Submit Evidence (by 29 Sep 2025)

With the disability employment gap persistently at nearly 30%, the Government has announced it will spend an additional £2.2 billion on employment support over the next four years.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government response to the Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments consultation, published on 23 June 2025, what her planned timetable is for publishing further information on next steps.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Primary legislation is required to make the change to remove Direct Pay and reform the collection fee structure, meaning these changes will be subject to detailed parliamentary scrutiny. Our intention is to implement these changes as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time is to process a Personal Independence Payment appeal in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The average time to process a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeal for all PIP appeals in the South Holland and The Deepings constituency, since PIP was introduced, can be found in table 1 below.

Table 1: The mean and median time to process an appeal from time of registration to the time of appeal clearance in weeks

Source: PIP Administrative data

Notes:

• The appeal processing time is calculated as the time between the date of appeal registration and date of appeal clearance.
• Figures include appeals related to initial decisions (including new claims and DLA reassessments), award reviews and changes of circumstance.
• Figures include time taken by His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to clear the case.
• Cases are counted if the claimant is resident in the constituency at the point of registering their claim.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating in-person appointments for personal independent payment assessments.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department is committed to assessing people as quickly as possible to ensure they receive the support they are entitled to in a timely manner.

Where there is sufficient available evidence, assessments are done by paper-based review, without the need for a formal consultation. If an in-person consultation is required this is completed either face-to-face, via telephone or via video call.

We announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper our intention to increase the number of face-to-face assessments, while preserving alternative health assessment channels to meet the specific needs of people who require them, for example as a reasonable adjustment. We are committed to continuing a multi-channel assessment service approach to meet the obligations of the Equality Act 2010.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to Universal Credit on poverty levels.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department has published an updated assessment of the poverty impacts of the benefit changes announced at Spring Statement with revisions to reflect the proposed changes since tabled, which includes changes to Universal Credit. The assessment is available at Spring statement social security changes – updated impact on poverty levels in Great Britain, July 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provisions of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on eligibility for Personal Independence Payment on the ability of people who are (a) experiencing and (b) at risk of homelessness to secure (i) housing and (ii) employment.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As I set out in the House of Commons on 1 July 2025, the Government has listened to the concerns raised by Members from across the House about the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Clause 5 of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill would have amended the legal framework underpinning PIP assessments, specifically by implementing a new requirement that claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of PIP.

In light of the concerns raised, I confirmed during the debate that we are going to remove clause 5 from the Bill in Committee. (Hansard, 1 July, col 219)

Any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I shall lead, co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This review aims to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the list of professionals who have been given approved third-party status for the purpose of certifying claims under the non-consensual conception exception to the two-child limit; whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding that list to include more third-party professionals; and if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the report by Dr Rebecca Hewer entitled The Rape Clause - How Health and Social Care Professionals Administer the Non-Consensual Conception Exception to the Two-Child Limit, published on 5 May 2025.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

There are currently no plans to make these assessments. The non-consensual exception looks to protect UC child element entitlement for those children conceived non-consensually. The Department recognises the sensitivities surrounding disclosure that a child was likely born of non-consensual conception and has carefully designed processes to reflect this, including the use of a third-party model. Approved third parties have been chosen owing to their positions that already support individuals in sensitive circumstances. These are healthcare professionals, specialist support workers from an approved organisation listed on GOV.UK, or registered social workers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of administrative capacity to manage the volume of transitions from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit; and what steps she is taking to ensure that vulnerable claimants do not experience prolonged delays or shortfalls in payment due to outstanding actions as a result of these transitions.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Adequate resourcing for the transition is an important priority for the department.

The department has identified a small number of cases where the payments due have not all been paid in full in the first assessment period, due to delays in the process. The problem has been addressed by introducing additional automation, and increasing the resources to deal with these cases. DWP has also enhanced the identity verification identity process, reducing the requirement for customers to attend the office or receive a home visit.

We have robust plans in place to support the safe migration of cases onto UC. We will continue to monitor the position on these cases carefully through to the end of the migration activity, responding quickly if difficulties arise.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was paid in (a) Universal Credit, (b) Disability Living Allowance and (c) Personal Independence Payment to people who were not British citizens in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

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

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the annual saving to the public purse from not fully disregarding (a) War Pensions and (b) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments in the assessment of Pension Credit in the previous financial year.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

No formal assessment has been made on the annual saving to the public purse on not fully disregarding these payments.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58269 on Winter Fuel Payment: Rutland and Stamford, how many people will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment following the proposed changes in Rutland and Stamford constituency.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

It is not possible to provide an estimate of such figures at a constituency level.

I refer the member back to the answer of 16 June to Question 58269 for further detail on the national impact of the changes to the eligibility criteria.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government’s response to the consultation entitled Child Maintenance: Improving the Collection and Transfer of Payments, published on 23 June 2025, what the eligibility criteria will be for the most complex domestic abuse cases under the specialist domestic abuse named caseworker service; and how she will assess the impact of those eligibility criteria on victim-survivors requiring access to that service.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is committed to ensuring that victims and survivors of domestic abuse get the help and support they need to use the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) safely.

The CMS has a Specialist Case team delivering targeted support to parents subject to the most challenging or complex domestic abuse. All caseworkers are trained to identify and refer appropriate cases within the Collect and Pay service to the team.

Customers who are potential victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be identified, and referred to the Specialist Case team in the following ways:

• If a customer is already under the care of the Department for Work and Pensions Advanced Customer Support due to a domestic abuse issue, or if either the CMS or the customer has involved the police because of a domestic abuse concern, a referral should be made.
• If a caseworker has spoken with a customer who mentions or seeks assistance related to any actual or threatened physical violence, coercive control, or financial control, and
• If the caseworker has concerns for the customer's safety that have not been resolved by the conversation or signposting, and
• If the caseworker believes there is a significant threat or risk to the customer, then they should refer the case to the Specialist Case Team.
• All cases in enforcement, where the most intensive contact between the CMS and customers is needed, have a single person managing the enforcement action on their case, with other action on the case completed by the ‘named caseworker’.

These steps ensure the safety and well-being of customers, addressing any indications of domestic abuse effectively. Eligibility criteria will be reviewed as intake increases and following awareness sessions due to take place over the next few months.

Cases remain with the Specialist Case team until closure. In cases where the victim-survivor advises that there is no longer ongoing domestic abuse, the case can be referred for removal with the guiding principle is that if there is any doubt about a customer’s safety, the case must remain in the Specialist Case team.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government’s response to the consultation entitled Child Maintenance: Improving the Collection and Transfer of Payments, published on 23 June 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of working with economic abuse organisations to (a) develop and (b) deliver specialist training for Child Maintenance Service staff responsible for (i) identifying and (ii) supporting parents experiencing economic abuse.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government is committed to ensuring that victims and survivors of abuse get the help and support they need to use the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) safely. In our response to the consultation, we explained how the CMS has updated and refreshed domestic abuse training over the past 18 months to include economic abuse. We developed our training with customer representation groups, drawing on their expertise and experience, and will maintain an open dialogue as we plan our transition to the new service.

Our response also outlined our plans to remove Direct Pay. This will benefit victims and survivors of domestic abuse in a number of ways, such as by preventing unwanted contact between parents and removing an opportunity for perpetrators of economic control and coercion to use those behaviours in the context of the service. It also removes the need for the receiving parent to report non-compliance as is currently the case on Direct Pay, which some parents may not feel comfortable doing because of the risk of provoking retaliation.

The CMS has access to a list of resources which helps caseworkers provide signposting to supporting organisations, and a Domestic Abuse plan which includes clear steps to follow in order to support customers who are experiencing abuse. The list of resources and Domestic Abuse Plan is regularly reviewed.

The CMS has a specialist team in place who deliver targeted support to parents subject to the most challenging and complex abuse.

The CMS reviews its domestic abuse training regularly with input from external stakeholders to ensure caseworkers are equipped to support parents in vulnerable situations.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps she has taken to promote timebanking in job centres.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our Get Britain Working plan aims to reduce economic inactivity levels and take the first steps to delivering our long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate. We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunities they need to achieve and thrive, to succeed and flourish. Support includes identifying skills gaps and referral to skills training, careers advice, job search support, and volunteering opportunities. Work Coaches will work with customer to identify transferable skills relevant to the opportunities available. Our Employer and Partnership Teams work with employers and partners to bring vacancies and provisions closer to our customers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government’s response to the consultation entitled Child Maintenance: Improving the Collection and Transfer of Payments, published on 23 June 2025, what steps she plans to take to ensure compliance from paying parents in receipt of benefits who are exempt from the 20 per cent non-compliance fee.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The CMS believes that all parents have an obligation to support their children regardless of their financial situation. The CMS is able to deduct £8.40 a week towards ongoing maintenance or arrears from certain prescribed benefits.

When a paying parent is in receipt of benefits, CMS will send a request to set up a Deduction from Benefit (DfB) to collect ongoing maintenance. This means that where benefit levels allow, maintenance will be paid.

The overall cap for Universal Credit (UC) deductions was reduced from the current 25% of the standard allowance to 15% from April 2025. Alongside this, child maintenance deductions moved higher up the priority order.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government’s response to the consultation entitled Child Maintenance: Improving the Collection and Transfer of Payments, published on 23 June 2025, what steps she is taking to prevent non-compliant paying parents from exploiting exemptions to the 20% non-compliance fee.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

By replacing Direct Pay, we will tackle non-compliance, reduce opportunities for domestic abuse and lift children out of poverty.

As part of this, we will require all those parents who are non-compliant to pay a 20% collection fee. We do not envisage there being any exceptions to the fee for parents who refuse to pay what they owe.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Child Maintenance Service’s approach to domestic abuse on the Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP is engaged in cross-government work to support the Home Office led Safer Streets Mission, which includes the ambition to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) within the next decade. DWP has a key role to play in halving VAWG.

We are committed to ensuring that victims and survivors of domestic abuse get the help and support they need to use the CMS safely and have outlined in the consultation work the department is undertaking to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse to use the service safely.

The CMS have updated and refreshed DA learning, taking views and feedback from a roundtable held with external stakeholders in November 2023.

All caseworkers have received upskilling to help identify abuse and can provide signposting to support. A Domestic Abuse Plan is in place to support caseworkers having these conversations.

All colleagues (apart from those who joined and received Domestic Abuse Learning since April 2024) are undertaking refresher training. This is due to complete in summer 2025.

It is acknowledged that the current system can create opportunities for maintenance payments to be used as a tool of coercive behaviour and domestic abuse.

The changes to replace Direct Pay will represent a significant improvement to victims and survivors of domestic abuse using the CMS, by reducing contact with the other parent and reducing the paying parent’s ability to financially control the receiving parent by paying too little or too late, as is currently the case on Direct Pay.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to introduce legislation to implement the Government’s response to the consultation entitled Child Maintenance: Improving the Collection and Transfer of Payments, published on 23 June 2025.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Primary legislation is required to make the change to remove Direct Pay and reform the collection fee structure, meaning these changes will be subject to detailed parliamentary scrutiny. Our intention is to implement these changes as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of freezing the health element of Universal Credit for new claimants from April 2026 on (a) poverty rates, (b) the cost of living and (c) workforce participation in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) Upper Bann constituency.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) are administered in Northern Ireland by the Department for Communities (DfC). DfC is responsible for producing analysis on how proposed reforms would impact claimants in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed reforms to (a) PIP and (b) Universal Credit on (i) community cohesion and (ii) equitable access to benefits in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) are administered in Northern Ireland by the Department for Communities (DfC). DfC is responsible for producing analysis on how proposed reforms would impact claimants in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of disregarding military compensation as income across the social security system.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 8 July 2025 to question UIN 63814

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the role (a) pubs and (b) brewers play on the provision of (i) first jobs and (ii) early career opportunities for young people.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We recognise that the pub and brewery industry is an important part of the Hospitality sector, and that it provides good prospects for young people to start their career. DWP’s Strategic Relationship Team actively works with trade bodies, including the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), to promote opportunities to support individuals looking for work.

From April 2021 to March 2025 a fifth of all participants in DWP Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) were young people aged 16 to 24 years old. We know that SWAPs are successful at getting people into work, which is why as part of the expansion to 100,000 starts in 2025/26, we have been working with UK Hospitality on the roll-out of Hospitality SWAPs in 26 areas, including 13 coastal towns such as Scarborough and Blackpool. This will ensure young people have the best support to gain employment in the sector, as part of our wider reforms to get Britain working.

The Department understands the negative effects of unemployment are particularly pronounced for young people and can have longstanding implications on their future earnings and life chances. This is why DWP have a particular focus on ensuring young people are supported into employment.

DWP currently provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the proportion of Personal Independence Payment claimants who were below the poverty line on 4 July 2025.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Estimates of the proportion of Personal Independence Payment claimants below the poverty line in July 2025 are not available. Estimates for the 2025/26 financial year are due to be published in March 2027 as part of the “Households Below Average Income” publication. The most recent publication covers the 2023/24 financial year and can be found here: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK

Statistics on the number of individuals living in families where at least one member is in receipt of Personal Independence Payment that are in Absolute and/or Relative Poverty in 2023/24 are published on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/) in the Households Below Average Income dataset.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of how a private diagnosis of (a) Autism and (b) ADHD in children will be taken into account in future PIP assessments when those children are adults.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment is based on the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability, rather than focusing solely on the health condition itself.

When making decisions on PIP, DWP case managers consider all available evidence including that from treating health professionals. Claimants are encouraged to provide supporting information, and the claim form details the type of evidence that is useful to provide.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) the Health and Safety Executive’s assessment of lithium salts for classification is rigorously evidence-based, (b) the weight of scientific evidence is prioritised in decision-making and (c) a clear timeline is established for completion.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) assessment of lithium salts (lithium substances/compounds) for classification includes a technical assessment that is rigorously evidence-based. The weight and strength of the relevant available scientific information relating to the hazardous properties of a chemical are used when making recommendations for mandatory classification and labelling.

Further information has been submitted in addition to that identified by HSE regulatory and scientific specialists during the drafting of the Agency Technical Report and Agency Opinion. Under the Article 37A procedure, HSE specialists are now investigating this information and scientific data and, if necessary, seeking additional information or consulting other departments or agencies.

There is no statutory time limit on HSE to prepare and submit a GB mandatory classification and labelling proposal. Once HSE has submitted its proposal for public consultation, there is a clear timeline for completion and milestones established in statute under the procedure set out in Article 37A of the GB CLP Regulation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of statutory sick pay.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government is bringing in changes to Statutory Sick Pay through the Employment Rights Bill which will mean up to 1.3 million low-paid employees will now be entitled to SSP, and all eligible employees will be paid from the first day of sickness absence, benefitting millions of employees.

Removing the waiting period means that all employees will receive at least £60 extra at the start of their sickness absence, rising to £150 if they work two days per week, compared to the current system.

With these changes, we believe the current rate is fair and achieves the right balance between providing support for employees who are unable to work due to sickness or ill-health whilst limiting the cost to employers. We also know that many employees are eligible for more than the statutory minimum through contractual or occupational sick pay arrangements with their employer.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse for (a) Universal Credit and (b) Personal Independence Payment for non-British citizens in the (i) last 12 months and (ii) last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

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

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the uplift to the basic standard allowance of Universal Credit on the incomes of low income households in Bournemouth East constituency.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department does not have constituency level estimates of the forecasts available.

The latest published data on UC, in November 2024, shows that, in Bournemouth East, there were approximately 10,225 households on UC that were not subject to the benefit cap.

The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments Bill was introduced to Parliament on 18 June 2025 and, subject to parliamentary approval, it will increase the Universal Credit Standard Allowance above inflation every year from 2026/27 to 2029/30. Based on current forecasts, the increase to the Standard Allowance in Universal Credit is estimated to be worth £725 a year by 2029/30 in cash terms for a single person aged 25 or over, which is around £250 more a year than if it were only uprated by inflation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the proportion of autistic adults who are in full-time work.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Annual Population Survey (2023/24) estimates that there were 788,000 people - 1.9% of the UK working-age (16 to 64) population - who self-reported autism as a main or secondary long-term health condition. Of which, 281,000 (36%) were in employment, including 163,000 (21%) in full time employment.

Source: Annual Population Survey - unpublished

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she mas made of the number of women born in the 1950s who have died since the publication entitled Government response to PHSO’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension age, published on 17 December 2024.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department has made no assessment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she mas made of the number of women born in the 1950s who have died since the publication entitled Government response to PHSO’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension age, published on 17 December 2024.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department has made no assessment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to establish an alternative disputes resolution process for people affected by changes in state pension age for women.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We have no such plans.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to establish an alternative disputes resolution process for people affected by changes in state pension age for women.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We have no such plans.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to establish an alternative disputes resolution process for people affected by changes in state pension age for women.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We have no such plans.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the review by the Minister for Social Security and Disability on PIP eligibility will incorporate (a) regional data and (b) stakeholder views from (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) Upper Bann constituency.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have launched a review of the PIP assessment to make sure it is fair and fit for the future in a changing world and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence.

We have published the Terms of Reference for this review and we will engage widely over the summer to design the process for its work. We are committed to co-producing the review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders, to ensure that a wide range of views and voices are heard.

We will of course engage with the Devolved Governments as part of this process, recognising their interest in the review and potential implications for the benefits and services they administer.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) Universal Credit and (b) PIP awards in Northern Ireland will remain indexed to inflation until 2029-30 under proposed welfare reforms.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Social security is a transferred matter in NI, but there is a long-standing principle of parity between the social security systems of the Northern Ireland Executive and that of the UK Government. In line with this principle, the Universal Credit Bill makes provision for Northern Ireland equivalent to that for Great Britain

The Government is committed to protecting the benefit awards of the most vulnerable and addressing the basic adequacy of Universal Credit. The Universal Credit Bill will make the first ever, sustained, above inflation increase to the standard allowance of Universal. For example, the standard allowance for a single 25 year old is expected to rise from £96 per week, to £106 per week in 2029/30.

For customers already in receipt of the Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity (LCWRA) element of Universal Credit, the combined rate of the Universal Credit standard allowance and LCWRA will rise at least in line with inflation every year for the next four years. Those who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria or where Special Rules for End of Life apply will also receive this protection, no matter when they start claiming the benefit. From 6 April 2026, the LCWRA rate will be reduced and frozen until 2029/30 for those newly defined as LCWRA.

The Universal Credit Bill does not make any changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Great Britain or Northern Ireland. PIP is transferred in Northern Ireland and decisions about indexation are a matter for the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effectiveness of (a) the Get Set Progress scheme and (b) paid internship programmes for disabled people; and what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues to (i) increase internships for disabled people and (ii) diversify the sources from which departments recruit.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Ministers have been encouraged by the briefing they have received on the ‘Get Set Progress’ scheme, but no assessment has been carried out by this department.

Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. All government departments and employers must consider the Equality Act when providing internships.

Civil Service internships are a matter for Government Skills, part of the Cabinet Office and supported internships are a matter for the Department for Education.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an estimate of the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuel-related holdings; and what plans she has to (a) encourage phased divestment from fossil fuels and (b) promote greater investment in climate solutions through the Pension Schemes Bill.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

While the Department does not hold data on the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuels, our largest pension schemes are mandated to conduct climate scenario analysis and report on their climate-related financial risks, including those related to fossil fuels. This is done under the framework of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published guidance on climate-related reporting, reviewed how schemes are addressing climate risks, and provided feedback to the industry on areas for improvement. TPR reports that the UK pension sector is increasingly playing a role in tackling climate change, with many schemes setting net-zero targets and actively engaging with companies to reduce emissions.

This government is however not complacent and is determined to make the UK a clean energy superpower and meet our net zero goals. The government is currently consulting on the development of UK Sustainability Reporting Standards and our Transition Plans manifesto commitment. These measures aim to improve transparency and accountability across the economy, helping investors—including pension schemes—understand how climate and nature-related issues affect their portfolios. To support this, the Department for Work and Pensions is to undertake a review of the effectiveness of the climate reporting requirements this year considering feedback from stakeholders.

The reforms outlined in the Pensions Scheme Bill do not include a general requirement for pension schemes to divest from certain assets or industries. The larger, more consolidated system, for which we will legislate, will however be better equipped to manage systemic risks, as well as invest more in projects and businesses that support the shift towards a more sustainable and lower-carbon future.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support pensioners who have (a) become disabled after reaching State Pension age and (b) require (i) adapted vehicles and (ii) mobility assistance.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Attendance Allowance (AA) is a weekly benefit for those over State Pension age who require care or supervision as a result of a physical or mental disability. AA is paid at two rates. A higher rate of £110.40 a week for claimants who need help or supervision for both day and night or who are terminally ill. And a lower rate of £73.90 for claimants who need frequent help or supervision during the day or night.

AA provides financial support towards the extra costs faced by disabled people. It is neither means-tested, nor based on National Insurance contributions paid and recipients can choose how they wish to spend it. Receipt of AA can provide a passport to additional amounts in means-tested benefits (notably Pension Credit and Housing Benefit) for those on low incomes and to Carer’s Allowance for the person providing care for them.

AA has never included a mobility component and so cannot be used in payment for a leased Motability Scheme vehicle. Government mobility support is focused on people who are disabled earlier in life.

There is no constraint on what an award of Attendance Allowance can be spent on, and a recipient may choose to use this benefit to fund mobility aids.

There are no plans to review the Scheme’s qualifying benefits.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the eligibility criteria for the Motability Scheme to include Attendance Allowance claimants.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Attendance Allowance (AA) is a weekly benefit for those over State Pension age who require care or supervision as a result of a physical or mental disability. AA is paid at two rates. A higher rate of £110.40 a week for claimants who need help or supervision for both day and night or who are terminally ill. And a lower rate of £73.90 for claimants who need frequent help or supervision during the day or night.

AA provides financial support towards the extra costs faced by disabled people. It is neither means-tested, nor based on National Insurance contributions paid and recipients can choose how they wish to spend it. Receipt of AA can provide a passport to additional amounts in means-tested benefits (notably Pension Credit and Housing Benefit) for those on low incomes and to Carer’s Allowance for the person providing care for them.

AA has never included a mobility component and so cannot be used in payment for a leased Motability Scheme vehicle. Government mobility support is focused on people who are disabled earlier in life.

There is no constraint on what an award of Attendance Allowance can be spent on, and a recipient may choose to use this benefit to fund mobility aids.

There are no plans to review the Scheme’s qualifying benefits.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the Universal Credit health element on claimants under the age of 22.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation, the Government invited views on the proposal to raise the minimum age for accessing the Universal Credit (UC) health element to 22. The consultation closed on 30 June, and we are now considering responses.

No final decisions have been made.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people impacted by the changes to PIP proposed in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill she estimates will (a) lose eligibility to PIP entirely, (b) be eligible for the UC health element under the current system and (c) be eligible for the UC health element under her Department’s proposals to replace the Work Capability Assessment with the PIP passporting mechanism.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out the Government’s intention to abolish the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). This reform will move away from categorising individuals into binary groups of ‘can work’ or ‘can’t work’. Instead, eligibility for additional financial support in Universal Credit (UC) due to health conditions will be determined through a single assessment - the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment - focused on the impact of disability on daily living, rather than on capacity to work.

This change will decouple entitlement to the UC health element from employment status, giving people confidence that taking steps towards or into work will not put their benefit entitlement at risk.

Any changes to PIP eligibility will follow a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I am leading. This review is being co-produced with disabled people, representative organisations, clinicians, experts, MPs, and other stakeholders to ensure a wide range of voices are heard. Its aim is to ensure the PIP assessment is fair, robust, and fit for the future and the review is expected to conclude in autumn 2026.

As the review is ongoing, the Department has not yet developed estimates of how many people will (a) lose eligibility to PIP, (b) be eligible for the UC health element under the current system, or (c) be eligible under the proposed PIP-based system. These figures will be made available in due course, alongside supporting analysis.

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Found: agreed working relationship with HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs, and the Department for Work and Pensions

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Found: However, the PAC’s 2023 report on DWP customer service made clear that productivity gains are not automatically

Found: Initially, DWP spent £1.12 billion on large and wasteful traditional contracts with HP, Accenture, IBM

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Found: The Department for Work and Pensions looks at the issue in terms of disabled workers and reasonable

Found: HSE as part of his review as it falls under another Department, the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP

Found: Storage HC 351 7th Asylum accommodation: Home Office acquisition of former HMP Northeye HC 361 6th DWP

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support people living with arthritis in Gosport constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Services for those with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including arthritis, are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). The Department expects MSK services to be fully incorporated into integrated care system planning and decision-making.

As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. Launched in December 2024, with 17 ICBs selected in the first cohort, including the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, GIRFT teams have deployed their proven Further Faster model to work with ICB leaders to reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with arthritis, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services. The GIRFT programme is continuing to develop the approach to better enable integrated care systems to commission the delivery of high-quality MSK services in the community, which will benefit patients now and into the future, including those in Gosport constituency.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these will help deliver improvements to arthritis care in all parts of the country.

More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support people to manage their long-term conditions, including arthritis, closer to home.

Additionally, to support health and care professionals in the early diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published expert guidance for rheumatoid arthritis, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng100

Whilst guidelines published by NICE are not mandatory, their implementation by ICBs will improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) free breakfast clubs and (b) the free school meal expansion on poverty in North Northumberland constituency.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

​​This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty, which is why the department is taking action to expand access to free breakfasts and lunches in schools.

Free breakfast club places are already being offered in six early adopter schools in North Northumberland.

Furthermore, Department for Work and Pensions data shows that 3,690 children in North Northumberland will be eligible to receive free school meals when provision is extended to all household in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. Overall, this measure will lift 100,000 children out of poverty.

​

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential merits of introducing real-time alerts for compromised National Insurance numbers.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department for Work and Pensions have processes in place to flag NINos and will monitor flagged NINos daily for inappropriate use.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent evaluation his Department has made of the adequacy of the Disability Confident scheme’s conversion rate from interview to appointment for disabled applicants across government departments.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The purpose of the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) is to ensure that disabled candidates are given a fair opportunity to demonstrate their skills at interview. Of those who applied for a vacancy using the Civil Service Jobs website in the approximately five year period 2019-2024:

• c.13% of applicants applied under the DCS

• c.12% of candidates who were invited to interview had applied under DCS

• c.9% of applicants who were successful at interview had applied under DCS

The Department for Work and Pensions is continuing to explore whether any reforms to the criteria for DCS are needed.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that face-to-face meetings are available to claimants during the Personal Independence Payment appeals process.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Listing appeals, including the mode of hearing, is a judicial function, and HM Courts & Tribunals Service cannot comment on decisions made by independent tribunal judiciary.

As part of the appeal process, appellants are given the option to select the most suitable hearing types for them. This includes attending a tribunal venue for a face-to-face hearing; a video or telephone hearing; or for the appeal to be determined on the papers. The Department for Work and Pensions, as Respondent to the appeal, is also given the opportunity to express their preference for the type of hearing they would like. Most hearings are currently held in person at a tribunal venue.

The President of the First-Tier Social Entitlement Chamber has published a Guidance Note on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary Website covering the mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Tribunal Appeals here: Chamber President's Guidance Note No. 5 Mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Appeals.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department will continue to offer face-to-face meetings for Personal Independence Payment appeal hearings.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Listing appeals, including the mode of hearing, is a judicial function, and HM Courts & Tribunals Service cannot comment on decisions made by independent tribunal judiciary.

As part of the appeal process, appellants are given the option to select the most suitable hearing types for them. This includes attending a tribunal venue for a face-to-face hearing; a video or telephone hearing; or for the appeal to be determined on the papers. The Department for Work and Pensions, as Respondent to the appeal, is also given the opportunity to express their preference for the type of hearing they would like. Most hearings are currently held in person at a tribunal venue.

The President of the First-Tier Social Entitlement Chamber has published a Guidance Note on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary Website covering the mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Tribunal Appeals here: Chamber President's Guidance Note No. 5 Mode of hearing in Social Security and Child Support Appeals.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle mental health barriers to employment in Bournemouth.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care is committed to cutting mental health waiting lists and intervening earlier with more timely mental health support, to help people stay in work or return to work to grow the economy and support people to thrive.

Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies services bring together employment advice and support within local services, including those available to people in Bournemouth. Therapists and employment advisors support people with common mental health conditions who are in work but who are struggling or facing difficulties in the workplace, off work sick, or who are looking for work.

In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions has announced a £1 billion employment support package to support more people with health conditions, including mental ill health, back into work, unlocking opportunity and growing the economy as part of the Plan for Change.

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Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding Scottish social security benefits, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding accessing the data available between the UK Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC records to identify older people on low incomes in Scotland who are likely to be eligible for pension credit, and what assessment it has made of how this data, along with data held by the Scottish Government and local authorities, could be used to target action to improve the uptake of both devolved and reserved social security payments in Scotland.

Answered by Somerville, Shirley-Anne - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice

As responsibility for promoting the take-up of Pension Credit lies with the UK Government, the Scottish Government has not had any specific discussions with the UK Government regarding access to the Department for Work and Pensions or HM Revenue and Customs data for the purposes of promoting take up of Pension Credit.

However, I have wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions last year, highlighting the need for a targeted campaign to increase awareness of Pension Credit and offered our support in promoting take-up, which we will continue to do to ensure everyone receives the support they are entitled to.

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Found: consideration it has given to how the pilots being run in Scotland on involving the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: consideration it has given to how the pilots being run in Scotland on involving the Department for Work and Pensions

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Found: only covers UK Government departments responsible for reserved matters, such as the Department for Work and Pensions