Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the Department will provide a projection of how many people will gain (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment after their placement on the Youth Guarantee scheme.

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

As part of the Youth Guarantee we are breaking the cycle of unemployment by guaranteeing paid work for every eligible 18-21 year old who has been on Universal Credit, looking for work, for 18 months. This will give young people their first step on the ladder, with wraparound support to develop skills and gain experience needed for the move in to sustained jobs.

Wherever possible we want the young person to be able to secure a sustained job and continue in employment, either with the same employer or a new employer. That’s why we are providing funding for wraparound support to ensure that young people are supported into work, in their job and as they transition off the scheme.

Young people will also benefit from the c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training we’re funding through the Youth Guarantee. We will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers, known as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.

The Department has commissioned an evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers to build evidence on how the program improves employment outcomes, economic inactivity, participation in education and training, and systems integration. The Department will continue to monitor the outcomes of young people participating in the Youth Guarantee nationally, and a full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee is planned.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 December 2025 on Support for Young People, HCWS1137, what steps he is taking to ensure that expanded Sector-based Work Academy Programmes in West Midlands growth sectors such as logistics, automotive, retail and health lead to genuine employment progression; and if he will publish West Midlands-specific data on completion rates and subsequent job offers.

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

DWP’s Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) – which offer training, work experience and a job interview to DWP customers seeking work – help employers with immediate and future employment needs by upskilling benefit claimants to fill local job vacancies. Jobcentres work with local employers and training providers to establish SWAPs in a wide range of sectors including logistics, automotive, retail and health.

As evidenced by the SWAP Impact Assessment (Sector-based Work Academy Programme: A Quantitative Impact Assessment - GOV.UK), SWAPs have been proven to increase the time participants spend in employment. The positive impact of SWAPs on employment outcomes is consistent across all regions including West Midlands.

From April 2026, the Youth Guarantee will increase the number of SWAPs available so that more jobseekers, particularly young people, can take advantage of the employment support offered.

We publish data on SWAP starts and outcomes on a quarterly basis. This includes the number of starts broken down by Local Authority, by Region and by Sector. Outcomes data was published for the first time this year and shows the proportion of SWAP starts with earnings at 6 and 9 months, by month of start, and the average monthly earnings at 6 and 9 months for those with earnings in that period, by month of start. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sector-based-work-academy-programmes-swaps-management-information-april-2021-to-september-2025. The next release is due to be published in January 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce flexibility in the Apprenticeship Levy to allow NHS staff who are made redundant to (a) continue, (b) pause, and (c) re-enter levy-funded leadership apprenticeships, particularly where redundancy occurs immediately prior to the start of a programme.

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

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

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

If an individual has been made redundant prior to the commencement of the apprenticeship, then they are not eligible for funding.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has been made of the potential impact of the (a) the Youth Guarantee and (b) the Government’s new scheme for under-25s on the workload of employers.

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

Nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 – around one in eight - are currently Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET). To tackle this crisis of opportunity, the government has expanded the Youth Guarantee.

The Government is investing £820 million over the Spending Review period in the Youth Guarantee, to reach almost 900,000 young people, including through Youth Hubs in every area in Great Britain and a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, offering a dedicated session and follow-up support to 16-24 –year-olds on Universal Credit. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training and provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21.

The Department has commissioned an evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers to build evidence on how the program improves employment outcomes, economic inactivity, participation in education and training, and systems integration.

The Department will continue to monitor the outcomes of young people participating in the Youth Guarantee nationally, and a full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee is planned.

Employers are integral to the success of the Youth Guarantee, and we will be working closely with Youth Guarantee supporters and partners who choose to access DWP’s employer commitment. Employers will benefit from a tailored support service to help fill vacancies with Jobcentre candidates, including job description support, faster recruitment, vacancy promotion, use of Jobcentre space for interviews, access to the free Find a Job site, and expert advice from a dedicated Recruitment Manager.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he will take to ensure that apprenticeship opportunities for young people are protected under the Growth and Skills Levy.

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

This government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people at the beginning of their careers.

In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.

We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people, launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities, and fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from the next academic year.

The government also facilitates the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), comprising around 2,500 employer and apprentice volunteers who go into schools and colleges to share their compelling stories and experiences of what apprenticeships can do for young people.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evaluation has been carried out of the potential impact of fully funding apprenticeship training for under-22s in small and medium-sized enterprises on apprenticeship starts, prior to the announcement of an expansion to under-25s.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 101450.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what safeguards he plans to include in the Growth and Skills Levy to protect funding for small and medium-sized enterprises.

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

This government recognises the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises who are responsible for around 40% of apprenticeship starts and provide valuable opportunities for young people.

That is why we have said that we will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for all eligible people aged under 25 from the start of the next academic year. This change will make it easier for those employers to engage with apprenticeships across the country by cutting costs and reducing bureaucracy for both them and their training providers.

At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16 to 21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. Small and medium-sized enterprises also benefit from a £1,000 payment when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care.

The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which comprises 2,500 employers and apprentices who volunteer to promote the benefits of apprenticeships. It operates across all parts of England through nine regional networks. These networks provide buddying and mentoring support to small businesses to help them recruit and retain apprentices.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish further details of apprenticeship units funded under the Growth and Skills Levy.

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

The department will publish this information shortly.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of employer investment in skills training since 2017.

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

According to the Employer Skills Survey, a biennial site level survey of tens of thousands of employers across the UK, total employer expenditure on training fell by 17% in the UK between 2017 and 2024.

The apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017 to support employers to invest in high-quality apprenticeships training and to ensure sustainable funding for all employers of all sizes.

We continue to engage with industry to support the upskilling and training of employees. The reforms set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper support adult skills training for industries across our economy through the Growth and Skills Levy (which received an additional £725m of investment at Budget 2025), the Adult Skills Fund, and the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), which will be available from academic year 2026/27.

We will work with business and employers over the coming months to ensure that the Growth and Skills Levy offer is developed to help meet their needs and incentivise employer investment in training.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of withdrawing funding for Level 7 apprenticeships for most learners aged 22 and over who are unable to self-fund postgraduate study on social mobility.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57823.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claimants were recorded as non-UK nationals in each month since 1 July 2024.

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

The Department publishes Universal Credit (UC) immigration status and nationality statistics as part of the Universal Credit statistics publication. ‘Table 1’ in the latest Universal Credit immigration status and nationality data tables provides information on the number of people on Universal Credit by immigration status for each month from April 2022 to October 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that cash payments received through the Crisis and Resilience Fund do not lead to a deduction in a person's Universal Credit payment.

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

Support from the Crisis and Resilience Fund is classed as local welfare provision. As a result, payments received from the Fund will be disregarded as capital when calculating a person’s entitlement to Universal Credit. Given the nature of the provision, it is expected this will be spent within the 12 months of receipt. Any monies from the fund unspent within this timeframe will be classed as capital in the usual way.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an estimate of how many claimants have incurred overpayments as a result of moving into or between temporary accommodation.

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

We cannot provide any figures for this request as DWP does not record “moving into/ between temporary accommodation” as an overpayment reason.

Further information on published statistics for overpayments can be found here:

Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many LinkedIn Learning licences were provided to Department for Work and Pensions staff; and what the total cost of those licences was, in each calendar quarter from Q1 2023 to the most recent quarter for which data is available.

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

The table below shows the number of licenses purchased and costs associated since Q1 2023.

These are annual subscriptions and have not been renewed since 2024.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what was the a) mean and b) median amount of housing support claimed by people in each local authority who were on i) Housing Benefit ii) the Housing Element of UC and iii) either Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of UC.

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

I) The information requested for Housing Benefit (HB) mean amounts are available on Stat-Xplore (link below).

II) Universal Credit (UC) is a single integrated benefit made up of different elements, such as Housing. Benefit units receive one combined monthly payment, and any deductions apply to the total award, not individual elements. Breakdowns of the UC Housing Element are available at national level in the Benefit Expenditure Tables (link below). However, the underlying data is not sufficient to produce these breakdowns at a sub-national level, such as local authorities. As a result, it is not possible to robustly estimate mean or median element of UC at a local authority level.

III) Due to data quality limitations that prevent calculation of (ii), it is not possible to estimate the population receiving either HB or the housing element of UC.

Stat-Xplore

Benefit Expenditure and Caseload Tables: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants are employed through Skilled Worker visas in (1) the Department of Work and Pensions, and (2) Skills England.

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

1. DWP currently has 344 civil servants employed in the department on a skilled worker visa
2. Skills England has 0 civil servants employed on a skilled worker visa

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the value of graduated pension contributions paid by individuals prior to 1975 relative to the level of the new State Pension.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Graduated Retirement Benefit (GRB) scheme was the precursor to the additional State Pension and ran from 1961 to 1975. One unit of GRB was earned, by a man, for every £7.50 of graduated contributions paid, and in the case of a woman born before 6 April 1950, for every £9.00 paid. The maximum number of units available was 86 for a man and 72 for a woman. These rules were equalised for women born on or after 6 April 1950, with the result that GRB contributions paid by women who have reached State Pension age since April 2010 will be “converted” into GRB units on the same basis as for men. A unit is currently worth 17.83p per week (2025/26).

For people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, GRB is normally paid with other State Pension components, but it is paid on its own if there is no other State Pension entitlement.

GRB is not payable as a separate amount for people who reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, who will claim the new State Pension. Instead, people who had made contributions under the old State Pension system, including graduated contributions, will have their new State Pension calculated under transitional rules. Under the transitional arrangements, we look at an individual's National Insurance record as it stands on 6 April 2016 and compare what this would give them under the new State Pension rules with what they would have built up under the old system. The higher of these two values will be used as their Starting Amount for the new State Pension going forward. Therefore, any previous Graduated Retirement Benefit will be consolidated, along with other elements, into an individual’s entitlement to the new State Pension.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in relation to the statutory guidance on fiduciary duties announced during Report stage of the Pension Schemes Bill on 3 December 2025, when he will consult on the guidance; and when the guidance will take effect.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government intends to consult formally on draft guidance later this year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of engaging in structured, law-based mediation with representatives of women born in the 1950s.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 29 January 2026 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the Government’s new decision on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) investigation into the way that State Pension age changes were communicated to women born in the 1950s.

We have set our decision out in full, and the document is available on Gov.uk: Government response to Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension communications and associated issues.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals have received the State Pension for the following financial years a) 2024/25 b) 2025/2026, and what was the total value of State Pension paid to those non-UK nationals in each of those financial years.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department does not hold data on the nationality of individuals in receipt of the State Pension, as nationality is not recorded as part of the State Pension claim process, as was the case under the last Conservative Government. Eligibility for the State Pension is based on an individual's National Insurance record over their working life.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what has been the financial cost to his Department of litigation related to the WASPI campaign since December 2024.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Based on the information held, since December 2024, the recorded legal costs on litigations with WASPI including disbursements and VAT are £135,999.61.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of requiring parents to apply for Child Benefit on their eligibility to qualify for National Insurance credits.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

DWP has not conducted such an assessment. Child Benefit is a benefit administered by HMRC.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of pensioners whose sole income is the (a) basic and (b) full new State Pension.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Findings from the Pensioners’ Incomes Series show that, in 2023/24, around 1.1 million pensioner families (i.e. singles or couples) in the UK received the State Pension together with other state benefits as their sole sources of income. However, this does not indicate the amount of State Pension received or whether the State Pension received was the basic or new State Pension. This information is published in the Pensioners' Incomes series.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the 18-to-21-year-olds on Universal Credit who are offered a work placement through the Youth Guarantee scheme will have a choice over the sector, location, or type of role.

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

The Youth Guarantee is backed by an £820 million investment over the next three years to reach almost 900,000 young people. This includes Youth Hubs in every area in Great Britain and a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, offering a dedicated session and follow-up support to 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit to get them into employment or training. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. In addition, it will provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21.

With over 350,000 opportunities, there will be flexibility for young people to find roles in different sectors, locations, and professions. To achieve this, we will work with national and local employers and training providers to create a range of high-quality job and training opportunities.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government for how long they will remove the right to claim benefits from 18-to-21-year-olds on Universal Credit who do not accept the offer of a work placement through the Youth Guarantee scheme.

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

The Youth Guarantee is part of a new social contract with young people – opportunity matched by responsibility. Young people who can work will be expected to engage with the support offered. If the support is declined without good reasons, existing benefit sanction rules will apply. The Jobs Guarantee is no exception and the full conditionality regime will apply.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to prevent enforcement correspondence being issued by the Child Maintenance Service where maintenance has been paid early but outside the Service’s payment window.

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

Correspondence issued by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) referencing enforcement action as being considered should only be issued if a customer has missed payments due and has fallen into arrears.

CMS is currently reviewing its processes to ensure that this principle is consistently applied and that such correspondence is not issued where payments have been made.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of asylum seekers who have received a positive asylum decision have been granted access to Universal Credit during the current Parliament.

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

The Department publishes Universal Credit (UC) immigration status and nationality statistics as part of the Universal Credit statistics publication. ‘Table 1’ in the latest Universal Credit immigration status and nationality data tables provides information on the number of people with refugee status on Universal Credit for each month from April 2022 to October 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people brought to the United Kingdom under the Gaza scholarship students route claim (a) Universal Credit, (b) PIP and (c) other benefits.

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

The majority of migrants on temporary, time-limited visas (such as for work or study) are subject to a No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition for at least 5 years. This restricts them from accessing certain public funded benefits and services. DWP cannot pay public funds benefits (such as Universal Credit) to individuals where the Home Office has applied an NRPF condition to their immigration status.

Students who are supported to exit Gaza are still required to meet all of the requirements of the student route, and are subject to the same No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) conditions.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of training provider capacity for the Fishmonger Apprenticeship Standard in meeting employer demand.

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

The Department actively monitors all registered apprenticeship training providers through compliance checks, performance reviews, and inspections to ensure quality standards are met. Where providers fail to meet these requirements, we take appropriate action, which can include applying conditions such as restricting delivery and even termination of agreements and removal from the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR).

There are currently 4 registered training providers offering the Fishmonger Level 2 apprenticeship standard.

The Department manages entry to the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register to ensure that new providers meet a gap in apprenticeship training provision or meet our strategic priorities in areas where we want to grow apprenticeships.

Where an employer has provided evidence of a gap in the current apprenticeship training provision through the employer-led gap in provision policy, new training providers may enter the market.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of local labour market participation rates in the West Midlands.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information requested is published and available at:

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp

Guidance for users can be found at:

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

The estimated participation rates can be found by selecting “Query data” on the NOMIS home page and selecting “Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey” and then “annual population survey (Dec 2004 to Jun 2025)” in the lists of data sources. The Geography will need to be set for the relevant ‘local authorities: district / unitary’ within the West Midlands. The Variable will need to be set to “Economic activity rate - aged 16-64”. West Midlands can also be selected in the ‘regions’ category to give participation rates for the whole region.

Through our Get Britain Working Strategy, we are reforming employment, health, and skills support to tackle economic inactivity, support people into good work, and create an inclusive, thriving labour market.

Specifically in the West Midlands, we are working with the West Midlands Combined Authority to deliver a Youth Trailblazer, which is testing how best to deliver and integrate work, health and skills support locally for young people. The West Midlands Combined Authority has also received their Connect to Work funding through their 2025/26 Integrated Settlement to deliver Supported Employment to disabled people, individuals with health conditions and people with complex barriers to employment. They will receive further Connect to Work funding in the 2026/27 – 2028/29 Integrated Settlement from April.

Furthermore, all areas in England have been asked to develop a Local Get Britain Working plan. Led by local government and co-developed with local NHS, Jobcentre Plus and wider stakeholders, these plans will identify local labour market challenges and priorities, and support the integration of locally-delivered services. West Midlands Combined Authority have published their local Get Britain Working Plan, which can be found here: West Midlands Works

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of current employment support programmes in former industrial areas.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our Get Britain Working Labour Market Insights publication contains a range of analysis of how labour markets are performing in different types of labour market across the country - including former industrial areas - Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights - GOV.UK.

We are committed to ensuring employment support meets the needs of local areas. To do this, we are:

• Rolling out Connect to Work across England and Wales, which is a voluntary, locally commissioned, Supported Employment programme for individuals that are disabled, have a health condition or are experiencing non-health related barriers to work to find and sustain employment.

• Delivering local Get Britain Working plans across England, led by local government and co-developed with local NHS, Jobcentre Plus and wider stakeholders. These plans will identify local labour market challenges and priorities including in former industrial areas, and work collectively to address these challenges and support the integration of services.

• Delivering 17 Economic Inactivity and Youth Guarantee Trailblazers led by Mayoral Strategic Authorities and Wales during 24/25 and 25/26. Trailblazers are testing local approaches to support people who are hardest to reach to move towards work, considering the specific needs of local labour markets.

• Reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.

Employment support programmes such as the Get Britain Working Trailblazers, WorkWell and Connect to Work will be evaluated to assess the extent to which they help people to enter and remain in work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department have made on the potential impact of place-based employment support programmes such as JobsPlus in addressing levels of economic inactivity and unemployment.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Jobs Plus is a community-based model with strong potential to tackle inactivity and unemployment. The department is testing the model in ten social housing communities across England. Jobs Plus and other place-based programmes such as the Get Britain Working Trailblazers, Work Well and Connect to Work will be evaluated to assess their effectiveness in helping people enter and remain in work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many adults accompanying children that have been brought to the United Kingdom under the HMG Gaza Medevac scheme are claiming (a) Universal Credit, (b) PIP and (c) other benefits.

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

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

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which delays in confirming funding allocations following the 2025 Spending Review have contributed to a reduction in local authority staff working in Reducing Parental Conflict coordination posts.

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

This government wants to ensure that every child has the best start in life. We know that healthy parental relationships are an important part of this ambition, and the Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) programme continues to deliver effective relationship support for parents, working closely with local authorities (LAs).

Our 2022-25 evaluation has recognised the value that Local Authority staffing, particularly the role of coordinators as drivers of change, bring to the integration and delivery of RPC within their local areas. That is why we have continued to fund and support the coordinator posts. LAs can vary their staffing levels depending on local priorities and decisions on how to use their individual Local Grant funding, however knowledge and expertise remain due to wider workforce training funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The government is keenly aware of the importance of communicating decisions on future funding to LAs, and the impact this has on workforce and delivery of parental support. We appreciate the importance of timely information for the organisations and individuals involved, and we will share updates at the earliest opportunity.

Relationship status is not an outcome measured by the RPC programme. DWP therefore does not routinely collect this information. The programme focuses on reducing the frequency, intensity and impact of parental conflict on children, rather than whether parents remain together or separate.

Wider evaluations of the RPC programme, such as our 2018-2022 evaluation, demonstrated the clear impact of improved parental relationships – whether together or apart – on children’s mental health and wellbeing. The evaluation of the RPC Local Grant (2022–25) showed the importance of embedding relationship support alongside family help services, and within the places and spaces where families access support. This is at the heart of the Government’s approach to supporting families, as creating a more integrated system of support is a central ambition of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies Programme, and the roll out of Best Start Family Hubs to every Local Authority in England.

Ensuring families have access to the effective support that they need remains an important shared endeavour across government. DWP are committed to working closely with the Department for Education, and across government, to ensure that families continue to benefit from approaches that improve relationships and support better outcomes for children.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of local authority staffing to deliver the Reducing Parental Conflict programme; and what comparison they have made to the level of such staffing in March 2025.

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

This government wants to ensure that every child has the best start in life. We know that healthy parental relationships are an important part of this ambition, and the Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) programme continues to deliver effective relationship support for parents, working closely with local authorities (LAs).

Our 2022-25 evaluation has recognised the value that Local Authority staffing, particularly the role of coordinators as drivers of change, bring to the integration and delivery of RPC within their local areas. That is why we have continued to fund and support the coordinator posts. LAs can vary their staffing levels depending on local priorities and decisions on how to use their individual Local Grant funding, however knowledge and expertise remain due to wider workforce training funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The government is keenly aware of the importance of communicating decisions on future funding to LAs, and the impact this has on workforce and delivery of parental support. We appreciate the importance of timely information for the organisations and individuals involved, and we will share updates at the earliest opportunity.

Relationship status is not an outcome measured by the RPC programme. DWP therefore does not routinely collect this information. The programme focuses on reducing the frequency, intensity and impact of parental conflict on children, rather than whether parents remain together or separate.

Wider evaluations of the RPC programme, such as our 2018-2022 evaluation, demonstrated the clear impact of improved parental relationships – whether together or apart – on children’s mental health and wellbeing. The evaluation of the RPC Local Grant (2022–25) showed the importance of embedding relationship support alongside family help services, and within the places and spaces where families access support. This is at the heart of the Government’s approach to supporting families, as creating a more integrated system of support is a central ambition of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies Programme, and the roll out of Best Start Family Hubs to every Local Authority in England.

Ensuring families have access to the effective support that they need remains an important shared endeavour across government. DWP are committed to working closely with the Department for Education, and across government, to ensure that families continue to benefit from approaches that improve relationships and support better outcomes for children.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of couples who received support through the Reducing Parental Conflict Local Grant programme (2022–25) were (1) still together, and (2) separated or separating at the point of first engagement; and whether this information was routinely collected as part of programme monitoring.

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

This government wants to ensure that every child has the best start in life. We know that healthy parental relationships are an important part of this ambition, and the Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) programme continues to deliver effective relationship support for parents, working closely with local authorities (LAs).

Our 2022-25 evaluation has recognised the value that Local Authority staffing, particularly the role of coordinators as drivers of change, bring to the integration and delivery of RPC within their local areas. That is why we have continued to fund and support the coordinator posts. LAs can vary their staffing levels depending on local priorities and decisions on how to use their individual Local Grant funding, however knowledge and expertise remain due to wider workforce training funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The government is keenly aware of the importance of communicating decisions on future funding to LAs, and the impact this has on workforce and delivery of parental support. We appreciate the importance of timely information for the organisations and individuals involved, and we will share updates at the earliest opportunity.

Relationship status is not an outcome measured by the RPC programme. DWP therefore does not routinely collect this information. The programme focuses on reducing the frequency, intensity and impact of parental conflict on children, rather than whether parents remain together or separate.

Wider evaluations of the RPC programme, such as our 2018-2022 evaluation, demonstrated the clear impact of improved parental relationships – whether together or apart – on children’s mental health and wellbeing. The evaluation of the RPC Local Grant (2022–25) showed the importance of embedding relationship support alongside family help services, and within the places and spaces where families access support. This is at the heart of the Government’s approach to supporting families, as creating a more integrated system of support is a central ambition of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies Programme, and the roll out of Best Start Family Hubs to every Local Authority in England.

Ensuring families have access to the effective support that they need remains an important shared endeavour across government. DWP are committed to working closely with the Department for Education, and across government, to ensure that families continue to benefit from approaches that improve relationships and support better outcomes for children.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to announce funding allocations for the Reducing Parental Conflict programme following the 2025 Spending Review; and how they are mitigating the impact of any delay on local authority planning and workforce retention.

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

This government wants to ensure that every child has the best start in life. We know that healthy parental relationships are an important part of this ambition, and the Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) programme continues to deliver effective relationship support for parents, working closely with local authorities (LAs).

Our 2022-25 evaluation has recognised the value that Local Authority staffing, particularly the role of coordinators as drivers of change, bring to the integration and delivery of RPC within their local areas. That is why we have continued to fund and support the coordinator posts. LAs can vary their staffing levels depending on local priorities and decisions on how to use their individual Local Grant funding, however knowledge and expertise remain due to wider workforce training funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The government is keenly aware of the importance of communicating decisions on future funding to LAs, and the impact this has on workforce and delivery of parental support. We appreciate the importance of timely information for the organisations and individuals involved, and we will share updates at the earliest opportunity.

Relationship status is not an outcome measured by the RPC programme. DWP therefore does not routinely collect this information. The programme focuses on reducing the frequency, intensity and impact of parental conflict on children, rather than whether parents remain together or separate.

Wider evaluations of the RPC programme, such as our 2018-2022 evaluation, demonstrated the clear impact of improved parental relationships – whether together or apart – on children’s mental health and wellbeing. The evaluation of the RPC Local Grant (2022–25) showed the importance of embedding relationship support alongside family help services, and within the places and spaces where families access support. This is at the heart of the Government’s approach to supporting families, as creating a more integrated system of support is a central ambition of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies Programme, and the roll out of Best Start Family Hubs to every Local Authority in England.

Ensuring families have access to the effective support that they need remains an important shared endeavour across government. DWP are committed to working closely with the Department for Education, and across government, to ensure that families continue to benefit from approaches that improve relationships and support better outcomes for children.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between local authority Reducing Parental Conflict coordination capacity and the effective delivery of the programme, including workforce training, commissioning and service reach.

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

This government wants to ensure that every child has the best start in life. We know that healthy parental relationships are an important part of this ambition, and the Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) programme continues to deliver effective relationship support for parents, working closely with local authorities (LAs).

Our 2022-25 evaluation has recognised the value that Local Authority staffing, particularly the role of coordinators as drivers of change, bring to the integration and delivery of RPC within their local areas. That is why we have continued to fund and support the coordinator posts. LAs can vary their staffing levels depending on local priorities and decisions on how to use their individual Local Grant funding, however knowledge and expertise remain due to wider workforce training funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The government is keenly aware of the importance of communicating decisions on future funding to LAs, and the impact this has on workforce and delivery of parental support. We appreciate the importance of timely information for the organisations and individuals involved, and we will share updates at the earliest opportunity.

Relationship status is not an outcome measured by the RPC programme. DWP therefore does not routinely collect this information. The programme focuses on reducing the frequency, intensity and impact of parental conflict on children, rather than whether parents remain together or separate.

Wider evaluations of the RPC programme, such as our 2018-2022 evaluation, demonstrated the clear impact of improved parental relationships – whether together or apart – on children’s mental health and wellbeing. The evaluation of the RPC Local Grant (2022–25) showed the importance of embedding relationship support alongside family help services, and within the places and spaces where families access support. This is at the heart of the Government’s approach to supporting families, as creating a more integrated system of support is a central ambition of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies Programme, and the roll out of Best Start Family Hubs to every Local Authority in England.

Ensuring families have access to the effective support that they need remains an important shared endeavour across government. DWP are committed to working closely with the Department for Education, and across government, to ensure that families continue to benefit from approaches that improve relationships and support better outcomes for children.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what conclusions they have drawn from their evaluation of the Reducing Parental Conflict Local Grant programme (2022–25) regarding outcomes for parental conflict, co-parenting relationships and child wellbeing.

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

This government wants to ensure that every child has the best start in life. We know that healthy parental relationships are an important part of this ambition, and the Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) programme continues to deliver effective relationship support for parents, working closely with local authorities (LAs).

Our 2022-25 evaluation has recognised the value that Local Authority staffing, particularly the role of coordinators as drivers of change, bring to the integration and delivery of RPC within their local areas. That is why we have continued to fund and support the coordinator posts. LAs can vary their staffing levels depending on local priorities and decisions on how to use their individual Local Grant funding, however knowledge and expertise remain due to wider workforce training funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The government is keenly aware of the importance of communicating decisions on future funding to LAs, and the impact this has on workforce and delivery of parental support. We appreciate the importance of timely information for the organisations and individuals involved, and we will share updates at the earliest opportunity.

Relationship status is not an outcome measured by the RPC programme. DWP therefore does not routinely collect this information. The programme focuses on reducing the frequency, intensity and impact of parental conflict on children, rather than whether parents remain together or separate.

Wider evaluations of the RPC programme, such as our 2018-2022 evaluation, demonstrated the clear impact of improved parental relationships – whether together or apart – on children’s mental health and wellbeing. The evaluation of the RPC Local Grant (2022–25) showed the importance of embedding relationship support alongside family help services, and within the places and spaces where families access support. This is at the heart of the Government’s approach to supporting families, as creating a more integrated system of support is a central ambition of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies Programme, and the roll out of Best Start Family Hubs to every Local Authority in England.

Ensuring families have access to the effective support that they need remains an important shared endeavour across government. DWP are committed to working closely with the Department for Education, and across government, to ensure that families continue to benefit from approaches that improve relationships and support better outcomes for children.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how the rate of benefit sanctions varied by (1) region, and (2) ethnicity, in the past 12 months.

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

The Department regularly publishes monthly Universal Credit sanction rate statistics for Great Britain as part of the benefit sanction statistics. The latest statistics to August 2025 are available in table 2.1 of the latest benefit sanction statistics tables, with sanction rates by ethnic group provided in table 7.6.

The UC Sanction Rates dataset on Stat-Xplore can be used to produce the same information in table 2.1 for lower-level geographical breakdowns, such as region.

Monthly sanction rates by region, extracted from Stat-Xplore, and by ethnic group, from table 7.6 of the published tables, for September 2024 to August 2025 are provided in the attached spreadsheet.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of integrated strategies which connect mental health services and skills training to employment support for young people.

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

The integration of services for young people is a key Government priority. We continue to assess how best to strengthen links between employment support, skills provision and mental health services. That is why we have announced the expansion of Youth Hubs to every area of Great Britian.

Youth Hubs are community‑based spaces where DWP Work Coaches work alongside local partners, such as colleges, local authorities, employers, youth organisations, and mental health providers, to deliver joined‑up support for 16–24-year-olds in one location outside of the job centre. We have also announced that all Youth Hubs will operate to a national minimum service blueprint, which sets out the core offer every young person should be able to access. This includes employment and skills support, links to wider training, mental health and wellbeing provision, housing and homelessness support, and strong employer engagement. The blueprint ensures consistency while allowing flexibility to tailor services to local needs

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) new and (b) existing claimants were waiting for a Universal Credit Work Capability Assessment in each month since January 2025.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Child Maintenance Service policy in establishing the Paying Parent, in the context of changes in societal norms and the increase in co-parenting and shared parenting arrangements.

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

The person providing primary care of the child and with whom the child lives is entitled to make an application for child maintenance. This is known as the receiving parent. The receiving parent is determined by which parent looks after the child most of the time. For example, with whom the child has their home and who usually provides day to day care for the child.

The Child Maintenance Calculation can be amended to reflect co-parenting and shared parenting arrangements. A paying parent’s maintenance liability can be reduced where they have overnight care of a child for whom they pay maintenance. This reduction is intended to broadly reflect the cost associated with any overnight care given. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent to 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced to a maximum of 50 per cent within bands based on the number of days overnight care is provided over a 12-month period.

The CMS uses bands based on the number of days overnight care is provided, to ensure a fair, consistent, and administratively efficient method of accounting for the costs borne by each parent.

If the CMS is satisfied that both parents have equal day-to-day care for the child, in addition to sharing overnight care, there is no requirement for either parent to pay child maintenance.

There is no statutory definition of day-to-day care, our definition is broadly aligned with that of Child Benefit, where an ‘overall care test’ is used. This provides consistency across government and receipt of Child Benefit is regarded as a good indicator of who is entitled to child maintenance payments.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the long-term consequences of the benefit cap on the life chances of children, including future employment prospects, health inequalities and intergenerational poverty.

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

The Government recognises that growing up in a working household helps to tackle the long-term impacts of poverty on a child’s future health, employment, and life chances. The benefit cap aims to incentivise work and exemptions to the cap are in place for households in work earning at least £846 each month, rising to £881 each month from April 2026.

The Child Poverty Strategy kickstarts action and ambition over the next ten years to respond to the current crisis of child poverty now while delivering longer term change to fundamentally fix the structural drivers of child poverty.

The Government is investing in the future of our children and is removing the two child limit in Universal Credit in April 2026. This will lift 450,000 children out of poverty in the final year of this parliament and is the most cost-effective and quickest way of reducing child poverty and the impacts that child poverty can bring.

In addition, the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 places a duty on the Secretary of State to report annually on the life chances of children in non-working households and educational attainment as two main factors leading to child poverty. These were last released on 27 March: “Workless households and educational attainment statutory indicators 2025 - GOV.UK”

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much their department spent on X and xAI since July 2024.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 28^th January to PQ 106866

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit Work Capability Assessments were undertaken in each month since August 2025 for (a) new and (b) existing claimants.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the benefit cap on demand for local authority hardship support, including discretionary housing payments, and how this affects the ability of councils to support children who are in need.

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

In the financial year 2024/25, 9% of Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) expenditure was recorded by Local Authorities in England and Wales as related to the Benefit Cap (9%) and 7% of expenditure being used on a combination of welfare reforms (including the Benefit Cap, Local Housing Allowance and Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy). This is taken from the DWP publication “Use of Discretionary Housing Payments: analysis of end-of-year returns from local authorities, data for April 2024 to March 2025”.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted an equality analysis on the impact of the benefit cap on children in households with protected characteristics, including lone parent families and families from minority ethnic backgrounds.

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

As part of the Department’s compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty, assessments of the impacts of the benefit cap policy on protected characteristics of people in capped households are undertaken to support with legislative changes.

The government is committed to monitoring the impacts of the benefit cap and publishes quarterly statistics on the number of households capped. The most recent statistics were published in December 2025 for the quarter to August 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their childcare support policy on child poverty in single-parent households; and what consideration they have given to reforming childcare support to reflect the financial constraints faced by families with one member in paid employment.

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

Poverty scars the lives and life chances of our children. Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

The Child Poverty Strategy sets out the steps we are taking to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks we need to change the course we’re on and create long-term change.

The Government is investing in the future of our children by removing the two child limit on Universal Credit, reinstating support for all children in the household. This comes alongside a package of measures that will drive down working poverty by raising the minimum wage, creating more secure jobs by strengthening rights at work, and expanding free childcare.

We recognise that access to high quality, affordable childcare is essential for parents to be able to work. We will increase Universal Credit childcare support to help parents in work, with eligible parents receiving up to £737.06 in UC childcare support for each additional child beyond the first. We will also streamline the process for getting support with upfront childcare costs.

Changes to the childcare cost caps will occur during the 2026-27 financial year, subject to the laying of the relevant legislation and alterations to the UC service.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any relationship between the benefit cap and demand for statutory children's services, including child protection referrals and family support interventions.

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

No assessment has been made by my department.

Our Best Start in Life Strategy, published in July 2025, sets out how we will expand and strengthen family service and improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of early years education and school-aged childcare in England.

From September 2025, 30 hours of Government-funded childcare is now available to eligible working parents of children from nine months old, enabling thousands more children to start school ready to learn (and giving parents greater freedom over jobs and working hours).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the benefit cap on (1) access to early years provision for children, (2) school readiness, and (3) early developmental outcomes.

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

No assessment has been made by my department.

Our Best Start in Life Strategy, published in July 2025, sets out how we will expand and strengthen family service and improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of early years education and school-aged childcare in England.

From September 2025, 30 hours of Government-funded childcare is now available to eligible working parents of children from nine months old, enabling thousands more children to start school ready to learn (and giving parents greater freedom over jobs and working hours).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how the interests of children are assessed in the design and ongoing operation of the benefit cap; and what mechanisms exist to ensure that the welfare of children is considered when policy is being decided.

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

The benefit cap aims to incentivise work as, where possible, it is in the best interest of children to be in working households. Living in a working family has a positive impact on children’s educational attainment, mental health, and long-term aspirations. The Government is driving forward labour market interventions that will deliver a step-change in support and help parents to enter and progress in work.

The Government is committed to monitoring the impacts of the benefit cap and publishes quarterly statistics on the number of households capped. The most recent statistics were published in December 2025 for the quarter to August 2025.

The Government continues to review research from and engages with a range of organisations representing children and families, to ensure the social security system provides the support people need.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to strengthen leak detection, odourisation and public health-related standards for gas used in domestic homes and other premises used for cooking fuelled by gas.

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

There is already robust regulation in place to detect leaks and odourise gas. Gas Industry standards are set by the relevant industry standard setting bodies, for example, the Institute for Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM), British Standards Institute (BSI) and Liquid Gas UK.

The Health and Safety Executive has regulatory responsibility for public health-related standards in commercial premises, but not in domestic homes.

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Found: providing expert advice to the Pensions and Later Life Analysis project group within the Department for Work and Pensions

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Found: The IPTF believes the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should play a central role, given the direct

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Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many sitting days each (a) court and (b) tribunal in England and Wales has been allocated in the 2025–26 financial year.

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

The Ministry of Justice interprets this question as referring to the total allocations for each court and tribunal jurisdiction for the FY 2025/26. As part of this Government’s commitment to transparency, we began publishing total sitting‑day allocations by jurisdiction last year. The table below sets out the total allocations for FY2025/26 by jurisdiction. The Government has funded each jurisdiction to sit at or close to maximum capacity.

* This figure represents the total number of days funded from both Ministry of Justice and Home Office budgets. However, in order to maximise overall sittings within this funding, the total number of days allocated across the First Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal in aggregate was slightly higher, at 23,450.

** This figure includes days funded from both Ministry of Justice and Department for Work and Pensions budgets.

*** This figure only represents the sitting days included in the Ministry of Justice's baseline funding. There are long-standing agreements with several other government departments whereby they provide funding for capacity in specific tribunals. Additional days will be sat as a result of this additional funding.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance has been issued to local authorities to ensure they are aware of, and are actively reassessing, potential underpayment of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction for pensioners affected by new income tax liabilities.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Billing authorities are responsible for assessing the income and circumstances of pensioners in receipt of a council tax reduction in accordance with the legislation and for ensuring that they are billed correctly. As with pension age council tax reduction, entitlement to Housing Benefit is calculated on the basis of the net income an individual receives from earnings, self-employment, occupational pensions and the actual value of DWP benefits which are received.

The Government reviews and uprates benefits each year and updates the eligibility criteria for pension-age Local Council Tax Support to reflect this.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much they collected through the Apprenticeship Levy in financial years (1) 2024-25, and (2) 2025-26; and how much in each of those years was subsequently allocated towards investment in apprenticeship delivery.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Apprenticeship receipts in 2024-25 were £4,100 million. Full year figures for 2025-26 will not be available until the end of the 2025-26 tax year.

The apprenticeship budget funds all apprenticeship training in England, covering both existing and new apprenticeships, across all employers. The English apprenticeship budget in the 2024-25 financial year was £2,769 million. This increased to £3,075 million in the 2025-26 financial year at mains estimates, any further updates will be reflected at supplementary estimates. As announced by the Prime Minister in September, responsibility for apprenticeships has now transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions, and from 2026‑27 apprenticeships funding will be part of its budget.

While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK-wide, apprenticeship policy and spending are devolved. This means the devolved governments receive Barnett consequentials on apprenticeship spending in England through the Barnett formula. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investment in their own skills programmes, and they are accountable to their respective legislatures for those decisions.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will ask the Chief Executive of HMRC to meet with the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence to discuss the potential merits of payroll deduction for credit union schemes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC’s financial wellbeing offer for its workforce, aligned to the Civil Service Financial Strategy, includes access to a variety of advances including rental deposits and season ticket loans, as well as debt/budgeting advice and support through its Employee Assistance Programme.

HMRC has no current plans to introduce payroll deduction arrangements, to enable its employees to join a Credit Union. It does not hold the role of policy lead for payroll deduction schemes across government, and decisions on the merits of payroll deduction arrangements would be a matter for the relevant departments.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what her timeline is for rolling out the data sharing project between her Department, the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs; and what impact that project will have on energy bills.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

I am pleased to say that we have been working on this project since September and are currently conducting a three-month discovery exercise to inform the development of potential data solutions. Depending on the solutions identified, we intend to commence a pilot phase in the spring. Once a suitable solution is developed and tested, we will work with departments to explore the potential to integrate improved household income data into new and existing energy bill and other support schemes. Better data will allow government to target energy bills support more accurately, allowing us to reduce the bills of those who most need help.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on how to balance (a) disability determinations made by (i) the Department for Work and Pensions and (ii) the NHS, and (b) the expressed needs and preferences of applicants when assessing Disabled Facilities Grant applications.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Government guidance for local authorities in England Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) delivery: Guidance for Local Authorities in England sets out best practice local delivery of the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). It covers the eligibility criteria, the application process, and the statutory timeframes for both approvals and delivery. It also covers the grant means test, including that an applicant can be passported through the means test if they are already in receipt of means tested welfare benefits.

The guidance explains the local flexibilities available to authorities in delivering the grant, such as waiving the means test or fast-tracking the delivery of the grant in certain cases, with publication of a local housing assistance policy, and outlines best practice partnership working between housing, health, and other relevant local services.

MHCLG funds a national body—currently Foundations—to support local authorities in the with their delivery of DFGs. Foundations provides practical support, advice, and training, and helps authorities develop or update their local housing assistance policies. Further information is available on their website: https://www.foundations.uk.com

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to introduce financial support for family’s impacted by brain tumours following the concerning findings in the Brain Tumour Charity’s recent report; and what plans his Department has to increase support for the charities who help families impacted by brain tumours.

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

To ensure people living with brain tumours have care which addresses their financial concerns, NHS England has committed to ensuring that every person diagnosed with cancer has access to personalised care. This includes needs assessments, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Through the provision of information, personalised care empowers people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer, including the financial impact on their families.

The Department for Work and Pensions provides a range of benefits and support for families with people with a range of health conditions and disabilities, including for those impacted by high grade or life limiting brain tumours. These include Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Carer's Allowance, and Access to Work. The Pathways to Work Green Paper was built on the principle that the Government should support those who can work to do so, while protecting those who can’t, and we have already made significant progress bringing forward proposals from the Green Paper to transform the support we offer.

To support charities, including those who help families impacted by brain tumours, the Department of Health and Social Care has a Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Health and Wellbeing Programme. This is a mechanism through which the Department, NHS England, and the UK Health Security Agency work together with VCSE organisations to:

• drive the transformation of health and care systems;
• promote equality;
• address health inequalities; and
• help people, families, and communities to achieve and maintain wellbeing.

In addition, the National Cancer Plan, which is due to be published shortly, has featured significant ongoing engagement with charities, covering topics such as how to improve the experience of people living with cancer. The plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, including support for people living with brain tumours and their families.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of up-front pilot training costs on (a) the pilot workforce, (b) diversity within the profession and (c) the long-term resilience of the aviation sector; and what steps she is taking to help tackle barriers to entry for trainees from lower- and middle-income backgrounds.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government works closely with industry to address financial barriers to pilot training and to support the growth of a diverse aviation workforce, including through the Aviation Industry Skills Board. This area is a priority not only for my Department, but also the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Work and Pensions and Skills England.

A training organisation has been approved to deliver a first officer apprenticeship, which would provide training completely cost-free to young people. In addition, British Airways, Jet2.com, and TUI have periodically offered partly or fully funded training programmes.

My officials are working with the Department for Education and airlines to encourage them to deliver this apprenticeship.

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