants and employers, helping to ensure that individuals are given the best chance to succeed once in work.

We recognise that supporting employers to understand the needs of neurodivergent employees is also key to our efforts. This year we funded free-of-charge neurodiversity masterclasses, delivered by ACAS, to help small and medium sized businesses build their understanding of neurodivergence and improve workplace support. Over 1800 representatives of small and medium sized businesses attended these masterclasses.

As announced early this year, we are reforming our Disability Confident scheme by strengthening its criteria and expectations to drive meaningful change across its approximately 19,000 employer members and the estimated 11.5 million employees working in their organisations. The reforms will provide clearer, more robust guidance on inclusive recruitment and retention, including for autistic people; and these reforms are being closely aligned with the work of the Keep Britain Working Review.

As part of the vanguard phase of the Keep Britain Working Review, we are working directly with employers to identify what “good” looks like in inclusive workplace practice, including for neurodivergent employees. This vanguard phase includes over 150 volunteer employers and 10 regions and will, over the next three years, work with government to test employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in and return to work.

Finally, last year, DWP launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and lived experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel considered the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. DWP has now received a final version of the Panel’s report and is considering its findings.

Although the Department collects information on the medical condition(s) of Access to Work customers, readily available primary medical condition categories do not allow for the disaggregation of people with multiple sclerosis or other progressive neurological conditions. Where this information is recorded it may be stored as descriptive free-text and extracting it would require manual review of individual records therefore incurring a disproportionate cost. Statistics on the number of people in receipt of payment for Access to Work by readily available primary medical condition categories are published annually in Table PAY03a-d of the Access to Work official statistics: Access to Work statistics - GOV.UK.