Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Disability Unit is taking to embed deaf awareness across Government services.

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

The Disability Unit within Cabinet Office has responsibility for the British Sign Language (BSL) Act 2022, which has created a greater recognition and understanding of BSL and deaf awareness.

The Act requires the government to report on what departments listed in the Act have done to promote or facilitate the use of British Sign Language in their communications with the public, and the third BSL report was published in July 2025.

In addition to overall reporting, each ministerial department has produced a 5 year BSL Plan, published alongside the third BSL report. Within these plans, many government departments have committed to including deaf awareness training for their staff and affiliated public bodies. The Cabinet Office has also committed to raise awareness of BSL and the BSL Act 2022 across the Civil Service to support other departments to deliver their BSL commitments.

Following the passage of the BSL Act, the BSL Advisory board was created to advise the Government on key issues impacting the Deaf community in their everyday life. The Board will continue to work with the BSL Advisory Board, Deaf people and their representative organisations, and with Ministers across government, including the Lead Ministers for Disability.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the letter of 17 October 2025 from the Hon. Member for Henley and Thame to the Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms regarding Access to Work delays.

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

The letter dated 17 October 2025 was responded to on 29 October 2025. The response was sent to the Member’s office on 29 October 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions DWP staff have failed to call Universal Credit customers or their appointees at the agreed appointment time in each month of the last 12 months.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold the requested information centrally, 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 steps he is taking to ensure employers are supported to provide entry-level roles suitable for young people under the Youth Guarantee.

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

The government is taking clear steps to ensure employers are supported to provide entry-level roles for young people.

At Budget the government announced that £820 million has been committed to the Youth Guarantee over the next three years to support all young people aged 16 to 24 to earn or learn. This includes the previously announced Jobs Guarantee, which is guaranteeing six-months of paid work for every eligible 18-21 year old who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months. Under the Jobs Guarantee we are committing to ensuring that businesses can take on these young people by funding 100% of the wages for the six months (up to 25hrs/week at the relevant minimum wage), as well as the additional employment costs and a budget for wrap around support. We recognise that the Jobs Guarantee can only succeed if businesses are part of it. That is why we will work closely with employers to develop a programme which works for businesses and young people.

More broadly this government is supporting employers to offer apprenticeships to young people. In August we introduced new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors which are underpinned by an employer incentive payment of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. In addition, as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced at the Budget, this government will now fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible people aged 16-24, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people, starting from the next academic year.

Employers also continue to benefit from existing employer National Insurance (NICs) reliefs for under-21s and under-25 apprentices. This means employers pay no employer NICs for apprentices under 25 or employees under 21 on earnings up to £50,270. These reliefs were worth over £1.3bn to employers in 2024/25.

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 merits of expanding the eligibility for the Severe Conditions Criteria in Universal Credit to include someone with a life-limiting, progressive condition who currently meets the criteria for Limited Capability for Work.

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

The Severe Conditions Criteria (SCC) have been in place since September 2017 to protect those who we do not expect will ever be able to work, due to a severe lifelong health condition or disability that is not expected to improve, from having to undergo reassessment which is unlikely to lead to a change in outcome.

To meet the SCC, a person must demonstrate that their level of functional impairment will always meet the threshold of limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA). Their condition must be a recognised medical diagnosis that is lifelong without any realistic prospect of recovery of function.

When the Universal Credit Act 2025 comes into force on 6 April 2026, Universal Credit (UC) claimants who already meet SCC and those who meet SCC in the future (along with existing LCWRA claimants) will receive the higher rate of LCWRA, and will see their combined UC standard allowance and LCWRA element increase at least in line with inflation every year for the next four years. Those who meet SCC will also be exempt from reassessment.

An individual who meets the Limited Capability for Work criteria, but not LCWRA, whilst not able to work currently, is considered able to take steps to prepare themselves for work in the future. It would not be appropriate for someone with SCC to be placed in this group as people with SCC are not expected to be able to work again. We believe that the SCC capture those who we want to protect, and there is no intention to widen the criteria any further.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory disability pay gap reporting for companies with over fifty employees.

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

We recently held a public consultation on introducing mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. Our consultation closed on June 10^th and we are now considering those responses, including views on which employers should be in scope of the requirements, and we will report back to Parliament in due course.

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 merits of extending the Winter Fuel Payment to anyone with a terminal illness regardless of age.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

We understand that pensioner circumstances may be complex and variable. However, Winter Fuel Payments remain a simple scheme to provide a modest lump sum payment to the majority of pensioners quickly and automatically, without the need for claim.

The Department supports people nearing the end of life through the Special Rules for End of Life. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit. For many years, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Special Rules have applied to people who have six months or less to live but they have now been changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live.

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 effectiveness of HGV Skills Bootcamps in increasing (a) completion rates and (b) job placements compared with the apprenticeship route.

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

The government offers a range of skills training which can support the HGV sector, including apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps.

Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study and have a minimum duration of eight months. Skills Bootcamps are available to both employed and unemployed learners and training takes up to 16 weeks to complete. It is therefore not possible to directly compare the two programmes.

The government publishes starts, completion and outcome figures for HGV Skills Bootcamps. The latest data is published here; Skills bootcamps starts, completions and outcomes, Financial year 2023-24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK.

The latest published apprenticeship data can be found here; Apprenticeships, Academic year 2024/25 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of Access to Work decisions that have not aligned with Access to Work guidelines in the last 12 months.

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

We have interpreted “Access to Work decisions that have not aligned with Access to Work guidelines” as cases where a customer has challenged a decision and requested a reconsideration.

From November 2024 to October 2025:

• 1,517 reconsideration requests were received.
• 1,008 of these have been reviewed and cleared.
• Of those reviewed, 159 decisions were partially or fully overturned.

Some overturned decisions will be due to customers providing additional information, rather than the decision not aligning with Access to Work guidelines. We do not hold data that identifies how many overturned decisions were specifically due to misalignment with the guidelines. The remaining 509 cases are still under consideration

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of benefit expenditure was lost to (a) claimant fraud, (b) official error and (c) customer error in each of the last five years.

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

Since Autumn Budget 2024, including the new announcements at Autumn Budget 2025, the Government have committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in Great Britain.

Estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system for the financial year 2024-25 can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK and cost of fraud and error in the benefit system for the past five financial years 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, whether he has made an estimate of savings from halving levels of benefit fraud and error by 2030.

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

Since Autumn Budget 2024, including the new announcements at Autumn Budget 2025, the Government have committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in Great Britain.

Estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system for the financial year 2024-25 can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK and cost of fraud and error in the benefit system for the past five financial years 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, how much benefit expenditure was lost to fraud and error in the most recent year for which figures are available by benefit type.

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

Since Autumn Budget 2024, including the new announcements at Autumn Budget 2025, the Government have committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in Great Britain.

Estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system for the financial year 2024-25 can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK and cost of fraud and error in the benefit system for the past five financial years 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, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a requirement to ensure all venues have (a) toilets accessible to wheelchair users and (b) clear information that there are no accessible toilets for wheelchair users.

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

Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses that provide goods and services to the public are required not to discriminate against disabled people. The Act also places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises/buildings and services so that disabled customers have the same access to goods and services and are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers. This duty is anticipatory, meaning that service providers are expected to foresee the requirements of disabled people and the reasonable adjustments that may have to be made for them. This includes the provision of disabled toilets and wheelchair access.

The Act recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of service providers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another, depending on the circumstances of the case. This is because factors like the practicability of making the adjustment, the cost of the adjustment and the resources available to an organisation, will vary from one situation to another. In the event of a claim of disability discrimination, it will ultimately be for the courts to decide on a case-by-case basis, what reasonable adjustments should be made for a particular disabled service-user, taking into account all relevant circumstances of the case.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people living with a (a) form of arthritis and (b) musculoskeletal condition are waiting for a decision on their Access to Work claim.

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

The Department does not hold data on the number of individuals living with (a) a form of arthritis or (b) a musculoskeletal condition who are currently awaiting a decision on their Access to Work claim. Health conditions are only identified once an application has been allocated for assessment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to guarantee working-age people with a terminal illness a State Pension-level of income.

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

We have no such policy. Supporting people nearing the end of their life is important to the Government. The main way the Department does this is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Attendance Allowance.

The Department is committed to ensure that eligible claimants at the end of life have their claims processed as quickly as possible. Latest figures show that in Great Britain, new claims to PIP under the Special Rules are being cleared in 3 working days on average.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce (a) delays and (a) improve communication in the processing of Access to Work applications for (i) disabled people requiring essential equipment to remain in employment and (ii) other applicants; and if will undertake a review of current service standards to ensure timely support for applicants.

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

We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practises. We remain committed to reducing waiting times for claims, prioritising customers starting a job within the next four weeks.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of the scheme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 92953 on State Retirement Pensions: Women, if he will make an estimate of the number of women born in the 1950s who have died since the publication of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's findings (HC 638) on 21 March 2024.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and National Records Scotland (NRS) publish annual data on deaths by sex and age group on their websites.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all assistant dog handlers are treated consistently by (a) employers and (b) service providers regardless of how their dog was trained.

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

Assistance dogs are not funded or provided by the Government, and assistance dogs are not regulated or defined in law.

There are well established dog training organisations which have international accreditation and are members of the umbrella coalition Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK). Following a Government initiative in 2017/18, a new charity was established - the Assistance Dogs Assessment Association (ADAA) - which offers a test and certificate for assistance dogs trained through sources without international accreditation. It is now possible for assistance dogs to be tested and certified as having reached a set standard, even where they are trained by a body without international accreditation.

The Equality Act 2010 places a general duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people, including people with assistance dogs, access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who thinks that they have been discriminated against - including where access to an assistance dog has been refused - can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act, and has published guidance on ‘Assistance Dogs: a guide for businesses and service providers’.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to establish a process for recognising assistant dogs that meet agreed national standards.

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

Assistance dogs are not funded or provided by the Government, and assistance dogs are not regulated or defined in law.

There are well established dog training organisations which have international accreditation and are members of the umbrella coalition Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK). Following a Government initiative in 2017/18, a new charity was established - the Assistance Dogs Assessment Association (ADAA) - which offers a test and certificate for assistance dogs trained through sources without international accreditation. It is now possible for assistance dogs to be tested and certified as having reached a set standard, even where they are trained by a body without international accreditation.

The Equality Act 2010 places a general duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people, including people with assistance dogs, access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who thinks that they have been discriminated against - including where access to an assistance dog has been refused - can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act, and has published guidance on ‘Assistance Dogs: a guide for businesses and service providers’.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is His Department's standard response time for resolving official complaints submitted to Access to Work.

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

Complaints received about Access to Work are handled in line with the overall Departmental complaints process published on Gov.uk. We aim to contact customers within 15 working days to clear the complaint or agree how to investigate it if it will take longer.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether government departments meet duties to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled staff.

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

All government departments are subject to the Equality Act 2010, which places a legal duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled staff and job applicants where they would otherwise be at a substantial disadvantage. Government Departments meet this duty by providing adjustments such as assistive technology, flexible working arrangements, specialist furniture, interpreters, and accessible workplaces. The Department for Work and Pensions leads the Disability Confident scheme in its capacity supporting disabled people into work, which encourages all employers, including government departments, to recruit, retain and develop disabled people and those with health conditions.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 87803 on Access to Work Programme, whether his Department holds data on the (a) number and (b) proportion of Access to Work applications that have closed in each financial year from 2022-2023 to 2025-26 to date by (i) stage of the claim and (ii) reason for closure.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions does not close Access to Work applications. Instead, applications may be approved or not approved following assessment. The Department holds data on the number of applications that were not approved at the application outcome stage for each financial year as follows:

• 2022/23: 31,482 applications were not approved (30% of all decisions)
• 2023/24: 33,886 applications were not approved (24% of all decisions)
• 2024/25: 34,874 applications were not approved (27% of all decisions)
• 2025/26 (to October 2025): 27,297 applications were not approved (33% of all decisions)

This represents a total of 108,314 applications not approved between April 2022 and October 2025, accounting for 28% of all decisions made during that period.

Data on non-approvals is only recorded at the application outcome stage.

The reasons for non-approval include:

• No contact from the applicant
• Insufficient evidence provided
• Applicant not eligible
• Application not pursued

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 number of graduate (a) unemployment and (b) underemployment rates in the last five years.

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

The Department for Education publish yearly statistics on graduates in the labour market. This can be found here: Graduate labour market statistics, Calendar year 2024 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. These graduate statistics are for graduates in England.

There are no official published statistics for graduate underemployment rates. However, the ONS does publish underemployment statistics for the UK here: EMP16: Underemployment and overemployment - Office for National Statistics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help prevent retaliatory actions against staff who have made internal disclosures about disability discrimination.

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

As an accredited Disability Confident Leader, the Department for Work and Pensions take seriously its responsibility to support all staff, including those with a disability, who make disclosures about discrimination and preventing any retaliation.

The department has a number of mechanisms, including dedicated harassment, grievance, and HR policies and processes; regular promotion of Speak Up Safely Line and Ambassadors for Fair Treatment providing confidential, and if required anonymous support and guidance. We also provide wellbeing support (including mental health first aiders), as well as promoting a transparent and supportive approach to workplace adjustments, ensuring staff feel safe when disclosing disabilities.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the outstanding level of carers allowance overpayments debt is in relation to carers breaching the earnings limit.

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

As of June 2025, just under £166 million was outstanding from just under 93,500 CA debtors due to earnings over the limit which was classed as claimant error. Further information can be found on the Carer’s Allowance statistical release which was published this week: Analysis of Carer’s Allowance claimants receiving other benefits, undertaking paid work, receiving overpayments and civil penalties - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls the Child Maintenance Service MP hotline has received in 2025.

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

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) MP hotline is available for MP offices or constituency staff who need to contact CMS regarding a general enquiry or a constituency case. This service is in addition to written correspondence routes.

The hotline operates Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and is staffed by Complaint Resolution Managers. We aim to provide an immediate response to enquiries wherever possible. For more complex cases, we will arrange follow-up contact with the caller to provide additional information.

For 2025, the CMS Parliamentary Line has received 1801 calls. Information is up to and including Tuesday 25^th November 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has assessed the effectiveness of the Bradford Score Chart as a tool for monitoring short-term staff absences.

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

DWP is aware of the Bradford Score relating to the management of short-term sickness absence.

We do not use the Bradford Score but we have a separate system for monitoring and managing sick leave.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as of 31 October 2025 how many existing claimants awaiting Work Capability Assessments have had a) at least one scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus b) at least two scheduled assessments cancelled by Maximus and c) more than two scheduled assessments cancelled by Maximus.

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

As of 31 October 2025, there were approximately 74,000 new claimants and 40,000 existing claimants awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with Maximus. These figures include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claims currently held. These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day. However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day. Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed.

If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.

The number of new and existing claimants awaiting a WCA which have had their scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus from the start of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts on 9 September 2024 up to the 31 October 2025 can be found in the table below.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
• Cancellation figures by Maximus do not include cancellations made by the department.
• Cancellation figures only include cancellations from FAS operational service commencement date of 9 September 2024 when Maximus commenced the FAS contract.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as of 31 October 2025 how many new claimants awaiting Work Capability Assessments have had a) at least one scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus b) at least two scheduled assessments cancelled by Maximus and c) more than two scheduled assessments cancelled by Maximus.

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

As of 31 October 2025, there were approximately 74,000 new claimants and 40,000 existing claimants awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with Maximus. These figures include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claims currently held. These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day. However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day. Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed.

If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.

The number of new and existing claimants awaiting a WCA which have had their scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus from the start of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts on 9 September 2024 up to the 31 October 2025 can be found in the table below.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
• Cancellation figures by Maximus do not include cancellations made by the department.
• Cancellation figures only include cancellations from FAS operational service commencement date of 9 September 2024 when Maximus commenced the FAS contract.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as of 31 October 2025 how many a) new claimants and b) existing claimants were awaiting Work Capability Assessments provided by Maximus.

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

As of 31 October 2025, there were approximately 74,000 new claimants and 40,000 existing claimants awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with Maximus. These figures include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claims currently held. These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day. However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day. Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed.

If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.

The number of new and existing claimants awaiting a WCA which have had their scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus from the start of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts on 9 September 2024 up to the 31 October 2025 can be found in the table below.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.
• Cancellation figures by Maximus do not include cancellations made by the department.
• Cancellation figures only include cancellations from FAS operational service commencement date of 9 September 2024 when Maximus commenced the FAS contract.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many existing claimants are waiting for Work Capability Assessment reassessments as of 31 October 2025.

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

The number of Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) for existing claimants undertaken in September 2025 was 3,100 and in October 2025 was 6,000.

As of 31 October 2025, approximately 100,000 existing claimants were awaiting WCAs. This total includes all existing claimants currently within the assessment suppliers’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Due to unforeseen high levels of WCAs required in late 2024, a backlog of reassessment cases built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We are working with suppliers to increase capacity for clearing this backlog, including by accelerating the recruitment of assessors. 6,000 of these referrals have already been progressed, and we expect the vast majority of the remainder to be cleared over the next six months.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Work Capability Assessments for existing claimants were undertaken in (a) September 2025 and (b) October 2025.

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

The number of Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) for existing claimants undertaken in September 2025 was 3,100 and in October 2025 was 6,000.

As of 31 October 2025, approximately 100,000 existing claimants were awaiting WCAs. This total includes all existing claimants currently within the assessment suppliers’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.

Due to unforeseen high levels of WCAs required in late 2024, a backlog of reassessment cases built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We are working with suppliers to increase capacity for clearing this backlog, including by accelerating the recruitment of assessors. 6,000 of these referrals have already been progressed, and we expect the vast majority of the remainder to be cleared over the next six months.

Please note

• Volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100 or 1000.
• All above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of households experiencing food insecurity in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

Data on the number of households experiencing food insecurity by constituency is not available due to sample sizes.

Statistics on the number of individuals living in households that are food insecure by region in the UK are published annually in the “Family Resources Survey” publication in “table 9_2” of “Household food security tables” at Family Resources Survey: financial year 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

The latest statistics published on 27 March 2025 are for the financial period 2023/24. The latest available data can also be found on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to consult on the implementation of Unemployment Insurance Benefit.

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

We announced the introduction of a new contributory benefit, provisionally called ‘Unemployment Insurance' (UI) in the Pathways to Work green paper, and consulted specifically on the time limit and what support should be available whilst on UI. We published our summary of responses to the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation on 30 October 2025. We are now considering responses and will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of demand for food support services in Surrey Heath constituency in winter 2025-26.

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

We have not made a specific assessment of the potential implications for our policies of trends in the level of demand for food support services in Surrey Heath during winter 2025–26 but the Government is committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels.

We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of families falling into poverty. Our Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by an initial £240 million investment in 2025/26, will target and tackle economic inactivity and unemployment and join up employment, health and skills support to meet the needs of local communities.

We have provided £742 million in England to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) until 31 March 2026. This enables Local Authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food, and develop their schemes to help prevent poverty locally and build local resilience.

The Government also recognises that greater certainty helps local authorities to design and deliver sustainable plans for local welfare. This is why from 1 April 2026, we are introducing a new £1 billion Crisis and Resilience fund package. This is the first ever multi-year settlement for locally delivered crisis support. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities – working with the voluntary and community sector – as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis.

Further, ahead of Child Poverty Strategy publication in the coming weeks, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.

Finally, we have committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to, to make work pay and tackle poverty. We have already introduced the Fair Repayment Rate, reducing the Universal Credit overall deductions cap from 25% to 15% of a customer’s standard allowance, giving 1.2m households an average of £420 per year. In addition, we have also uprated benefit rates for 2025/26 in line with inflation, with 5.7 million Universal Credit households forecast to gain by an average of £150 annually.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to support young people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire into employment, education or training.

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

The Government understands the negative effects of unemployment can be particularly pronounced for young people and can have longstanding implications on their future earnings potential and life chances.

That is why at Budget the Government announced that £820 million has been committed to the Youth Guarantee over the next three years to support all young people aged 16 to 24 to earn or learn. This includes the previously announced Jobs Guarantee, which will guaranteeing six-months of paid work for every eligible 18-21 year old who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months. Under the Jobs Guarantee we will fund 100% of the wages for the six months (up to 25hrs/week at the relevant minimum wage), as well as the additional employment costs and a budget for wrap around support. Further details on the Youth Guarantee will be announced shortly.

In Newcastle-under-Lyme the DWP Employer and Partnership team is actively involved with the Newcastle Employment and Skills Group (NSEG). They work closely with stakeholders such as Aspire Housing, Keele University, and prominent employers at Lymedale Business Park, including TK Maxx, ASDA, and Radwell International. Youth Employment Programmes, such as Positive Directions and We Mean Business, offer fully funded 5-week courses for 16–24-year-olds who are not engaged in employment, education, or training. Additionally, our outreach efforts through probation services and police provide tailored employment pathways, mentoring, and reintegration support for young people at risk of offending.

In Staffordshire, our DWP Schools Advisers have supported over 3,600 young people across in the 2024/25 academic year. This includes 220 students in Newcastle-under-Lyme at Orme Academy, St Peter's Academy, and Abbey Hill Special School. Young people have access to training in Digital Marketing, Cyber Security, Web Design, and Emergency First Aid for Mental Health through The Training Initiative.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 87802 on Access to Work Programme, whether his Department has any plans to collect data on employment outcomes for Access to Work customers following reassessments.

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

Access to Work is only available to individuals who are in employment. The Department for Work and Pensions does not therefore collect data on employment outcomes for Access to Work applicants, including after reassessments.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken for Access to Work on disabled people unable to (a) start and (b) sustain employment.

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

We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.

The Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff are allocated to processing Access to Work applications; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that number.

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

The current number of case managers allocated to processing Access to Work applications is 307.7 full-time equivalent (FTE).

We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.

The Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

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 impact of (a) reducing and (b) reforming the Access to Work budget on the disability employment gap.

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

We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.

The Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Access to Work applications are processed within a reasonable timeframe.

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

We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.

The Green Paper launched a consultation which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Access to Work decisions are overturned following mandatory reconsideration or appeal.

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

If an individual is unhappy with the outcome of their Access to Work assessment they can request that their award be reviewed by a different Access to Work case manager. This is an internal process, known as a reconsideration.

In 2024/25, the Department received 1,378 AtW reconsideration requests. Of these, 953 had a decision recorded, and 188 resulted in the original decision being partially or fully overturned.

Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of applicants for Access to Work wait longer than the target timeframe for (a) decisions and (b) payments.

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

The Department publishes official statistics on approvals, expenditure, and customer volumes. However, it does not publish processing times for decisions or payments.

Official statistics on approvals and payments are published annually and can be accessed here: Access to Work statistics - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the Environmental Principles Policy Statement was considered by the Health and Safety Executive in developing legislative proposals for changing GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging and GB Biocidal Product Regulation and GB Prior Informed Consent.

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

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has considered the Environmental Principles Policy Statement throughout the development of its legislative proposals for amendments to its three chemicals regimes: Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR), Great Britain Classification, Labelling and Packaging (GB CLP), and GB Prior Informed Consent for the export and import of hazardous chemicals (GB PIC). Additionally, one of the fundamental principles underpinning this work is that protections for human health, animal health and the environment should be maintained.

This also supports HSE’s strategic objective to ensure people feel safe where they live, where they work, and in their environment, as set out in ‘Protecting People and Places’ – the HSE Strategy 2022 to 2032.

HSE will publish a response to its formal consultation on Chemicals Legislative Reform Proposals, which took place from 23 June 2025 to 18 August 2025, in early 2026 subject to Ministerial approval. The response will include plans on how HSE intends to legislate to implement any changes.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase (a) skills and (b) employment support for people in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (ii) Staffordshire who are in receipt of sickness benefits.

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

We have a team of colleagues that offer tailored support to people with health conditions in Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Shires District through our Pathways to Work programme. We set out our plan for the “Pathways to Work Guarantee” in our Pathways to Work Green Paper. Our dedicated team is committed to understanding and addressing the unique needs of these individuals. They spend extra time listening to their concerns, triaging, and directing them to the appropriate support for their complex needs, skills and employability.

Our efforts are closely linked with partners, including the Local Authority-led Supported Employment programme Connect to Work, and we collaborate extensively with broader health, employment and skills support networks. This integrated approach ensures that we provide holistic and effective support to those who need it most.

Newcastle-under-Lyme is part of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Connect to Work delivery area. Staffordshire County Council is the Lead Authority for Connect to Work in the region. We have agreed their delivery plan and have approved a £19 million grant to fund this programme for approximately 5,250 participants by the end of the decade. The programme has recently opened, and local constituents can find out more through the Staffordshire Jobs and Careers page: www.staffsjobscareers.com/.

The “Pathways to Work Guarantee” is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by the end of the decade. We anticipate the guarantee, once fully rolled out, will include: a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement, and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support.

The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Health and Safety Executive plans to publish (a) next steps and its formal response to the consultation on proposals for changing GB CLP and GB BPR and (b) draft legislation to enact those proposals.

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

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) response to the Chemicals Legislative Reform Proposals consultation, which took place from 23 June 2025 to 18 August 2025, is expected to be published in early 2026 subject to Ministerial approval.

The consultation set out HSE’s proposals to reform three pieces of chemicals legislation: Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR); Great Britain Classification, Labelling and Packaging (GB CLP); and Great Britain Prior Informed Consent for the export and import of hazardous chemicals (GB PIC).

The approach to chemicals reforms and policy will be set out in full in the consultation response alongside how HSE plans to legislate to implement any changes. This will include consideration of using the powers in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to question 86529, what proportion of EU hazard classifications adopted since 1 January 2021 have received (a) no mandatory classification and (b) a different mandatory classification in GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging.

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

Since 2021, the mandatory classification and labelling of 232 chemicals have been formally adopted by the EU. In Great Britain (GB), the mandatory classification and labelling of 206 chemicals have been formally adopted, over the same period with the remaining 26 chemicals due to be adopted by GB in June 2026.

Of the 232 chemicals formally adopted by the EU, the GB MCL classification has diverged from the EU classification for 29 chemicals, which is about 12%.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department will explore making Access to Work awards portable between jobs.

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

Customers with an existing Access to Work (AtW) grant must make a new application if they have a new job. This is because the support needed in the new job must be assessed, along with contacting the new employer, who has responsibilities for providing reasonable adjustments. The employer must also understand their role in approving the customer's claims for support used from their AtW grant and and purchasing any equipment a customer cannot transfer from their previous job.

Applications from customers starting a new job are prioritised for allocation to a Case Manager – the customer needs to submit their application before they start their new job – they can apply up to 12 weeks before the start date of the new job.

Customers can use a Health Adjustment Passport to help inform their new employer of the support they have had in past jobs, such as reasonable adjustments they have had and support funded by AtW. A customer can share the passport with the AtW Case Manager allocated to their case and where appropriate this would negate the need for a new workplace assessment.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of AtW and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are reviewing all aspects of AtW as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of excess winter deaths.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

A very wide range of factors impact changes in mortality – and details of excess deaths can be found across several sets of government statistics. Causes are multiple – including cold homes, fuel poverty, respiratory infections, and pressures on health and social care systems, and as such, multiple government departments offer relevant support.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) leads on winter preparedness measures each year and on public health strategies; The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) addresses energy affordability and housing efficiency through schemes such as the Warm Home Discount and Warm Homes Plan, which help reduce cold exposure and fuel poverty; and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides financial support to vulnerable households through a range of pensions, benefits and payments. Together these measures work to mitigate risks associated with cold temperatures.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Department has made of the adequacy of the time taken to process applications to purchase voluntary National Insurance contributions through the International Pensions Centre before the April 2025 deadline.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department continually monitors processing times, including allocating additional resources and streamlining processes where possible and working collaboratively with HMRC.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to require Jobcentres to report on the number of claimants moved into a) full-time work, b) part-time work and c) training and skills provision.

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

The DWP do not publish statistics on the total number of customers who are supported by Jobcentres into different types of work or training.

However, we have recently published analysis on into-work rates, including at the local authority and Jobcentre Plus district level, which can be found here: Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights October 2025 - GOV.UK. The into-work rate is the proportion of Universal Credit ‘searching for work’ conditionality regime customers who have earnings in one assessment period who did not have earnings in the preceding assessment period.

The average into-work rate for the 12 months to June 2025 in Great Britain was 7.4%. Over the same period the into-work rate for the local authorities Basildon and Thurrock were 7.4% and 8.2% respectively. For the Essex Jobcentre Plus district it was 8.5%.

The DWP have published management information on SWAPs starts and employment outcomes since April 2021, which can be found here: Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) Management Information, April 2021 to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In financial year 2024/25, there were 86,730 starts on Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants were supported by Jobcentres into work in the last 12 months.

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

The DWP do not publish statistics on the total number of customers who are supported by Jobcentres into different types of work or training.

However, we have recently published analysis on into-work rates, including at the local authority and Jobcentre Plus district level, which can be found here: Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights October 2025 - GOV.UK. The into-work rate is the proportion of Universal Credit ‘searching for work’ conditionality regime customers who have earnings in one assessment period who did not have earnings in the preceding assessment period.

The average into-work rate for the 12 months to June 2025 in Great Britain was 7.4%. Over the same period the into-work rate for the local authorities Basildon and Thurrock were 7.4% and 8.2% respectively. For the Essex Jobcentre Plus district it was 8.5%.

The DWP have published management information on SWAPs starts and employment outcomes since April 2021, which can be found here: Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) Management Information, April 2021 to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In financial year 2024/25, there were 86,730 starts on Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support for people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions to (a) return to and (b) enter into work.

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

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including arthritis and MSK conditions, with their employment journey. We have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well Connect to Work.

Following publication of the Keep Britain Working review report on 5 November, we are immediately launching the Vanguard Phase to test new employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in work. Over 70 businesses and seven regions, giving access to their employer networks, have already expressed an interest to be involved and support the Vanguard Phase, aiming to reshape how health issues and disabilities are managed in the workplace.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Department will consider backdating State Pension increases in cases where delays were caused by administrative issues.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Any arrears will be backdated to the date on which the individual made their payment to HMRC.

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 regional disparities in the unemployment-to-vacancy ratio; and what steps he is taking to help reduce those disparities.

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

The ONS do not publish statistics on the level of vacancies or unemployment-to-vacancy ratio at regional level.

Every area in England is developing a local Get Britain Working plan. The local Get Britain Working Plans will bring local partners and service providers together to enable a collective understanding of the local challenges and enable a joined-up integrated approach on work, health and skills support to tackle labour market challenges.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are being taken to consider the impact of autistic burnout when shaping policies on disability employment, to ensure autistic people achieve positive outcomes and receive appropriate support.

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

In January 2025, DWP launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel considered the reasons why neurodivergent people (including autistic people) have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. This included reflections on the challenges autistic people face. We will consider its findings alongside the work of the Keep Britain Working Review, which has now entered its Vanguards Phase to test new employer-led approaches to improving support for individuals to stay in work.

Employers already have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, including workplace flexibilities, where a disabled person or person with a long-term health condition would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage. This includes chronic and fluctuating health conditions and disabilities. DWP provides tailored guidance through its Support with Employee Health and Disability online service and the Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces including guidance on flexible working.

DWP policies also help neurodivergent people into work. Our new supported employment programme - Connect to Work - provides a dedicated specialist employment support adviser who works alongside participants to understand their career goals and help them to address any specific barriers to employment. Connect to Work has a specialist pathway that is dedicated to supporting those with particularly complex barriers.

We are also training DWP staff to better understand the needs of autistic people. In September 2023, DWP’s Learning Delivery and Design Team introduced autism learning for all of our Jobcentre staff, including Disability Employment Advisors and Work Coaches.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have moved into sustained employment as a result of the Health Accelerator initiatives.

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

Evidence on how many people have moved into sustained employment as a result of the NHS Health and Growth Accelerators programme will be set out in the full evaluation, which concludes in 2027/28.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to question 86529, whether divergence between EU and GB mandatory hazard classifications for the same substance will change under HSE proposals for changing GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging.

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

From 23 June to 18 August 2025, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consulted on proposals to reform three pieces of chemicals legislation: Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR); Great Britain Classification, Labelling and Packaging (GB CLP); and Great Britain Prior Informed Consent for the export and import of hazardous chemicals (GB PIC).

The reform proposals suggest procedural changes to how the GB Classification system operates but do not propose changes to the underlying scientific criteria used for classifying and labelling chemicals. These criteria are set out in Annexes I and II to the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (known as the GB CLP Regulation).

The final proposals for GB CLP will be confirmed as part of HSE’s response to the Chemicals Legislative Reform Proposals consultation. It is expected to be published in early 2026 subject to Ministerial approval.

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 impact of not uprating Local Housing Allowance on homelessness in Wales.

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

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State confirmed in his Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1101) that Local Housing Allowance rates and the benefit cap will not be increased for 2026-27. He considered a range of factors, including the rentals levels across Great Britain, the wider fiscal context and welfare priorities. This included the decision to prioritise removing the two child limit, which will lift 450k children out of poverty.

Responsibility for housing and homelessness is devolved to the Welsh Government, while social security is reserved to the UK Government.

Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities for those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to question 87366, if his Department will take measures to ensure that the mobility scheme prioritises British made vehicles.

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

Motability Operations, an independent commercial company which delivers the Motability Scheme, has announced plans to support the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The number of British made vehicles purchased by the scheme will reach 25% by 2030, with an ambition of 50% of vehicles registered on the Scheme being made in the UK by 2035.

The Department for Work and Pensions will continue to meet regularly with Motability Foundation, the independent charity with responsibility for overseeing the Scheme, to discuss the Schemes operation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative data his Department holds on rates of (a) child poverty and (b) homelessness in (i) Surrey Heath constituency, (ii) Surrey, (iii) the South East and (iv) England.

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

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty on a before housing costs basis at local level are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication, the latest available being: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

Homelessness statistics are published by MHCLG: Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2024-25 - GOV.UK

Ahead of Child Poverty Strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.

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 removing the benefit cap alongside the removal of the two child cap announced in the Budget Statement on 26 November 2025.

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

No assessment has been made

The benefit cap aims to incentivise work as, where possible, it is in the best interest of children to be in working households. Being in work substantially reduces the chance of poverty: the poverty rate of children living in households where all adults work is 17% compared to 65% for children who live in households where no adults work.

Returning to employment, or increasing the number of hours worked, significantly increases the likelihood of a household not being affected by the cap. People who are working and earning at least £846 each month are exempt from the benefit cap. There is also protection for the most vulnerable as those who are caring or are severely disabled are exempt from the benefit cap.

The Government is committed to helping people move into and progress in work and we are delivering a step-change in employment and skills support for parents, enabling parents to balance work and caring responsibilities through high quality, flexible jobs, and improving access to childcare so parents are better able to work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the annual cost was of the Motability Scheme in each of the last five years.

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

The Motability Scheme receives no direct funding from DWP. However, it does receive the direct transfer of benefit from DWP. This is claimant benefit the claimant would otherwise be receiving, and the cost of transfer is paid for by the Motability Foundation.

The total paid to the Motability Scheme from the customers’ benefit in each financial year is as follows (inclusive of amounts for Northern Ireland Executive and Scottish Government benefits):

Please note our financial systems only hold full year data for financial years 22/3 – 24/25.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for (a) award decisions and (b) reimbursement payments for the Access to Work scheme.

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

We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practises. We remain committed to reducing waiting times for claims, prioritising customers starting a job within the next four weeks.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in relation to Housing Benefit being tapered at a faster rate than pay, what impact this has had on young people in supported accommodation; and whether he has evaluated the subsequent loss to the Exchequer.

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

There has been a longstanding work disincentive arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for young people living in supported accommodation. The Autumn Budget 2025 included an announcement to introduce four new earned income disregards into Housing Benefit for residents in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation. This will remove a significant barrier to entering work or increasing hours, ensuring that work pays and these residents are better able to achieve financial independence.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to (a) maintain and (b) bolster the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme.

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

We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practises. We remain committed to reducing waiting times for claims, prioritising customers starting a job within the next four weeks.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of cases in the Access to Work scheme.

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

We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practises. We remain committed to reducing waiting times for claims, prioritising customers starting a job within the next four weeks.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has he made of the number of households that will be affected by the removal of the two child cap but subjected to the benefit cap following changes announced in the Budget Statement on 26 November in (a) Wales and (b) across the UK.

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

The requested information is not available.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the context of the transition from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this transition on people with workplace injuries who have built up their National Insurance contribution.

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

Customers who are claiming New Style Employment Support Allowance (NS ESA) based on their National Insurance contributions, for example following a workplace injury, will not be transitioned from NS ESA to Universal Credit.

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 using the Crisis and Resilience Fund to encourage local authorities to provide essential furniture and white goods items to those living in furniture poverty.

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

My Department has actively engaged with stakeholders on the design of the Crisis and Resilience Fund through a structured co-design process involving a representative group of local authorities, third-party organisations and academics. We are considering all feedback received through this process, and we plan to publish guidance in January 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to expand Health Accelerators beyond the three funded areas.

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

NHS Health and Growth Accelerators are testing a novel approach where local NHS systems - Northeast North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), South Yorkshire ICB and West Yorkshire ICB - are held accountable for the impact they have on people’s work status. The NHS 10-year plan for England states that if the Accelerators are successful, we will expect all ICBs to establish specific and measurable outcome targets on their contribution to reducing economic inactivity and unemployment based on this model. In order to embed the Accelerator model, we will work closely with ICBs to set their outcome target and will expect ICBs to seek the closest possible collaboration with local government partners - including mayors and strategic health authorities in particular - so that citizens benefit from a seamless work, health and skills offer in their area.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with (a) asylum seeker status, (b) refused asylum seeker status and (c) no lawful immigration status are in receipt of benefit support; and what the annual cost of that support is.

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

People without valid UK immigration status are prohibited from accessing public funds benefits, including asylum seekers and those refused asylum in the UK. People with a pending asylum application may be able to claim asylum support provided by the Home Office, which is separate to the mainstream welfare system.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in their Department have been on mental health leave for six months or more; and for what reason.

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

Information on sickness absence, including mental ill-health, is available in the Civil Service Sickness Absence Reports, which provide statistics by organisation and sickness reason. These reports can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence. The Cabinet Office collates Sickness Absence data from DWP on a quarterly basis. On an annual basis this management information is published.

The next release of these statistics is expected to be around 18 December.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the vehicles available within the Motability scheme on the cost of wheelchair accessible and adapted vehicles.

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

The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for disabled people in the UK, leasing cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs in exchange for part or all of their qualifying mobility allowance. The Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and the Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme. The changes announced at Budget about VAT relief do not apply to wheelchair adapted vehicles.

Motability Operations, an independent commercial company which delivers the Scheme, will continue to prioritise customer needs, ensuring vehicles remain affordable and that support for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) and specialist adaptations remain at the heart of the Scheme.

Eligibility for enhanced mobility Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which provides the main gateway to the Scheme, assesses the mobility needs arising from a health condition or disability rather than the disability or health condition itself.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changing the vehicles eligible for Motability on people with Multiple Sclerosis.

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

The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for disabled people in the UK, leasing cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs in exchange for part or all of their qualifying mobility allowance. The Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and the Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme. The changes announced at Budget about VAT relief do not apply to wheelchair adapted vehicles.

Motability Operations, an independent commercial company which delivers the Scheme, will continue to prioritise customer needs, ensuring vehicles remain affordable and that support for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) and specialist adaptations remain at the heart of the Scheme.

Eligibility for enhanced mobility Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which provides the main gateway to the Scheme, assesses the mobility needs arising from a health condition or disability rather than the disability or health condition itself.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to Motability on the availability of wheelchair accessible and adapted vehicles.

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

The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for disabled people in the UK, leasing cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs in exchange for part or all of their qualifying mobility allowance. The Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and the Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme. The changes announced at Budget about VAT relief do not apply to wheelchair adapted vehicles.

Motability Operations, an independent commercial company which delivers the Scheme, will continue to prioritise customer needs, ensuring vehicles remain affordable and that support for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) and specialist adaptations remain at the heart of the Scheme.

Eligibility for enhanced mobility Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which provides the main gateway to the Scheme, assesses the mobility needs arising from a health condition or disability rather than the disability or health condition itself.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures he will use to assess the success of the Youth Guarantee in reducing youth unemployment over the next five years.

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

The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has been rising for too long, which is why we are tackling this crisis of opportunity with new energy and determination.

At Budget the government announced that £820 million has been committed to the Youth Guarantee over the next three years to support all young people aged 16 to 24 to earn or learn. This includes the previously announced Jobs Guarantee, which is guaranteeing six-months of paid work for every eligible 18-21 year old who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months. Further details on the Youth Guarantee will be announced shortly.

We are also working with eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers across England which are testing innovative approaches to identify and deliver localised support to young people who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET. We will use the learning from these Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls out across the rest of Great Britain. The Department will be commissioning an evaluation, starting in December 2025, which is expected to build evidence on the effectiveness of the programme at achieving employment outcomes, reducing levels of economic inactivity, increasing participation in education and training, and effectiveness of systems integration.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children were in poverty in Telford constituency for each year that data is available.

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

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty by parliamentary constituency are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication.

These are available at: Children in low income families: local area statistics - GOV.UK

Statistics are available from FYE 2015 to FYE 2024.

The latest available data can also be found on Stat-Xplore: Stat-Xplore - Home

The Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published shortly, 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 removal of the two child limit, announced at Autumn Budget, will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.

The removal of the two child limit could benefit around 4,800 children in Telford living in households affected by this policy.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for decisions on Access to Work claims.

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

We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practices. To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, or cases that are up for renewal.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of the scheme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

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 Joseph Rowntree Foundation entitled Guarantee our Essentials: reforming Universal Credit to ensure we can all afford the essentials in hard time, published on 4 March 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an essentials guarantee for welfare recipients.

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

A Universal Credit award is made up of a standard allowance rate to provide towards basic living costs, paid according to age and household unit. Additional amounts are added to provide for individual needs such as housing, disability, and childcare costs.

We’ve taken important steps to support people with their living costs. The Universal Credit Act legislates to rebalance Universal Credit by bringing in, for the first time ever, a sustained above inflation increase to the standard allowance for all claimants. This will benefit around 4 million households and is estimated to be worth around £760 annually in cash terms by 2029/30 for a single household aged 25 or over (£250 above inflation) or over £1195 (£400 above inflation) for a couple where one is aged 25 or over with children by 2029/30.

We will also be uprating most working age benefits, across Great Britain in 2026/27, subject to parliamentary approval, in line with the Consumer Prices Index for the year to September 2025 – an increase of 3.8%.

The Government is also taking action to reduce child poverty through the removal of the two child limit. Removing the two child limit is the fastest and most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty over this Parliament and estimated to alone lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with (a) Fibromyalgia and (b) other complex and lifelong conditions are not asked to complete a number of reassessments for Personal Independence Payments following an award.

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

Entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Individuals can be affected in different ways by the same condition and so the outcome of a PIP claim depends very much on individual circumstances.

Award reviews are an important feature of PIP to ensure people receive the correct level of benefit, both for those whose needs will increase and those whose needs may decrease.

Award durations are based on an individual’s circumstances and advice received from the independent health professional who carries out the assessment. Awards can vary from nine months to an on-going award, with a light touch review at the ten-year point for those with needs which are unlikely to change.

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 number of additional households that would become subject to the Household Benefit Cap following the removal of the two-child limit on the Universal Credit Child Element.

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

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

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households with total benefit entitlement above the level of the Household Benefit Cap have entitlement above (a) £30,000, (b) £40,000 and (c) £50,000 per year, or the equivalent weekly and monthly amounts.

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

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

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to bring forward proposals to improve the Access to Work scheme.

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

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

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Found: transfer of responsibility for Skills England from the Department for Education to the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: . • As set out in the DWP Secretary of State’s remit letter for 2025–2026, Skills England was established

Found: Collaboration needs to happen across DESNZ, DWP, HMRC and HMT.

Found: Energy Jobs Plan”, 19 October 2025 11 Q259 [Hugo Jones] 12 Department for Education, Department for Work and Pensions

Found: We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to introduce knowledge-based verification (

Found: DWP administered £268.5bn of benefits and pensions in 2023–24.

Found: National Assistance Board, the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, and the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: DWP response to the FOI request submitted by Adis Sehic on the 17th February 2023 and DWP response to

Found: Yet DWP does not specify how intent is evaluated, despite this being the defining element of fraud.

Found: In 2025, we carried out an analysis of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests sent to the DWP about their

Found:  Last year, DWP set up repayment plans for £19 million of that debt.

Found: Sir Peter Schofield KCB Permanent Secretary Department for Work and Pensions

Found: DWP.

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Found: Correspondence to the Department for Work and Pensions relating to its approach to rural proofing policies

Found: its data remains visible within the digital case file and the bundle provided to the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: the weeks-long progress of the OBR interrogating and challenging officials from the Treasury, HMRC, DWP

Found: families are accessing the support that they need, and we are continuing to work with the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: just the Treasury but other Departments in Government for analysis of many sorts of measures—the DWP

Found: In terms of work, we now have regional appointment councils with the DWP and businesses to support offenders

Found: In terms of work, we now have Regional Employment Councils with the DWP and businesses to support offenders

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Found: The Department of Transport (DfT) and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) intend that those working

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of leaving the EU single market on graduate employment opportunities.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government is committed to ensuring graduates have the skills and support needed to succeed in the modern economy, which is why the Industrial Strategy will provide an additional £1.2bn of investment in the skills system by 2028-29.

The Department for Work and Pensions has an established network of partnerships to enhance graduate employment opportunities. DWP are reforming Jobcentre Plus to create a new, more personalised employment support service across Great Britain to recognise that individuals - including graduates - have different needs.

However, the Department for Business and Trade has made no specific assessment of the impact of leaving the EU single market on graduate employment opportunities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding the inclusion of physical activity and exercise-based solutions within programmes aimed at reducing ill health as a cause of worklessness.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The improvements to individual wellbeing is valued at £96.7 billion a year, and the wider value to society through savings to the health and care system is £10.5 billion a year.

We are working closely with other Government Departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions and Health and Social Care to develop a cross government approach to tackling physical inactivity and improving health outcomes. As part of this, we are working on a national plan for physical activity as set out in the 10 Year Health Plan.

In June, following the Spending Review we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We will ensure that this funding promotes health and wellbeing, and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the use of (a) gyms, (b) swimming pools, and (c) leisure centres alongside weight-loss drugs.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The improvements to individual wellbeing is valued at £96.7 billion a year, and the wider value to society through savings to the health and care system is £10.5 billion a year.

We are working closely with other Government Departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions and Health and Social Care to develop a cross government approach to tackling physical inactivity and improving health outcomes. As part of this, we are working on a national plan for physical activity as set out in the 10 Year Health Plan.

In June, following the Spending Review we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We will ensure that this funding promotes health and wellbeing, and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that when errors in earnings submissions to HMRC are self-identified and corrected, those corrections are communicated promptly and accurately to the Department for Work and Pensions, so that claimants are not adversely or unfairly affected by inaccurate income data.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Where an error has been identified, employers can submit revised information to HMRC through standard reporting processes.

HMRC transmits payroll data to the Department for Work and Pensions on a daily basis.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90803 on Transport: Apprentices and Training, what discussions her Department has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the impact of the removal of Level 7 apprenticeship funding for those over 22 on workforce availability in the transport sector.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Department for Transport has been in regular contact with the Department for Work and Pensions regarding Level 7 apprenticeships, including most recently as part of preparations for a Transport Select Committee session discussing skills for transport manufacturing.

Analysis done by Skills England on Level 7 apprenticeship funding has shown that in the majority of areas, including transport, there are appropriate substitutes or alternatives to progress at Level 7 for those over 22, which will support workforce availability. This was factored into the decision that was taken on Level 7 apprenticeships.

We know there has been a large decline in young people starting apprenticeships – around 40% over the last ten years. We currently have around 800,000 young people who are not in education, employment or training. Therefore, we are looking to reverse this trend and our focus is on making sure Government funding supports young people starting out in their careers, rather than those already in work with higher prior qualifications. We also know that Level 7 apprenticeships can be valuable for young people, so the Government will continue funding them for learners under 22 as part of our reforms.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many additional people will be eligible for the Help to Save scheme in the West Midlands from 2028.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is expanding the Help to Save scheme to Universal Credit claimants who receive either the carer’s element or the child element. This will enable more low-income households to build savings, supported by a government bonus, to improve their financial security.

Whilst no estimate has been made of potential take-up of the scheme on a regional basis, up to an additional 1.5 million households could benefit from the scheme from April 2028.

This is an estimate of the number of non-working households who are estimated to be in receipt of the child element and/ or carer element on Universal Credit in April 2028. It is derived from the DWP’s Policy Simulation Model which is a microsimulation model that is based on data from the Family Resources Survey and DWP benefit forecasts. Eligibility estimates are therefore subject to some uncertainty.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the development of the National Youth Strategy, including on aligning youth employment policy.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Increasing support for young people to improve opportunities is a shared mission across Government. The National Youth Strategy led by DCMS and co-designed by young people and the youth sector, will set a cross-government direction for the next decade to provide young people with the skills, opportunities, and connections to enable them to thrive. It is the first cross-government strategy for young people in England in 20 years.

We have regularly engaged with Cabinet colleagues to develop this Strategy, including with the Department for Education and with the Department for Work and Pensions on the Youth Guarantee.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential impact of not uprating Local Housing Allowance on homelessness in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

I have discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on a regular basis and on a range of issues. My officials work closely with DWP, MHCLG and other departments, including regarding Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

The Government is taking action to support low-income households, including removing the two-child limit to reduce child poverty, benefitting 69,000 children in Wales. In addition, we are increasing the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage building on April 2025 increases that already helped up to 160,000 workers in Wales, cutting household energy bills by £150 per year and uprating the Universal Credit Standard Allowance by over 6%. This is the first ever sustained real terms increase in the Standard Allowance, directly benefitting 320,000 households in Wales.

Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities for those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support.

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Found: major defence equipment contracts 23 Test and Trace update 24 Crossrail – progress update 25 DWP

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Found: In addition, through its over 600 Jobcentres,23 the Department for Work and Pensions will offer support

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Found: On 5 June 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions published an announcement confirming that the government

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