Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consideration his Department has given to reducing administration for parents of children with SEND when applying for Disability Living Allowance.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We regularly consider the impact of our processes for Disability Living Allowance on our customers, including parents of children with Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND).
We have not identified a disproportionate impact of requiring applications to be submitted by post on families of children with SEND. We offer Parent/Guardians a 6 week window to complete the form and return it, to maintain the date of claim, as well as extending the window in relevant extenuating circumstances. We continue to explore opportunities to modernise the service.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Department plans to review the legislative approach to the frozen pensions policy, including the option of presenting it in a form that enables routine parliamentary debate and vote.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026 are consequential on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026.
The regulations are subject to the negative procedure and are therefore only subject to Parliamentary debate if one is sought and granted. They were laid on 6 March 2026 and will come into force on the same date as the Up-rating Order on 6 April 2026. This is a convention that has been in place for a number of years.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of opportunities for parliamentary scrutiny of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026, laid on 6 March 2026.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026 are consequential on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026.
The regulations are subject to the negative procedure and are therefore only subject to Parliamentary debate if one is sought and granted. They were laid on 6 March 2026 and will come into force on the same date as the Up-rating Order on 6 April 2026. This is a convention that has been in place for a number of years.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the application of inflationary increases on pre-1997 defined benefit pension entitlements is limited to schemes within the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme; and whether he plans to extend this policy to other defined benefit schemes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has brought forward legislation to introduce annual CPI-linked increases, capped at 2.5 per cent, on compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme based on pensions built up before 6 April 1997. These increases will apply prospectively (i.e. to payments going forward) and where the original scheme rules provided for such increases.