Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date her Department sent letters to people eligible for Pension Credit to inform them that they must apply for Pension Credit to continue receiving winter fuel payments.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The department sent letters between 7th October and 4th November 2024 to pensioners who, under previous rules, would have received a Winter Fuel Payment this year. The letters informed customers of the change in eligibility for receiving the payment and urged them to check their potential entitlement to Pension Credit which would provide them with a range of additional benefits, including the Winter Fuel Payment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for pension credit there were in each week from 23 September to 28 October 2024.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

As per Gov.uk, the Department has announced it will publish updated Pension Credit application and award statistics on 28 November 2024. Releases will be quarterly, including Pension Credit application, clearance, and award/non-award volumes data from 1 April 2024, up to the most recent data available before each publication.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pension credit claims were processed within her Department’s planned timescale in 2024.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

As per the publication of the DWP Annual Report and Accounts (ARA), 77.7% of Pension Credit claims were processed within the Department’s planned timescales in the Financial Year 2023 to 2024. The next publication of the ARA will include claims processed in the Financial Year 2024 to 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 11172 on Workplace Pensions, what her planned timetable is for the Pensions Review.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Phase Two of the Governments landmark Pensions Review will launch later this year. The timetable for delivery will be published in due course as part of the Terms of Reference.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total number of staff employed to review Personal Independence Payment claims is; and how many fraudulent claims were made in each of the last five years.

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

DWP currently has 2,700 FTE employed to review Personal Independence Payment Claims.

Notes:

• Data is correct as of 04^th November 2024.
• Data for PIP New Claims and Award Reviews staff has been derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM).
• ABM FTE (Full Time Equivalent) have been rounded to the nearest 100.
• The number of staff that are employed on PIP New Claims and Award Reviews activity is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal department use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics standard. As the Department holds the information, we have released it.

Please refer to table 12 in the following published document which shows levels of fraud and error in the benefits system, including PIP. fraud-and-error-statistics-release-2023-2024-estimates-data-tables.xlsx

The published fraud statistics only provide an estimate of the percentage of PIP cases that are fraudulent. The total number can be calculated by applying that percentage to the total PIP caseload – information can be found at: Personal Independence Payment: Official Statistics to July 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of (a) the number of constituents in Earley and Woodley who will be impacted by the proposed reforms to the Work Capability Assessment and (b) the average financial impact on those individuals of those reforms.

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

The Department does not hold constituency-level information about the specific Work Capability Assessment descriptors met by claimants, so we are unable to estimate impacts for individual constituencies robustly.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7030 on Department for Work and Pensions: Official Cars, if she will name which specific senior officials have access to a Government car; and whether those senior officials had access to a Government car before the 2024 general election.

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

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued. The arrangements relating to the usage of vehicles in the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7029 on Department for Work and Pensions: Official Cars, whether the vehicle is an electric car.

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

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued. The arrangements relating to the usage of vehicles in the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

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 Child Maintenance Service on the mental health of paying parents.

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

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

The CMS is well prepared to respond quickly and effectively if it becomes aware that the safety of any of its customers are at risk, and caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support vulnerable clients.

The CMS also has a toolkit for its caseworkers, which includes clear steps to follow in order to support customers and signpost to support organisations, where appropriate. This Toolkit is regularly reviewed and strengthened on the basis of customer insight.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in their Departmental work outside of the UK; where these staff work; and what the cost is of salaries for these staff.

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

None of the DWP’s employees work outside the UK.

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 merits of applying a weight of evidence approach when making decisions on the mandatory (a) classification and (b) labelling of chemicals.

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

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) leads across government on the classification and labelling of chemicals and acts as the Agency for the assimilated Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures as amended in Great Britain (or the GB CLP Regulation).

HSE is responsible for the GB mandatory classification and labelling system (GB MCL) and its administrative procedures in accordance with a timetable set out in UK law.

The weight and strength of all the available scientific information relating to the hazardous properties of a chemical are used when making recommendations for mandatory classification and labelling of chemicals. The technical assessments and reports that underpin these recommendations follow the criteria in the GB CLP Regulation.

Ministers have made no assessment of the potential merits of applying a wider weight of evidence approach when making decisions on the mandatory (a) classification and (b) labelling of chemicals.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of (a) the number of constituents in Earley and Woodley who will be affected by reductions in sickness benefits announced at the budget and (b) the average financial impact of those reductions on individuals.

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

No reductions in sickness benefits were announced at the Budget.

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 benefits sanctions on children in the households of those sanctioned.

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

Our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is a key priority for this Government. The Child Poverty Taskforce has already started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025 and will continue to explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of benefit sanctions on children in the households of those that have been sanctioned.

The Department records information on the number of children living in Universal Credit (UC) households as part of the official Universal Credit Statistics. The Department also records information on the number of people on UC who have received a sanction as part of the official Benefit Sanctions Statistics. These statistics are produced using different methodologies, therefore information on the number of children living in households subject to a UC sanction is not readily available.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, how many people claim benefits that were uprated at the Budget in (a) Earley and Woodley constituency, (b) each region and (c) the UK.

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

The estimated number of individuals in families benefitting from the uprating of benefits in the financial year 2025/26 in each region of the UK and the UK overall can be found here Benefit uprating: estimated number and type of families and individuals in families benefitting from the uprating of benefits in financial year 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

An assessment cannot be made at a constituency level however official statistics for the number of people in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Universal Credit and other benefits uprated at the Budget are published regularly on Stat-Xplore, with breakdowns available by various geographical areas, including Westminster parliamentary constituency.

The latest statistics are available to September 2024 for Universal Credit, and February 2024 for the other benefits listed above. Universal Credit statistics to October 2024 are due to be published on 12 November 2024, and for the other benefits to May 2024 on 28 November 2024. In February 2024 the Accredited Official Statistics for State Pension were suspended due to issues with processing data from the new Get Your State Pension (GYSP) system. The Accredited Official Statistics for State Pension will be reinstated in the release of statistics on 28 November 2024.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average (a) waiting time for people calling and (b) time people spent on hold for (i) Job Centre Plus, (ii) the Universal Credit helpline and (iii) the Personal Independence Payment helpline was in each of the last five years.

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

The table below shows the Average Speed of Answer and Average Hold Time for all people calling (i) Job Centre Plus, (ii) the Universal Credit helpline and (iii) the Personal Independence Payment helpline in each of the last 4 business years, with 2024 to 2025 being to date only (01/04/24 to 27/10/24). We are only able to provide a breakdown of the Average Speed of Answer for 5^th business year 2020/2021, we do not hold that breakdown of data for Average Hold Time, this was only reported at DWP level prior to 2021.

Please note for part(i) of the request, figures provided are from Job Centre enquiry line only. DWP hierarchy does not have a telephony service line for Job Centre Plus.

DISCLAIMER

Please note this information is derived from the Department’s management information, designed solely for the purpose of helping the Department to manage its business. As such, it has not been subjected to the rigorous quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics. As DWP holds the information internally, we have released it. However, it is possible information held by DWP may change due to operational reasons and we recommend that caution be applied when using it.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she will provide local authorities with (a) their allocation of the Household Support Fund for 2025-26 and (b) guidance for the use of that fund.

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

In the Autumn Budget on 30 October 2024, the Chancellor announced that the Government will provide £1 billion, including Barnett impact, to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England and maintain Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in England and Wales in 2025-2026.

The Household Support Fund scheme guidance and individual Local Authority funding allocations for the forthcoming extension will be announced as soon as possible ahead of the scheme beginning on 1 April 2025.

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 preventing Job Centres from distributing food vouchers on levels of access to foodbanks.

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

Under the previous administration, the Government introduced a new food charity signposting slip to replace the one previously used, removing personal data to better comply with our departmental obligations, including our GDPR responsibilities, and to improve our signposting process. The new slip does not change our DWP policy, and our Jobcentres continue to provide customers with guidance to find additional support, including signposting to emergency food support when appropriate.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department provides to parents on Universal Credit on using the Flexible Support Fund to cover upfront childcare costs.

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

The Flexible Support Fund can be used to pay 100% of the upfront costs of up to one month of childcare. This is designed to ensure that any costs that the Universal Credit customer incurs in relation to childcare when starting work or increasing their hours is not a barrier to taking up this work.

The Government website ‘Childcare Choices’ is a key source of childcare information for parents. It advises that UC customers might be eligible for upfront childcare costs, and to speak to their work coach. We also issue guidance to Jobcentre Plus work coaches on the eligibility and awarding criteria for the Flexible Support Fund and upfront childcare costs.

Customers who have received an upfront childcare award can make a Universal Credit childcare claim for up to 85% of their childcare costs thereafter. The Universal Credit childcare claim is paid to the customer through their UC award, which they can use to pay for the next month's costs, thereby easing UC customers into the UC childcare costs payment cycle.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the Child Maintenance Service has identified inaccurate financial disclosures of the paying parent via HM Revenue and Customs; and in those cases, (1) how many times was enforcement action taken, and (2) how much maintenance was collected as a result.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department does not hold information on the number of inaccurate financial disclosures of the paying parent via HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). CMS take steps to ensure the child maintenance case is accurate prior to taking any enforcement actions.

The department legally relies on data from HMRC and its own benefits data to assess people’s earned income and benefit status, which are key parts of the maintenance calculation. This makes it difficult for most parents to misstate their income. The receiving parent can also ask the Department to consider the paying parent’s more complex earnings, such as unearned income, which are more vulnerable to fraud and error.

To ensure calculations are accurate the department continues to build on its already proportionate and cost-effective controls, such as:

• a dedicated Financial Investigation Unit who address allegations of misrepresentation and fraud

• use of verified income from HMRC and benefit systems as outlined in legislation and a principal part of service design.

• use of child benefit systems to verify qualifying child(ren)

• procedures and policy to request additional verification

• a robust mandatory consideration and appeals process.

The Financial Investigation Unit conduct investigations into potential criminal offences linked to Child Maintenance such as DNA testing fraud and providing false income information to the department, this can result in prosecution through Crown Prosecution Service.

The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service and the latest statistics are available up to June 2024. Table 7: Financial Investigations Unit Actions, Great Britain, April 2017 to June 2024, in the latest National Tables, does provide the available information on investigations into potential criminal offences, such as DNA testing fraud and providing false income information.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government on how many occasions they have provided supporting evidence to assist in the prosecution of individuals committing tax fraud or avoidance following deliberate inaccurate financial disclosures to the Child Maintenance Service.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department does not hold information on the number of inaccurate financial disclosures of the paying parent via HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). CMS take steps to ensure the child maintenance case is accurate prior to taking any enforcement actions.

The department legally relies on data from HMRC and its own benefits data to assess people’s earned income and benefit status, which are key parts of the maintenance calculation. This makes it difficult for most parents to misstate their income. The receiving parent can also ask the Department to consider the paying parent’s more complex earnings, such as unearned income, which are more vulnerable to fraud and error.

To ensure calculations are accurate the department continues to build on its already proportionate and cost-effective controls, such as:

• a dedicated Financial Investigation Unit who address allegations of misrepresentation and fraud

• use of verified income from HMRC and benefit systems as outlined in legislation and a principal part of service design.

• use of child benefit systems to verify qualifying child(ren)

• procedures and policy to request additional verification

• a robust mandatory consideration and appeals process.

The Financial Investigation Unit conduct investigations into potential criminal offences linked to Child Maintenance such as DNA testing fraud and providing false income information to the department, this can result in prosecution through Crown Prosecution Service.

The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service and the latest statistics are available up to June 2024. Table 7: Financial Investigations Unit Actions, Great Britain, April 2017 to June 2024, in the latest National Tables, does provide the available information on investigations into potential criminal offences, such as DNA testing fraud and providing false income information.

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 merits of uprating the state pension for British pensioners residing overseas.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

No assessment has been made.

The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK state pension is payable worldwide without regard to nationality and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.

Up-rating is based on levels of earnings growth and price inflation in the UK which has no direct relevance where the pensioner is resident overseas.

Over many years, priority is given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024, HC 638, if she will establish a compensation scheme for affected women by 5 February 2025.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We are reviewing the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.

We need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides including the points raised by representatives from the WASPI Campaign who I met recently, the first Government Minister to do so for 8 years.

Once this work has been undertaken, the Government will be in a position to outline its approach.

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 opening a jobcentre in St Neots.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions continually keeps under review the location of Jobcentres across Great Britain to balance customer demand and the range of services required, while also providing value for money for the taxpayer. There are no plans to expand the Jobcentre Plus network at this time.

When shaping Jobcentre services, DWP uses local insights to develop plans which account for the needs of communities to access employment support. Support for St Neots is currently available from Huntingdon and Cambridge Jobcentres, both of which are located nearby.

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 potential financial impact of uprating the pensions of British pensioners overseas whose state pensions are currently frozen.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

No assessment has been made.

The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.

Up-rating is based on levels of earnings growth and price inflation in the UK which has no direct relevance where the pensioner is resident overseas.

Over many years, priority is given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support British pensioners residing overseas.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, based on a person’s National Insurance record and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.

People move abroad for many reasons and may have access to their host country’s benefit system or other sources of income such as an occupational pension.

Information about the impact on State Pensions of moving abroad is available on Gov.uk.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support British state pensioners residing overseas.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, based on a person’s National Insurance record. People move abroad for many reasons and may have access to their host country’s benefit system or other sources of income such as an occupational pension.

Information about the impact on State Pensions of moving abroad is available on Gov.uk.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support British pensioners residing overseas.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, based on a person’s National Insurance record, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.

People move abroad for many reasons and may have access to their host country’s benefit system or other sources of income such as an occupational pension.

Information about the impact on State Pensions of moving abroad is available on Gov.uk.

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 encourage employers to hire people with disabilities.

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

Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. Our forthcoming employment White Paper explores ways to improve employment outcomes and experiences for these groups.

Current support to employers includes the Disability Confident scheme which provides advice, support, and free resources to help employers attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace. The scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace. As of the 31 October 2024 there are over 19,000 employer members of the scheme and they report over 12 million employees working in their organisations.

At a local level, as part of their duties, Disability Employment Advisers promote, collaborate and advocate for our customers and department services, such as the Disability Confident scheme, with external partners, service providers and employers.

Nationally, DWP Strategic Relationship Team work with Disability Confident employers to demonstrate actively how they are bringing their Disability Confident commitments to life as part of their recruitment arrangements.

Current support to employers also includes a digital information service for employers which offers tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the new Get Britain Working Trailblazers will help support people with musculoskeletal conditions to remain in employment.

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

We plan to publish the Get Britain Working White Paper shortly that will set out how we are investing £240 million to trial new ways of getting people back into work. The government will test new approaches and collect robust evidence on how to tackle the root causes of ill-health related inactivity, support young people who are ‘not in education, employment or training’ and help people to develop their careers.

In at least three areas the NHS will also receiving funding to develop evidence of the impact of targeted action on those top health conditions most associated with economic inactivity including musculoskeletal conditions, mental health and cardiovascular disease. Once established, the government will work closely with local areas to develop the support they will provide to local communities.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to uprate the state pension for British pensioners residing overseas.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.

Over many years, priority is given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of numbers of people in receipt of Universal Credit; and what are the comparative figures for the 2020–21 financial year.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department publishes Universal Credit statistics on Stat-Xplore which show there were 7.1 million people on Universal Credit in September 2024 and 5.6 million people on Universal Credit in September 2020.

The Department also publishes the benefit expenditure and caseload tables which reported an average caseload of 4.0 million people on Universal Credit in 2020-21.

There are a number of reasons for the increase in the caseload for Universal Credit. There is a maturing effect, as people on legacy benefits leave the system as their legacy claim ends, they appear as a new claim to Universal Credit. In addition, the Move to UC programme is driving up the caseload numbers as people are moved off legacy benefits onto Universal Credit as part of our migration programme.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the number of statutory maternity pay cases per constituency in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, and (d) 2024.

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

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is delivered through HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), rather than the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). We do not hold information on SMP cases per constituency, however a breakdown by region, supplied by HMRC, is below.

Notes:

1. Figures for Statutory Maternity Pay are rounded to the nearest hundred.

1. Figures for Statutory Maternity Pay were collected using HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) and were extracted in August 2024. RTI is subject to revision or updates. The location of the claim is based on the taxpayers’ residential address as recorded on RTI.
2. Figures are the number of individuals in receipt of SMP in a given financial year. A significant number of cases will be active across two financial years, and therefore counted in both. As the 2024-25 financial year is still ongoing, figures are correct up until May 2024.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the number of people eligible for child maintenance who are not claiming it.

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

It is estimated that at the financial year ending 2023, there are 2.4 million separated families in Great Britain and 3.8 million children in those families. 41% of these did not have either a statutory arrangement with the Child Maintenance Service or a private arrangement.

At the end of June 2024, the Child Maintenance Service was managing 744,000 arrangements for 675,000 Paying Parents, the number of arrangements has increased by 10% since the end of June 2023.

Legislation to remove the £20 application fee was introduced in February 2024, removing a financial barrier to parents wishing to access the CMS.

Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance is an online service that provides free information and support to help parents make decisions about CM and make a CMS application if they choose to.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2024, to Question 9286, on Civil Servants, how many civil servants are assigned to work in her Department's headquarters in London; and how many individual desks are available in the headquarters office.

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

As of 31^st October 2024, there are 2,357 paid members of staff with Caxton House – London recorded as their place of work.

There are 1,050 desks allocated to DWP in Caxton House.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps they are taking to use (a) artificial intelligence and (b) data to help increase their Department's productivity.

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

DWP is committed to improving its productivity, including through artificial intelligence and effective use of data.

The department is safely accelerating our use of AI to make a real difference for both employees and citizens. We test the feasibility of using AI technology to address business problems using an iterative, test-and-learn approach. We are exploring how AI and innovation can improve DWP’s ability to respond at pace and provide a more personalised and seamless experience for customers. An AI Delivery Board oversees DWP’s use of AI, assuring that it is safe, ethical, and transparent.

The DWP Data Strategy sets out the department’s vision, principles, and priorities, to provide a clear path to enable us to become a data-driven organisation for the greater public good. Aligned with organisational goals, it focuses on delivering excellent services, improving outcomes, reducing costs, and building trust. It will enable DWP to:

• Improve the quality, availability, and accessibility of our data.
• Enhance our data capabilities, skills, and culture.
• Strengthen our data governance, ethics, and security.
• Promote data collaboration and innovation.
• Leverage data assets for informed decision-making and policy.

With improved access to data and products, DWP will be able to make better and faster decisions. Using data to make better automated and human decisions will improve efficiency, effectiveness and our citizens’ experiences. Increased accuracy of data will support faster local decision making, based on insight on local operational pressures and local citizens’ needs. This will support DWP to reduce fraud and error incidents and improve and modernise citizen services. Business areas will be able to use data to better support citizens by making the right decision quickly and reducing burden.

Within the work of the Department's Service Modernisation Programme, opportunities to harness the potential of AI and maximise our use of data will form central parts of wider activity aimed at modernising and improving the service we provide.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has attributed to fraud and error in each of the last ten years.

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

The Department publishes estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system by financial year. These statistics are available for the past ten financial years and can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to abolish all Child Maintenance Service for parents with care who are victim-survivors of domestic abuse.

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

The Department has recently concluded a public consultation on policy changes. This included proposals to remove the Direct Pay service (where parents pay each other directly) and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster.

The consultation also sought views on how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported to use CMS and whether removing Direct Pay completely would benefit victims and survivors of domestic abuse. This follows the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act receiving Royal Assent in June 2023, which recognised that Direct Pay may not always be appropriate for victims and survivors of domestic.

Removing Direct Pay would mean all maintenance payments would be monitored and transferred within the scheme. As all payments would flow via CMS, the CMS would be able to automatically identify any that were missed, late or partial and immediately take action to re-establish compliance. This would also reduce the ability for perpetrators of domestic abuse to exploit the communication channel needed for direct pay to function for the purposes of abuse; and prevent abusers from inflicting economic control and coercion through withholding CM payments.

Feedback from the consultation is being considered and a Government response will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to (a) advise claimants migrating to Universal Credit from legacy benefits to check whether their eligibility for NHS Help with Health Costs will change and (b) include this advice in migration letters.

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

Jobcentre staff recognise that not all customers are aware of other financial help they may be entitled to. In such cases staff will signpost customers to online financial support.

We do not have plans to include this advice in migration letters. User research suggests that customers can feel overwhelmed with the volume of information in the migration notice, so we are careful about how much we include, focusing on the most relevant information and signpost people to services to support them with making their claim.

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 lifting the two-child benefit cap on funding for local authorities.

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

No such assessment has been made.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she an estimate of the cost of providing all care leavers in England with the over 25 rate of Universal Credit.

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

No such estimate has been made.

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 number of women impacted by changes to the State Pension Age in South Shropshire constituency; if she will take steps to establish a compensation scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age, through changes brought in by the Pensions Acts 1995, 2007, 2011 and 2014. As State Pension age is now the same for men and women, following equalisation, all men born since the 6 December 1953 have also been affected by changes to State Pension age, through the 2007, 2011 and 2014 Pensions Acts. The oldest of the women affected by changes to State Pension age would now be 74 years old, the oldest of the men affected by changes to State Pension age would now be 70 years old.

ONS population estimates suggest that in 2021 there were 41,095 females aged 74 or below currently resident in the South Shropshire constituency.

The Courts have considered the effect of the equalisation and increase of the State Pension age and found that there was no discrimination. Separately the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman investigated complaints into how the changes were communicated to 1950s born women. The Ombudsman published its final report: Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues on 21 March this year, which we are now considering.

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 Universal Credit reimbursement processes on claimants having to pay childcare fees upfront in a lump sum.

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

Universal Credit customers can claim up to 3 months of future childcare costs at a time with these costs reimbursed month by month.

Universal Credit childcare element, when claimed together with upfront childcare costs, means that customers receive up to 185% of the first month of childcare costs to ease them into the Universal Credit childcare costs payment cycle.

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 accessibility of Universal Credit for farmers.

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

We have engaged with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and farmers to raise awareness on how they can access services through various channels including partnering with NFU at county shows, providing NFU an informative toolkit and continuation of inviting NFU to our regular stakeholder events.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were in receipt of (a) income-related Employment and Support Allowance, (b) income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, (c) Income Support, (d) Pension Credit and (e) Universal Credit in (i) Scarborough and Whitby constituency and (b) North Yorkshire on 4 November 2024.

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

Official statistics for the number of people in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit and Universal Credit are published regularly on Stat-Xplore, with breakdowns available by various geographical areas, including Westminster parliamentary constituency.

The latest statistics are available to September 2024 for Universal Credit, and February 2024 for the other benefits. Universal Credit statistics to October 2024 are due to be published on 12 November 2024, and for the other benefits to May 2024 on 28 November 2024.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure timely responses to Pension Credit applications.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department has secured funding for additional staffing to assist with the processing of the additional Pension Credit claims being made. The Department is significantly increasing the resource on Pension Credit to ensure it processes claims as quickly as possible, with approximately 500 additional staff to support the increase in applications generated from the successful Pension Credit take-up campaign.

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 requiring the Jobcentre Plus to signpost people to digital inclusion services.

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

Jobcentre work coaches will consider the range of barriers faced by claimants to best support them into work and to progress in their careers. Digital inclusion is amongst the challenges that some claimants may experience and work coaches are encouraged to take action to address issues relating to poor digital skills and/or digital connectivity (access).

Where claimants have poor Essential Digital Skills, work coaches will consider referral to locally available skills provision to help them address these needs.

Where claimants are digitally excluded due to issues relating to access to digital equipment or connectivity, work coaches are able to use the Flexible Support Fund to procure devices, internet dongles, talk time, and broadband in the home on the basis that this will support labour market progression.

DWP has also ensured that all operational staff in Jobcentres, Universal Credit service centres, Pension Centres, and partnership managers who engage with claimants and stakeholders are able to signpost to information promoting broadband social tariffs.

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 level of compliance with the Immediate Prohibition Notices issued to (a) SSE Renewables and (b) Petrofac Facilities Management on 6 September 2024 by the Health and Safety Executive for breach of provisions in the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 in relation to the Seagreen offshore wind farm.

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

Seagreen Wind Energy Limited and Petrofac Facilities Management Limited have both taken appropriate action to comply with the Immediate Prohibition Notices on the provision of trained first aiders and adequate equipment.

Both companies have assured the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that they are also working to remedy the underlying safety management system failings that led to this situation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were waiting to be assessed for pension credit on 29 July 2024.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

As of 29^th July, there were 33,883 claims outstanding and as of 28^th October, there were 76,569 claims outstanding.

Since the announcement to means test Winter Fuel payments, to date we have increased the resource in Pension Credit claims by around five hundred more staff through a combination of internal redeployments, use of external providers and external recruitment. This is in line with the overall resourcing plan for Pension Credit claims and Winter Fuel payments.

Please note, the claims outstanding figures do not include Advanced claims. This data is sourced from the Pension Credit system and for internal departmental use only. As such, they have not been quality assured to the same extent as Official Statistics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were waiting to be assessed for pension credit on 28 October 2024.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

As of 29^th July, there were 33,883 claims outstanding and as of 28^th October, there were 76,569 claims outstanding.

Since the announcement to means test Winter Fuel payments, to date we have increased the resource in Pension Credit claims by around five hundred more staff through a combination of internal redeployments, use of external providers and external recruitment. This is in line with the overall resourcing plan for Pension Credit claims and Winter Fuel payments.

Please note, the claims outstanding figures do not include Advanced claims. This data is sourced from the Pension Credit system and for internal departmental use only. As such, they have not been quality assured to the same extent as Official Statistics.

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 impact of raising the Carer Addition in Pension Credit on low-income pensioner carers.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government appreciates how much society relies on unpaid carers and the vital contribution made by carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends.

We recognise the challenges they are facing, and we are determined to provide unpaid carers with the help and support they need and deserve.

The rates of Pension Credit are reviewed annually as part of the Secretary of State’s statutory review of State pension and benefit rates. The review for 2025/26 has been completed and its conclusions announced to Parliament: Writtenstatements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

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 state pensions on British citizens living overseas.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

No assessment has been made.

The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK state pension is payable worldwide without regard to nationality and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the current average processing time is for a new claim for Pension Credit from initial application to determination.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The table below shows Average Actual Clearance Times (AACT) from the end of week commencing 2nd September to the end of week commencing 21st October, in working days.

DWP currently works to a planned timescale of 50 working days to clear Pension Credit claims.

Please note.

• The data shown is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

• These figures will not align to previous PQ responses due to retrospective updates as the data is sourced from live systems.

If a claim is made by 21 December, Pension Credit can be backdated for three months if the entitlement conditions have been met throughout that period, and if the claimant was eligible, they would also receive a Winter Fuel Payment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many National Insurance Numbers were issued to (a) Bulgarian and (b) Romanian nationals in Boston and Skegness constituency in each year since 2021.

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

The Department publishes quarterly statistics on National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK on Stat-Xplore. The latest statistics, for January 2002 to June 2024, can be compiled by rolling year end to June and nationality down to country level, and are available by Westminster parliamentary constituency (based on the address given at time of National Insurance number registration).

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for pension credit there were from 28t October 2024 to 4 November 2024.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Data on how many Pension Credit applications made between 1 April 2024 and 22 September 2024 was recently published on gov.uk, Weekly Pension Credit claims received from 1 April 2024 to 22 September 2024 - GOV.UK.

On 28 October 2024, The Department announcedupdated Pension Credit applications and award statistics will be published on 28 November 2024. This publication will provide application volumes after 22 September 2024.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on average waiting times for decisions on (a) offline and (b) digital Pension Credit applications.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We are unable to provide Pension Credit average waiting times for decisions separately for offline and digital claims. Average Actual Clearance Times are measured weekly. The table below shows Average Actual Clearance Times (AACT) from the end of week commencing 2nd September to the end of week commencing 21st October, in working days.

DWP currently works to a planned timescale of 50 working days to clear Pension Credit claims.

Please note.

• The data shown is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.
• These figures will not align to previous PQ responses due to retrospective updates as the data is sourced from live systems.

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 average increase in the State Pension in each of the next five years.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has committed to uprating the basic and new State Pensions by the Triple Lock for the length of this parliament.

Based on OBR Autumn 2024 forecasts, over the course of this parliament, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension will go up by around £1,900. At the same time, the full yearly rate of basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500.

Table A.3 of the Economic Fiscal outlook sets out the OBR’s economic and fiscal forecasts in each year, including the Triple Lock uprating forecast which is the rate at which basic and new State Pension is increased by for the following financial year. For example, the 2024-25 rate will determine the rate of increase for basic and new State Pension for the year 2025-26.

* Note: After the forecast was finalised, inflation and earnings outturn data and revisions were released which have changed state pension triple lock rate for 2024-25 (to be used in uprating for 2025-26) to 4.1 per cent.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of Universal Credit were born outside the UK in each of the last five years.

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

The Department does not collect data on the country of birth of individuals claiming Universal Credit.

DWP policy responsibility lies in establishing a customer's eligibility to claim benefits. An individual's specific country of birth does not play a role in this and the Department therefore does not collect the country of birth information at the point of a Universal Credit claim.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2024 to Question 11207 on Habitual Residence Test, how many habitual residence tests related to Universal Credit assessments have been granted in each of the last five years.

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

The table below gives the number of Universal Credit (UC) Habitual Residence Test (HRT) assessments that resulted in a ‘pass’ decision in the past five years.

Source: DWP internal analysis of UC Dataworks tables)

Notes:

• The Habitual Residence Test (HRT) is nationality blind. It is applied to British citizens returning from abroad to check for factual habitual residency in the UK, as well as to foreign nationals to check they have an immigration status permitting access to public funds and that they are factually habitually resident.
• All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand decisions.
• An individual may have multiple HRT assessments.
• These figures are not Official Statistics. These figures stem from administrative data and represent the best estimates using current methodologies and assumptions about the data. Future improvements in methodology may lead to different subsequent estimates.
• Figures are for the UK.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of the policies to be set out in the Get Britain Working white paper on the number of people who will be supported back into work in each region.

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

The Government is publishing a Get Britain Working White Paper setting out reforms to employment support to help tackle the elevated level of economic inactivity, support people into good work, and create an inclusive labour market in which everybody can participate and progress in work. These reforms are driven by a long-term ambition to reach an 80% employment rate and to reduce the UK’s inactivity rate back to pre-pandemic levels.

The White Paper will build on manifesto commitments including fundamental reform for DWP through a new service to support more people into work and help them get on in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers; local Get Britain Working Plans for areas across Britain to set out how economic inactivity will be tackled at a local level, led by Mayors and local areas; and a Youth Guarantee for all people aged 18 to 21 in England, to ensure they have an offer of education, training or help to find work.

Through the Autumn Budget, £240 million funding has recently been announced for the White Paper measures and will help us deliver and build on these labour market reforms to Get Britain Working.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has undertaken an evaluation of the Mid-life MOT initiative.

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

The Midlife MOT is designed to help individuals in their 40s and 50s to stay in and return to work. Midlife MOT sessions are delivered through Jobcentre Plus for Universal Credit claimants aged 50+. The research on these sessions is currently ongoing and will be published upon completion.

The Private Sector Midlife MOT pilots were delivered through providers, direct to employees, in three pilot areas (the North East of England; Cornwall and Devon; and East Anglia). These pilots have now ended. Evaluation of the pilots was the responsibility of the programme providers individually. DWP also conducted in-house research as part of a wider evaluation strategy.

The Digital Midlife MOT website, providing access to financial, health and career guidance, is open to all and website analytics are continuously monitored. Further research into the Digital MOT website is ongoing and will be published upon completion.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has undertaken an evaluation of the Mid-life MOT initiative.

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

The Midlife MOT is designed to help individuals in their 40s and 50s to stay in and return to work. Midlife MOT sessions are delivered through Jobcentre Plus for Universal Credit claimants aged 50+. The research on these sessions is currently ongoing and will be published upon completion.

The Private Sector Midlife MOT pilots were delivered through providers, direct to employees, in three pilot areas (the North East of England; Cornwall and Devon; and East Anglia). These pilots have now ended. Evaluation of the pilots was the responsibility of the programme providers individually. DWP also conducted in-house research as part of a wider evaluation strategy.

The Digital Midlife MOT website, providing access to financial, health and career guidance, is open to all and website analytics are continuously monitored. Further research into the Digital MOT website is ongoing and will be published upon completion.

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 implications for her policies of surveys undertaken by the Food Foundation Food entitled Food insecurity tracking, published in July 2024, on a potential link between ethnicity and food insecurity.

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

We are committed to tackling poverty in all its forms and this includes tackling food insecurity by reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels. Good work can significantly reduce the chances of people failing into poverty so will be the foundation of our approach.

The Child Poverty Taskforce has started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025. We will harness all available levers across government to bring about an enduring reduction in child poverty in this parliament, as part of a 10-year strategy for lasting change.

Our jobcentres support our customers, including in ethnic minority groups, to move into employment by providing access to mainstream services and bespoke programmes that are designed to be flexible to individual needs. We are also taking targeted action in 20 places with a high ethnic minority employment gap. The Get Britain Working White Paper, to be set out in the Autumn, will develop measures to reduce inactivity and help people to find better paid and more secure jobs.

Alongside this, we have committed to reviewing Universal Credit by listening to the full range of views on potential changes, so that our social security system is fit for purpose. As announced in the Autumn Budget, a new Fair Repayment Rate will be introduced from April 2025, reducing Universal Credit deductions overall cap from 25% to 15%. This measure will help approximately 1.2 million of the poorest households benefit by an average of £420 a year.

We also announced that, £1 billion, including Barnett impact, will be invested to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a full year until 31 March 2026, on top of the six months already announced, and to maintain Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales.

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 extension of the Household Support Fund in 2025-26 on low-income households in Gloucester.

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

No assessment has been made on the potential impact of the extension of the Household Support Fund in 2025-26 on low-income households in Gloucester.

We are currently conducting an evaluation of the Household Support Scheme that ran from April 2023 to March 2024, to understand the benefits of the awards made across England during this period. This will be published in due course.

Management information on the Household Support Fund from April 2023 to March 2024, including details of how funding was spent in Gloucestershire, of which Gloucester is a part, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/household-support-fund-4-management-information-for-1-april-2023-to-31-march-2024.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Connect to Work scheme will include provisions to support people living with arthritis to remain in employment.

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

Connect to Work will be a new, locally led, voluntary Supported Employment programme in England and Wales which in 26/27 will support around 100,000 disabled people, people with health conditions (such as arthritis) and those with complex barriers to employment to get into as well as remain in work.

Local Authorities are designing their own local Connect to Work programmes, working within national guidance. There will be a phased roll out, led by Local Authorities’ own timetables. We expect to see local areas opening for Connect to Work referrals in the spring and summer of 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many National Insurance numbers were issued to (a) Bulgarian and (b) Romanian nationals resident in Great Yarmouth constituency in each year since 2016.

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

The Department publishes quarterly statistics on National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK on Stat-Xplore. The latest statistics, for January 2002 to June 2024, can be compiled by rolling year end to June and nationality down to country level, and are available by Westminster parliamentary constituency (based on the address given at time of National Insurance number registration).

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many National Insurance numbers were issued to foreign nationals in each year since 2010.

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

The Department publishes quarterly statistics on National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK on Stat-Xplore. The latest statistics, for January 2002 to June 2024, can be compiled by rolling year end to June and nationality down to country level, and are available by Westminster parliamentary constituency (based on the address given at time of National Insurance number registration).

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

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 average wait for a Personal Independence Payment review decision.

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

We make every effort to conduct award reviews as soon as possible. Most decisions are made without the need for an assessment by a Healthcare Professional.

Where the claimant requests a review of their Personal Independence Payment award, the median wait is 69 working days as of September 2024. Where the review is initiated by the department, the median wait for a decision that is referred to an assessment provider is 290 working days as of September 2024, and 252 days where it is not referred to an assessment provider.

Whilst reviews are outstanding, all payments to existing claimants continue. Should a review identify eligibility for an increased award, backdated payments will be made where appropriate to ensure claimants are not adversely impacted by delays.

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 support pensioners with the lowest incomes in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The last Labour Government lifted more than 1 million pensioners out of poverty, and this Government remain absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. We are honouring our commitment to the Triple Lock with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension, the new State Pension, and to the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit. As such, according to the latest OBR projections, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500.

We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we are urging pensioners to come forward and check their eligibility for Pension Credit to ensure as many people in need as possible have access to this support. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them.

Low income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what support may be available to them, as they may be able to receive support from the Household Support Fund, Council Tax Reduction, or through energy support programmes such as the Homes Upgrade Grant and Energy Company Obligation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024, whether compensation proposals will form part of a future fiscal event.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

I was the first Minister in 8 years to meet the WASPI campaign group and listen to their concerns.

We need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.

Once this work has been undertaken, the Government will be in a position to outline its approach.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support the health of night shift workers in West Bromwich constituency.

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

Reducing ill health at work is an important area of focus for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE published its 10 year strategy ‘Protecting people and places’ in 2022 and this includes a strategic objective to reduce work-related ill health. HSE works closely with other government departments to ensure that they cooperate and collaborate on matters concerning their respective health responsibilities.

The Department for Business and Trade has overall policy responsibility for the Working Time Regulations 1998. However, both HSE and Local Authorities (LAs) enforce certain aspects of the Regulations and night work is one of the requirements that HSE enforces.

The Working Time Regulations require employers to ensure workers do not exceed night work limits, and to provide night workers with the opportunity to have a free health assessment at regular intervals.

When organising and planning night work, employers must also comply with their general duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR).

HSWA places a duty on all employers, so far as is reasonably practicable, to protect the health, safety, and welfare at work of all their employees. MHSWR places a duty on all employers to make an assessment of the risks to their employees from work activities and introduce measures that are ‘reasonably practicable’ to remove or control these risks.

This includes any health and safety risks associated with the number of hours worked, how these hours are scheduled and hazards such as fatigue, and its likelihood of occurring because of night shift working.

HSE has published guidance for employers to support them in managing the health and safety of shift workers (Managing shift work [HSG 256]) and Hints and tips for shift-workers (hse.gov.uk) to improve sleep quality, increase alertness and reduce health risk.

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 level of PIP to support disabled people with the extra cost of disability.

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

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides a contribution to the extra costs that may arise from a disability or health condition. There is no objective way of deciding what an adequate level of PIP should be, as everyone has different requirements reflecting their own circumstances and priorities. DWP pays close attention to estimates of the extra costs faced by disabled people; including academic research, analysis by Scope, and DWP’s own commissioned research on the Uses of Health and Disability Benefits from 2019.

In order to improve the evidence in this area, DWP is now undertaking a new survey of Personal Independence Payment customers to understand more about their disability related needs. This project has a methodological advisory group including representatives of disabled people’s organisations, disability charities and academic experts. It is expected to produce findings in Summer 2025.

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 merits of a 25 pence per week increase for state pension claimants.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

No such assessment has been made. We are absolutely committed, through the Triple Lock, to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.

This means that from April 2025, subject to Parliamentary approval, the basic and new State Pensions will be increased by 4.1%. The full yearly basic State Pension will increase by around £360, and the full yearly rate of the new State Pension will increase by around £470.

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 improve employment support for disabled Universal Credit claimants.

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

As part of the get Britain working plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.

Good quality work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people and people with health conditions have the opportunity to work and save for as long as they wish and are able to.

Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group who need access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time. We have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including disabled Universal Credit claimants. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres, Access to Work grants and the Work and Health Programme, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.

Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of an enhanced financial support package for care leavers aged 18 to 25.

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

We understand the challenges care leavers face and that is why the department continues to provide additional dedicated support through a series of safeguards and easements aimed at simplifying their interaction with the benefit system.

This includes support with preparing applications for Universal Credit when approaching their 18th birthday, an exemption from the Shared Accommodation Rate until their 25^th birthday, and, for those aged 18-21, access to Universal Credit and housing support if they wish to take up full-time study in non-advanced education.

More widely, the Government is committed to reviewing Universal Credit.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will hold discussions with Anne Puckridge on the exclusion of certain countries from the annual uplift to the UK State Pension during her visit to the UK in December 2024.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

There are currently no plans to hold discussions with Anne Puckridge on this issue.

The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK state pension is payable worldwide and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.

Up-rating is based on levels of earnings growth and price inflation in the UK which has no direct relevance where the pensioner is resident overseas.

Over many years, priority is given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.

People move abroad for many reasons and this can have an impact on their finances. However, the decision to move abroad is voluntary and remains a personal choice dependent on the circumstances of the individual. For a number of years, advice has been provided to the public that the UK State Pension is not uprated overseas except where there is a legal requirement to do so. HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions publish information on the Government website.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications her Department received from pensioners living in countries where the UK State Pension is not uprating yearly requesting that their pension be temporarily uprated because they are visiting (a) the UK or (b) travelling to a country where the State Pension is uprated in each year since 2021; and what the cost to the public purse was of maintaining a team in her Department to administer such requests in the same period.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

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 the average length of time is for a PIP assessment to be completed; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of these waiting times on applications for the carers allowance.

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

The median clearance time from a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) registration to a DWP decision is 15 weeks for both new claims under normal rules and reassessments from Disability Living Allowance, as of July 2024. For new claims with Special Rules, there is a median time of 3 working days from registration to clearance.

Delays in assessing PIP claims should not affect the amount of Carer’s Allowance paid to the carer as the Carer’s Allowance claim can be backdated to the date PIP is awarded from.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals have had personal independence payments withdrawn after entering hospital care for more than 28 days in the last four 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.

Suspensions of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for admission to hospital are combined in the PIP Computer System with admissions to hospices and care homes. To distinguish hospital care from the other types of accommodation would require manual investigation of individual claimant records.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the primary language of benefits claimants has been in each of the last 10 years.

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

The Department does not centrally hold the information requested as it is not a requirement for a customer to declare their ‘primary’ language. Customer communications and benefit information is provided in English and Welsh as appropriate. Necessary information can be provided in another language and translation services are available.

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 impact of the journal system for Universal Credit on the mental health of applicants and users.

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

DWP are committed to providing the best possible support for all our customers, including the most vulnerable in society. Within Universal Credit, we recognise that customers have individual needs and different barriers, so we train and support all our work coaches to be able to respond appropriately to a customer’s situation.

We have no plans to assess the impact of the journal system on the mental health of applicants and users., Independent research published in 2018 showed that the majority of customers found the journal easy to use. The DWP Customer Experience Survey for 2023-2024 showed that 88% of people found it easy to use their UC online account.

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 PIP application system; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) simplifying the application process and (b) introducing measures to reduce waiting times for decisions.

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

The Personal Independence Payment application process, which was developed with the assistance of disabled people, is kept under constant review. This is to ensure that it is accessible to claimants, and that it helps the Department reach an accurate assessment of an individual’s entitlement.

The Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising Health and Disability benefit services. It is developing a PIP service which will ultimately offer online application and reduce journey times, providing a more efficient service and an enhanced customer experience.

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 effectiveness of mandatory reconsideration for assessing Personal Independent Payment decisions.

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

The Department is committed to making the right decision as early as possible in the claim journey.

Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) is a valuable process that supports the resolution of disputes as early as possible, so that customers do not need to appeal, reducing unnecessary demand on His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). At the MR stage, a different Decision Maker will thoroughly review the decision, taking into account all available evidence and contacting the customer for further information where necessary. Decisions will be changed at the MR stage where the evidence supports this.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure the equitability of payment amounts between the (a) old State Pension, awarded until 2016 and (b) new State Pension, awarded from 2016 onwards.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We are absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.

It is not possible to make direct, like for like comparisons between State Pension amounts received under the pre 2016 State Pension system and the new State Pension. Under both systems, the amount people are entitled to varies according to their National Insurance record. It is not the case that everyone in the new system receives more than everyone in the pre 2016 system.

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 extending funding settlements for the Household Support Fund beyond one year.

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

We recognise that certainty helps Local Authorities to design and deliver sustainable plans for local welfare assistance. Committing to funding the Household Support Fund until 31 March 2026 will allow them to plan their approach with greater certainty.

No decision has been made at this stage on funding beyond the end of March 2026. As with all other government programmes, any such funding will be considered in the round at Phase 2 of the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will include bespoke support for unemployed care leavers in the Youth Guarantee.

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

We recognise the challenges care leavers face as they move out of the care system and are working closely with Department for Education to ensure care leavers can access the right skills, opportunities, and wider support, to move towards sustained employment and career progression.

Under the new Youth Guarantee, all young people between 18-21 years will be able to access support to enter employment, education and training opportunities. This includes Care Leavers who we know are more likely than their peers to not be in education, employment or training and may benefit from more tailored support to support their transition as they leave the care provided by their Local Authority.

We are working closely with the Department for Education on the design of the Youth Guarantee, which is in the early stages of development. The Autumn Budget announced that we will establish eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazer areas to test new ways of supporting young people into employment, education or training, by bringing together and enhancing existing programmes in partnership with local areas. Further details will be set out the up-coming ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper.

Found: The Committee has asked the Department for Work and Pensions for a memorandum on the following points

Found: also that every other part of the Government, including Departments like the Home Office and the DWP

Found: for Work and Pensions Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy Business rates Department

Found: It is what the Home Office is doing and what the DWP has been doing in terms of welfare reform over

Found: The jobcentres in the DWP scheme did not even know how to describe the jobs that those companies

Found: and Consequential Amendments) (England) Regulations 2024 Appendix 3: Voluntary Memorandum from the Department

Found: shortly be publishing a White Paper called “Get Britain Working”, which is a joint paper with the DWP

Found: We also work very closely with the DWP on it.

Found: best possible estimate of the state of the economy, where tax revenues are going and spending on DWP

Found: to produce the fiscal forecast: in particular, HMRC, which produces much of the tax forecast, and DWP

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2024 to Question 11881 on Research Finance, if her Department will publish a tabular summary of Capital DEL allocated in the Budget to research and development by Department for 2024-25.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The departmental research and development (R&D) allocations for 2024-25 are set out in the table below. The numbers represent departmental plans as of Autumn Budget 2024, which reflect underspends identified through the Public Spending Audit 2024-25, including as a result of lower Horizon association costs than previously budgeted for.

In 2025-26, the government has allocated £20.4 billion for investment in R&D – more than ever before which reflects its focus on growth. This includes the protection of £6.1 billion for core research.

*rounded to nearest £100m

**rounded to nearest £10m

Individual departments have been rounded to reflect the possibility that allocations can change as a result of in-year inter-department budget transfers.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps they are taking to use (a) artificial intelligence and (b) data to help increase their Department's productivity.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Ministry of Justice is committed to improving its productivity, including through artificial intelligence and effective use of data.

For example, our Prison Network App built by our Data Science and AI teams link up multiple sources of administrative data to help detect prisoners involved with drug smuggling, gang violence and organised crime. This has reduced administrative burdens for more than 500 intelligence staff who use the app to identify connections between individuals in the prison population.

Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) is an ambitious data-linking project, joining data from the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, among others. BOLD has produced a tool for probation staff which cuts down the duplication of data entry and significantly reduces the need for probation officers to search for data, freeing up their time to allow more offender management to reduce reoffending.

Additionally, we have worked in partnership with the Alan Turing Institute to develop a framework for the Department to build and embed our ethical approach to the use of AI and data science, so that we can be confident that we understand the choices we make are ethically sound, with principles we can stand by as this area develops quickly. Most recently, the Ministry of Justice, in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, ran a unique collaboration between government and businesses to co-create innovative AI solutions to tackle some of the most complex challenges facing citizens today. The result of these collaborations will be communicated in due course.

Additionally, we are developing guidance, training and learning opportunities for our staff to safely use AI tools. We draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform our AI and data usage. For example, the Generative AI Framework, the Data Maturity Assessment, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, the Data Ethics Framework, and the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard.

We will continue to regularly review our usage of AI and data to maximise productivity benefits for staff and the public.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 2 February 2024 to Question 11521 on Government Departments: Sick Leave, if he will make an estimate of the number of staff days lost to long term sick absences in each Department in 2023.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The table below provides the estimates requested, number of long term sick days lost per department, along with our preferred measure, Average Working Days Lost (AWDL) per staff year which accounts for workforce size and composition. Data is provided for the main Ministerial Departments consistent with the answer of 2 February 2024 to Question 11521.

Long term sickness absence by Main Department, days lost and average working days lost per staff year, 2023

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 improve uptake of community alcohol services.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

A vital part of delivering the Health Mission shift to prevention will be action to reduce the harms from excess alcohol consumption. The Department of Health and Social Care is continuing to invest in improvements to local drug and alcohol treatment services. Funding for drug and alcohol treatment services is provided through the public health grant. In addition, local authorities have a further £267 million from the Department of Health and Social Care this year to improve quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. This is alongside £105 million made available by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve housing and employment outcomes for people affected by alcohol and drug use.

The latest provisional data from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System for the year ending in September 2024 suggests that there were over 97,000 adults in community treatment for alcohol and not any other drug and over 45,000 adults in treatment for problems with both alcohol and non-opiates. The number of people in treatment for alcohol and not any other drug has increased by 34% since the year ending August 2020 and is currently the highest since records began in 2005/6.

Additionally, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has published a commissioning quality standard providing guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services in their areas. The Department of Health and Social Care will soon publish the United Kingdom Clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment which will include recommendations on developing effective, accessible, and inclusive services. More information on the commissioning quality standard is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-services

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper From Harm to Hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives, published in December 2021, whether they will secure funding for local drug treatment services to help ensure the continuity of care for those released from custody with a drug treatment need.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning services to prevent, mitigate and treat alcohol and drug related health harms, in response to local need. This includes supporting those who have been released from custody with high quality drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.

The Department of Health and Social Care is continuing to invest in improvements to local alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services to enable people to access high quality help and support should they need it. Funding for drug and alcohol services in England is provided through the public health grant. In addition, in 2024/25, the Department of Health and Social Care has allocated local authorities a further £267 million to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery, alongside £105 million made available by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve treatment pathways and recovery, housing and employment outcomes for people with drug and alcohol problems. The Chancellor will conclude a multi-year Spending Review in spring 2025.

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 improve public health services focusing on (a) smoking cessation, (b) drug and alcohol and (c) children's health.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving public health as part of delivering a shift from sickness to prevention. As part of this, the Public Health Grant funds a range of preventative interventions across the country, including local authority-led stop smoking services, local authority-led alcohol and drug treatment services, and services which promote and support children’s health. The National Health Service’s 10-Year Health Plan will ensure that children and their families are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.

The Government is also delivering additional targeted interventions which will promote public health. On smoking, this includes delivering the national smoke-free pregnancy incentives scheme, and working to ensure that all hospitals integrate opt-out smoking cessation interventions into routine care.

For drug and alcohol treatment, the Government continues to invest in improvements to local alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services to enable people to access high quality help and support, should they need it. In addition, the Government has allocated local authorities a further £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery, alongside £105 million made available by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people with drug and alcohol problems.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. There are a range of public health services through which children and their families can access support. This includes the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme, which places at its heart preventative health services from conception to the age of two years old, in 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation. In addition, the Healthy Child Programme provides targeted support, offering universal, personalised services provided by a health visiting team for those aged zero to five years old.

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Found: DWP and HMRC have well-established ongoing counter-fraud and compliance teams, but even there we have

Found: Chancellor was to announce the Pensions Investment Review… … led by our first ever joint Treasury and DWP

Found: We are working with DWP and HMT to publish a Get Britain Working white paper, explaining our ambition

Found: WorkWell, a new joint programme by DWP and DHSC, went live in October this year, backed by £64m funding

Found: the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal for those appealing benefits decisions made by the Department

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Found: National Insurance Fund Investment Account 2023 -2024 9 Department for International Development and Department

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Found: (e) To evidence a pension: (i) Official documentation from: (1) The Department for Work and Pensions

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Found: surveys , which show the confusion between local authority direct payments for care and receipt of DWP

Found: • Challenges around funding: 15 • Accessing Access to Work11 funding from the Department for Work

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Found: IMPACT OF OUR WORK: Disability Living Allowance We received a complaint regarding the Department

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Found: financial support through payments made by Social Security Scotland and under Agency Agreements with the DWP

Found: for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Carer Support Payment from Social Security Scotland began in February

Found: Commencing in May 2024, the Department for Work and Pensions are rolling out an increase in the administrative

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it spent preparing for the roll-out of its replacement for the Winter Fuel Payment prior to its decision to delay the roll-out until 2025, and what any money was spent on.

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

The Scottish Government spent approximately £4.2 million on the preparation to roll out Pension Age Winter Heating Payment between May 2023 and August 2024. This primarily relates to the development of systems to deliver the benefit but also covers costs associated with the public consultation, analysis of responses and relevant publications.

Given the short notice of the change in policy following the UK Government’s decision, DWP will deliver Pension Age Winter Heating Payment this winter ahead of Social Security Scotland delivering in 2025-26.

The systems to deliver Pension Age Winter Heating Payment have been designed and developed in line with the Digital Scotland Service Standards, reusing existing technology where possible, to ensure value for money. The service design and the digital systems developed for launch in Winter 2024-25 will be reused when Social Security Scotland delivers the payment next winter (2025-26), although some changes will be required to reflect the new eligibility rules.