The last time the State Pension age went up there was a jump in the number of pre-pensioners (people aged 60+ but below pension age) in poverty. This group are the joint poorest among working age adults.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many performance reviews were undertaken for staff in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; in how many such cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a result of such a rating; and what proportion of full-time equivalent staff this represented.

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

DWPs performance management policy utilises a team-based approach. The policy requires the performance of every employee to be robustly assessed on an ongoing basis. However, the approach, and these reviews do not involve employees below the Senior Civil Service being assigned a rating. Consequently, we are unable to provide data on employees rated as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory performers, nor how many staff left as a result of such a rating.

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 lone working practices introduced under the Co-op’s Project Lunar scheme on employee (a) safety and (b) wellbeing.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 September 2025 to Question UIN 71094.

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 improve safety standards in the construction industry.

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

In line with its published Strategy 2022 to 2032, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) focuses on the most effective and efficient ways to improve the health and safety performance of all industries in Great Britain, including construction. HSE uses a variety of approaches in the construction industry.

HSE visits construction sites where they have intelligence to suggest risk is not being managed adequately and investigates incidents in line with their published selection criteria. Planned inspection visits target work related health risks, the biggest cause of lost time and longer-term worker injury and address safety risks where present.

As well as site visits, HSE engages with construction through a variety of channels including delivering industry talks, stakeholder events and engaging with the media and publishing targeted articles. HSE works with and through stakeholders that represent a cross section of the industry including the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) and Working Well Together (WWT).

There are dedicated HSE webpages and a range of freely available guidance to enable the construction industry to comply with health and safety law and keep themselves and others safe. HSE circulate a monthly construction e-bulletin which has 140,000 subscribers and, where needed, addresses specific safety risks.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of people Connect to Work is expected to support into work and (b) expected cost of the scheme per person successfully employed at the end of the programme.

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

The £1 billion Connect to Work programme covers all of England and Wales and will support around 300,000 people over its lifetime.

The guidance for the programme published on Gov.uk in November 2024, makes clear the expectation that all local areas will aim for at least 50% of participants experiencing some work during the 15-month tracking period (up to 21 months if support extended) from starting on the programme. The cost per participant will vary by Delivery Area (reflecting area and individual characteristics), but overall, the average unit cost for the programme is £3,800 per participant supported.

We plan to undertake a robust and proportionate evaluation of the Connect to Work programme.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Timms Review into Personal Independence Payments will include assessments of the potential impact of proposed changes on levels of homelessness.

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

The Timms Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, parliamentarians and other stakeholders to ensure a wide range of views and voices are heard.

I have announced that the Review will be co-chaired by myself alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We will oversee a steering group made up of a majority of disabled people or representatives of disabled people’s organisations and recruited through an open and transparent Expression of Interest process.

It will be for the Review’s steering group to determine how it runs and what it recommends. The Terms of Reference give the group a broad remit to set out its strategic direction, priorities and workplan.

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 expanding the services available at job centres to (a) community organisations and (b) sports groups.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) supports customers through our job centre network and a range of venues within local communities such as community centres and sports venues. These services allow DWP to help harder to reach customers in an environment that suits their needs and will be a core principle of the jobs and careers service.

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 promote the use of (a) biological safety cabinets, (b) closed‑system drug‑transfer devices and (c) other engineering controls during (i) preparation and (ii) administration of hazardous medicinal products; and whether he plans to provide funding for NHS trusts to implement these controls.

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

I refer the Honourable Member to the previous answer 84144.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will review the adequacy of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations to ensure that hazardous medicinal products with reprotoxic effects are controlled to the same standard as (a) carcinogens and (b) mutagens.

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

I refer the Honourable Member to the previous answer 84440.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to enhance digital access support for Pension Credit applications for older people.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department is committed to making Pension Credit applications as accessible as possible for older people. We have invested in the Apply for Pension Credit online service (AfPC), which is designed to simply gather the information needed to make a claim, while ensuring that non-digital routes remain available for those who prefer or require them.

Assisted digital support is embedded into the service, including telephone and paper-based options for digitally excluded customers. To further enhance digital access support, we plan to introduce “save and return” to make online applications easier for those who need more time or assistance.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department (a) did not retain employment following the completion of their probationary period and (b) had their probationary period extended in each of the last five years.

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

The information requested is not held centrally and due to the additional activity that would be required to provide it, would incur disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of potential factors limiting Pension Credit take-up among eligible low-income pensioners in rural areas.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Research suggests that there are a range of reasons why some pensioners don’t claim Pension Credit. These include lack of awareness, uncertainty about eligibility and stigma around claiming benefits more generally. Some pensioners assume that they will not be entitled because they own their own home or have modest savings or other retirement income. Some may be put off by the claim processor be hesitant to provide personal or financial information. Pensioners in rural areas may face added barriers such as having limited access to local support services, social isolation or poor digital connectivity.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners, no matter where they live, receive the financial support they are entitled to. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit taken-up campaign across the whole of Great Britain, promoting Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their family and friends through adverts on television and radio; on social media and on digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in the press. And Pension Credit can be claimed over the telephone, by post or online. Pensioners claiming by telephone can be supported and guided through the claim process by an agent while the online service is available 24/7 every day of the year and can be completed by a friend or relative.

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 support young people in supported accommodation.

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

It remains the department’s priority to support young people in supported accommodation.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides support with rent and other living costs through Housing Benefit and Universal Credit to eligible individuals (including young people) living in supported accommodation. Subject to criteria, individuals may be eligible for help with housing costs through Housing Benefit, to pay all or part of their rent and any eligible service charges. In 2023, DWP spent an estimated £4.1bn on Housing Benefit and Universal Credit housing entitlement for people living in supported accommodation.

To drive up quality of provision for people in supported accommodation, DWP is working alongside the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to implement measures arising from the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act. A government response to the first consultation on the Act is due to be published as soon as possible.

We also acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for working age customers residing in supported and temporary accommodation.

We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions will be taken in the round and in the context of the current fiscal environment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to raise awareness and warn pensioners about scam messages on winter fuel payment eligibility.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is taking a number of steps to protect our vulnerable customers from online benefit scams. This includes raising public awareness of benefit scam messages on the Gov.uk website. Our most recent Press Release relating to Winter Fuel Payment warned our customers to be alert to text message scams in advance of next month’s payments and urging them to forward any suspicious texts to 7726. This is free of charge and helps phone providers block the numbers involved. Customers are also encouraged to forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.

We are also working together with Action Fraud raising awareness on social media. This is alongside DWP’s continued work with trusted partners and charities such as Independent Age to ensure accurate and timely information is available. DWP has also developed a recorded message for our telephone lines to raise awareness of Winter Fuel Payment scams.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his Department holds on local authority engagement with Pension Credit take-up campaigns.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department regularly engages with all councils in Great Britain through the Local Authority Welfare Direct e-bulletins on GOV.UK, email communications to our local authority contact list, and through wider outreach work through partnership managers covering national Jobcentre Plus districts. DWP Communications keeps a log of the extensive support for the campaign offered by Local Authorities across Great Britain, which helps the Department to focus promotional efforts. Following our calls for support for the annual Pension Credit Week of Action in 2024, and in October this year, at least 200 councils across Great Britain have actively supported our awareness campaign through social media promotion and/or in-person/on-site distribution of our promotional materials, including posters and leaflets.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the procedures required for recognition as a Higher Technical Qualification have been changed, or are in line to be changed, as a result of (1) the creation of Skills England and the abolition of the Institute for Apprenticeship and Technical Education, and (2) the transfer of Skills England to the Department for Work and Pensions.

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

Following its creation, Skills England continues to accept Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) applications on a rolling basis. This function moved with Skills England when it transferred to be an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will require NHS employers to provide ongoing (a) education, (b) training and (c) health surveillance for staff who (i) handle and (ii) may be exposed to hazardous medicinal products.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 October 2025 to Question UIN 84444.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to (a) employers and (b) service providers on making reasonable adjustments for people with (i) misophonia and (ii) other sensory conditions.

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

All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled employee, would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.

Employers have a key role to play in supporting workers with long term health conditions or disabilities in the workplace. DWP's current offer to employers includes a digital information service, www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/ which provides tailored guidance to businesses to support employees to remain in work. This includes guidance on health disclosures and having conversations about health, plus guidance on legal obligations, including statutory sick pay and making reasonable adjustments.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Work Coaches have been trained to understand domestic abuse; and who that training is provided by.

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

All staff new to DWP complete learning on Domestic Abuse as part of their induction.

Work Coaches then complete role specific learning which includes further learning on domestic abuse which will build their knowledge to develop the relevant skills to help all customers, by tailoring their support to their individual needs. All learning is delivered by DWP staff.

In total 27,714 work coach staff have completed domestic abuse learning over the last five years. Please note that the number of trained staff may include individuals who have since moved roles or left the organisation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase skills and employment support for people receiving sickness benefits.

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

We are taking steps to support people into work including for disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits. In our Pathways to Work Green Paper we set out our plan for the “Pathways to Work Guarantee” and we are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits. The 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.

We are already making progress and have deployed over 1000 Pathways to Work Advisors in Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales who are helping disabled people and people with health conditions towards and into work. A key focus of the Pathways to Work advisers is offering voluntary support to Universal Credit claimants with a Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element. The support aims to help customers identify and overcome obstacles which may stop them from moving towards or into work and for those who are ready to access employment and wider skills support, and our employment programmes earlier.

Alongside this, our Supported Employment programme Connect to Work is rolling out across all of England and Wales throughout 2025 and early 2026 to help disabled people, people with health conditions and individuals with complex barriers to employment to find work and sustain work. This complements support delivered through the health and care system, including Employment Advice in Talking Therapies, which gives employment support for people being treated for mental health conditions, and WorkWell which is being trialled in 15 areas across England to deliver integrated work and health support.

More generally, DWP helps people build the skills they need to get a job and move forward in their careers. Work Coaches offer a wide range of support, including help with job searching and referrals to training opportunities. These can include apprenticeships, short skills courses, training in English, maths, and digital skills, support for learning English as a second language (ESOL), careers advice, and 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 guidance he provides on whether JobCentre Work Coaches can accept (a) discounts and (b) similar benefits from clients.

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

Job Centre Work Coaches must uphold the highest standards of propriety and regularity. Under the Bribery Act 2010, it is a criminal offence to offer, give, request, or accept any financial or other advantage intended to improperly influence official duties. This includes gifts, cash, discounts, or hospitality.

As a general rule, staff should decline all gifts, including cash, vouchers, goods, or services.

All offers must be reported and recorded in the Departmental Gifts and Hospitality Register.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total amount of unspent funds from the Apprenticeship Levy returned to the Treasury for each of the past five years.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions, and prior to that the Department for Education, has responsibility for apprenticeships in England only. The annual English apprenticeships budget is agreed at key fiscal events and ring-fenced. This budget is distinct from the total levy receipts collected by HM Treasury and the funds in employers’ apprenticeship service accounts.

The English apprenticeship budget covers the spend drawn down by all levy-paying employers, as well as apprenticeships for those who do not pay the levy, the costs of English and maths tuition for apprentices, and additional payments to employers, training providers and apprentices. It also covers the administrative costs of running the apprenticeships programme.

Over the past two financial years the English apprenticeships budget has been almost fully spent. The table below provides details of the English apprenticeships budget. As is usual practice, any underspends in overall departmental budgets by the end of the financial year are returned to HMT as per the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.

*The 2023-24 annual apprenticeship budget was revised in-year from £2,585 million to £2,525 million, as £60 million was surrendered in-year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department are recorded as having a (a) mental health condition and (b) physical disability by grade.

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

DWP does not require staff to declare whether they have a disability. When a disability is declared, they are not required to give details. Any details that are given are in a free text box where multiple conditions could be shared. Therefore, the data is not broken down any further than declaration of a disability and obtaining this breakdown would incur significant cost.

Information on the number of people declaring a disability by each government department are published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics 2025, an accredited official statistics publication. Latest published data are as at 31 March 2025 and can be found at Table 29 of the statistical tables at the following web address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2025

Information for 31 March 2026 is due for publication in July 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the West Midlands Combined Authority on increasing the availability of apprenticeships in the West Midlands.

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

Officials meet regularly with combined authorities to discuss post-16 skills including apprenticeships. Recent discussions with West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) skills leads have included the newly introduced foundation apprenticeships and led to a subsequent session with training providers in the WMCA to explain foundation apprenticeships and their potential benefits for local young learners.

Similarly, Skills England meets Mayoral Combined Authorities, including the WMCA, on a regular basis to discuss how to address a wide range of skills challenges, the promotion of growth, and simplifying access to skills opportunities.

The government also facilitates the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network of employers and apprentices which works closely in all regions, including the WMCA area, to promote apprenticeships across the region.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Construction Industry Training Board levy on (a) the profitability of the construction sector in the past five years and (b) the level of health and safety in that sector.

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

Responsibility for the Construction Industry Training Board transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions on 16 September 2025. The Secretary of State has not yet made any assessment of the potential impacts of the Construction Industry Training Board’s levy.

Responsibility for health and safety within the construction industry in England sits with the Health and Safety Executive.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review the offer of two seat convertible Mazda MX-5 cars as part of the Motability Scheme.

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

Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme, along with oversight of Motability Operations. The Department works closely with Motability Foundation and are responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme.

As Motability is independent of government, the management of the scheme including the choice of vehicles rests with them and their respective Boards of Governors. We are however committed to ensuring that the Motability scheme is fair for both users of the scheme and the taxpayer.

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 provide an adequate allocation of funding through the Youth Guarantee Scheme for people not in work, employment or training in North Shropshire constituency.

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

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee to ensure young people aged 18-21 can access high-quality training, apprenticeships, or personalised support to find work.

As a first step, we are working with eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers across England who are testing innovative approaches to identify and deliver localised support to young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET. This includes strengthening local coordination, through local leadership, and outreach to better connect young people with opportunities. 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, including North Shropshire.

We have also recently announced that we will offer a guaranteed job to eligible young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This forms a key part of the government’s Youth Guarantee, and further details will be announced in due course.

We also continue to deliver targeted support through the Youth Offer, which provides tailored assistance to 16–24-year-olds claiming Universal Credit. In North Shropshire, this includes a local Youth Hub offering the 6 Steps to Succeed programme – a six-week course that builds confidence, communication, and customer service skills, leading to formal qualifications.

We also want to ensure we provide support for young people with health conditions and disabled young people. If you take UC health and ESA for example, the number of young people claiming these has increased by more than 50% in the last five years from 156,000 to 239,000, with 80% of young people on the UC Health element currently citing mental health reasons or a neurodevelopmental condition among declared health conditions.

We are currently organising talking therapies to be delivered from the Youth Hub to support young people with Mental Health challenges. We are also delivering Sector-Based Work Academies for roles in Teaching Assistance, Hospitality, Warehouse, Logistics, and HGV driving. Additionally, we have run employment sessions for customers with health conditions promoting Access to Work, Adjustment Passports, and Disability Confident Employers.

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 help tackle unsafe gas works in homes.

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

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) forms the basis of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) approach to ensuring safe gas work in homes within Great Britain. This includes taking enforcement action against those who do not comply with their legal obligations, including carrying out gas work whilst not competent to do so.

GSIUR also allowed for the establishment of the Gas Safe Register (GSR) which aims to protect the public from unsafe gas work through:

• Ensuring all gas engineers have the appropriate qualifications;

• Operating a national investigations team tracking down un-registered gas workers;

• Carrying out regular inspections of registered engineers, to ensure they are applying gas competence and complying with GSIUR;

• Investigating reports of unsafe gas work; and

• Educating consumers and raising awareness of gas safety.

GSR will apply appropriate sanctions on those businesses found carrying out unsafe gas work as per their Sanctions Policy.

GSR can pass concerns to HSE who will consider the concern in line with the HSE Enforcement Policy statement available to view here HSE - Enforcement action.

The best way to maintain gas safety is by ensuring that only competent, registered engineers undertake gas work. HSE encourages consumers to ask to see Gas Safe Registration ID before permitting engineers to enter their homes. This can also be checked on the Gas Safe Register website: Find or check a Gas Safe registered business.

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 improve employer (a) awareness and (b) training on autism-inclusive workplace practices.

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

In the plan to Make Work Pay (October 2024), government committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace. This includes autism.

We are supporting employers to be more inclusive in their workplace practices, regardless of diagnosis. DWP's current offer to employers includes a digital information service, www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/, this service guides employers through workplace scenarios, including making reasonable adjustments, explaining the steps they need to take to understand and support their employees’ health and disability in the workplace.

In addition, DWP oversees the voluntary Disability Confident Scheme which encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. This includes resources around employing people with hidden disabilities including autism and other neurodiverse conditions. We know there is more to do and DWP are actively engaging with stakeholders to strengthen the scheme.

DWP also operates Access to Work, which provides grant funding to support Workplace Adjustments that go beyond an employer's duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.  The grant provides personalised support and workplace assessments, travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment. In March 2025, we published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, to consult on the future of Access to Work. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Lastly, 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 have reviewed the workplace barriers neurodivergent people encounter in getting into or remaining in employment. We have now received the panel’s findings and recommendations and will consider these alongside the findings of Keep Britain Working, our recently published major independent review on healthy and inclusive workplaces.

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 (a) digitising and (b) introducing an online portal for the Child Maintenance Service.

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

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) offers a range of digital services designed to support separated families. These include 'Child Maintenance Calculator’, ‘Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance’ and ‘My Child Maintenance Case’(MCMC). Through these services, parents can explore their options, calculate potential payments and submit an online application to the CMS to receive or pay child maintenance. For customers with existing cases, the online services allow them to report changes, check progress, view correspondence and make payments online 24/7.

Digital services were developed and will continue to evolve based on research and feedback from charities supporting separated families, victims of domestic abuse, and users with assisted digital needs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 29 of the document by the OBR entitled Fiscal risks and sustainability, published on 8 July 2025, whether her Department has made its own assessment of the long-term sustainability of the state pension.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.

State Pension payments are paid from the National Insurance Fund (NIF). The Government reviews forecasts of the NIF balance every five years to inform future decisions. The Government Actuary’s Department is currently undertaking its quinquennial review.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has considered exemptions or streamlined processes for PIP claimants with (a) Type 1 diabetes and (b) other lifelong and progressively complex conditions.

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

Other than for claims made under the special rules for people nearing the end of their life, all claims to PIP are treated in the same way. Entitlement to 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, including age and the ability to manage a condition without supervision or assistance.

I have launched the Timms Review with the aim of ensuring we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment. The Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts. This means the Government will share ownership and responsibility for how the Review runs and what it recommends.

The Timms Review will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by autumn 2026, with an interim update expected ahead of that.

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 help reduce the potential impact of PIP reassessments for chronic conditions on the mental health of families affected.

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

Other than for claims made under the special rules for people nearing the end of their life, all claims to PIP are treated in the same way. Entitlement to 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, including age and the ability to manage a condition without supervision or assistance.

I have launched the Timms Review with the aim of ensuring we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment. The Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts. This means the Government will share ownership and responsibility for how the Review runs and what it recommends.

The Timms Review will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by autumn 2026, with an interim update expected ahead of that.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to (a) review and (b) amend carer's allowance.

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

The Government keeps all aspects of Carer’s Allowance (CA) under review to see if it is meeting its objectives.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has a statutory duty to review State Pension and benefit rates each year based on a review of trends in prices and earnings growth in the preceding year. In April 2025 the rate of Carer’s Allowance increased by 1.7% to £83.30 per week.

We have taken steps to improve the way CA operates and to support those who can combine their caring responsibilities with some paid work, including changing the weekly CA earnings limit to match 16 hours work at National Living Wage levels. This is the largest ever increase in the earnings limit since CA was introduced in 1976 and the highest percentage increase since 2001. Over 60,000 additional people will be able to receive CA between 2025/26 and 2029/30 as a result of investment worth around £500 million.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to ensure that low paid workers have adequate income in retirement.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

This government is committed to enabling tomorrow’s pensioners to have security in retirement. The Pensions Commission has been revived to consider what is required in the long term to deliver a pensions framework that is stronger, fairer and more sustainable. Amongst other things, the Commission will look at how to improve retirement outcomes, especially for those on the lowest incomes and at the greatest risk of poverty or under-saving.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many overpayments of Carer’s Allowance in relation to earnings there are in the value brackets (a) £0.01.00 - £500.00, (b) £501.00 - £1000.00, (c) £1,001.00 - £5,000.00, (d) £5,000.01 - £20,000 and (e) over £20,000 in each year for the last five years.

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

Data on fraud and error overpayments is published annually and can be found using the following link: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK. 2024/25 estimates show that Carer's Allowance Overpayments relating to earnings / employment represented 1.3% of the £4.2bn expenditure on Carer’s Allowance.

Further breakdowns, as requested in the above PQs, are not published as part of any official statistical release.

This Government commissioned Liz Sayce OBE to lead an Independent Review into Carer’s Allowance Overpayments. We are carefully considering the recommendations of this Review which investigated how they occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of them occurring in future. We have committed to publish the review and the Government’s response to it by the end of this year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many carers have Carer’s Allowance overpayment debts as a result of breaching the earnings limit in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland in the last six years for which data is available.

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

Data on fraud and error overpayments is published annually and can be found using the following link: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK. 2024/25 estimates show that Carer's Allowance Overpayments relating to earnings / employment represented 1.3% of the £4.2bn expenditure on Carer’s Allowance.

Further breakdowns, as requested in the above PQs, are not published as part of any official statistical release.

This Government commissioned Liz Sayce OBE to lead an Independent Review into Carer’s Allowance Overpayments. We are carefully considering the recommendations of this Review which investigated how they occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of them occurring in future. We have committed to publish the review and the Government’s response to it by the end of this year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) men and (b) women are in debt to his Department through overpayments of Carers Allowance in relation to earnings.

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

Data on fraud and error overpayments is published annually and can be found using the following link: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK. 2024/25 estimates show that Carer's Allowance Overpayments relating to earnings / employment represented 1.3% of the £4.2bn expenditure on Carer’s Allowance.

Further breakdowns, as requested in the above PQs, are not published as part of any official statistical release.

This Government commissioned Liz Sayce OBE to lead an Independent Review into Carer’s Allowance Overpayments. We are carefully considering the recommendations of this Review which investigated how they occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of them occurring in future. We have committed to publish the review and the Government’s response to it by the end of this year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Carer’s Allowance overpayments there have been in relation to earnings in each year for the last five years.

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

Data on fraud and error overpayments is published annually and can be found using the following link: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK. 2024/25 estimates show that Carer's Allowance Overpayments relating to earnings / employment represented 1.3% of the £4.2bn expenditure on Carer’s Allowance.

Further breakdowns, as requested in the above PQs, are not published as part of any official statistical release.

This Government commissioned Liz Sayce OBE to lead an Independent Review into Carer’s Allowance Overpayments. We are carefully considering the recommendations of this Review which investigated how they occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of them occurring in future. We have committed to publish the review and the Government’s response to it by the end of this year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will reinstate the winter fuel payment in full.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has increased the level at which Winter Fuel Payments are means-tested in England and Wales from winter 2025/26 so that the vast majority of pensioners – around 9 million individuals – will benefit from them.

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 time taken to process Access to Work applications.

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

We are committed to reducing the time taken to process Access to Work applications and are considering the best way to deliver that for customers. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work applications. We prioritise applications from customers who are about to start a job or are renewing existing support. In March 2025, DWP published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, to consult on the future of Access to Work. Alongside this, we are exploring further changes within the current policy framework to reduce the time taken to process Access to Work applications.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure employers are encouraged to support people with disabilities into employment.

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

We are funding local authorities to open our supported employment programme, Connect to Work, throughout England and Wales. Crucially, as part of this programme, specialist employment advisers work with both participants and employers, ensuring that participants are supported and workplaces are inclusive.

It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Health and Social Care Joint Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The Independent lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield’s report has now been released - Keep Britain Working: Final report - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) work coaches and (b) vacancies there were at Jobcentres in each month since July 2024.

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

The information requested is not held 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 estimate his Department has made of the value of Carer’s Allowance overpayment debts in relation to earnings.

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

Data on fraud and error overpayments was published earlier this year: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK. 2024/25 estimates show that Carer's Allowance Overpayments relating to earnings / employment represented 1.3% of the £4.2bn expenditure on Carer’s Allowance.

This Government commissioned Liz Sayce OBE to lead an Independent Review into these overpayments. We are carefully considering the recommendations of this Review which investigated how they occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of them occurring in future. We have committed to publish the review and the Government’s response to it by the end of this year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Carer’s Allowance overpayments in relation to earnings there are.

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

Data on fraud and error overpayments was published earlier this year: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK. 2024/25 estimates show that Carer's Allowance Overpayments relating to earnings / employment represented 1.3% of the £4.2bn expenditure on Carer’s Allowance.

This Government commissioned Liz Sayce OBE to lead an Independent Review into these overpayments. We are carefully considering the recommendations of this Review which investigated how they occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of them occurring in future. We have committed to publish the review and the Government’s response to it by the end of this year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of unqualified operatives performing gas works on levels of public safety.

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

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) accepts that unqualified operatives performing gas work pose significant risks to gas safety and believes focusing on the prevention of unsafe gas work through installation, regular servicing and maintenance by qualified, Gas Safe Registered engineers is key to achieving safer homes.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) enabled the establishment of the Gas Safe Register (GSR) and places a legal requirement on all those conducting gas work in homes to be competent to do so and Gas Safe Registered. HSE will consider enforcement action against those who do not comply with this legal obligation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to reform the Personal Independence Payment reassessment process for people with (a) Type 1 diabetes and (b) other lifelong conditions.

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

Other than for claims made under the special rules for people nearing the end of their life, all claims to PIP are treated in the same way. Entitlement to 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, including age and the ability to manage a condition without supervision or assistance.

I have launched the Timms Review with the aim of ensuring we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment. The Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts. This means the Government will share ownership and responsibility for how the Review runs and what it recommends.

The Timms Review will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by autumn 2026, with an interim update expected ahead of that.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of PIP reassessments on (a) teenagers with Type 1 diabetes and (b) their carers.

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

Other than for claims made under the special rules for people nearing the end of their life, all claims to PIP are treated in the same way. Entitlement to 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, including age and the ability to manage a condition without supervision or assistance.

I have launched the Timms Review with the aim of ensuring we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment. The Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts. This means the Government will share ownership and responsibility for how the Review runs and what it recommends.

The Timms Review will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by autumn 2026, with an interim update expected ahead of that.

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 the two-child benefit cap on working class people in Newton Abbot constituency.

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

Statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children are published annually and provide various breakdowns including by households with someone earning.

The latest publication, with April 2025 data, is published here: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK data by Parliamentary Constituencies can be found in tables 12A, 12B, 12C in the published spreadsheet.

All previous releases of these statistics are published here: Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vehicles were leased through the mobility scheme in each year since 2020; and how many of those vehicles were British made.

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

Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation with oversight of the Motability Scheme. DWP is responsible for the main disability benefits (excluding Scottish disability benefits) that provide a gateway to the Scheme. If a claimant chooses to join the Scheme, DWP facilitates the transfer of these benefits to Motability Operations.

Whilst the Department works closely with Motability Foundation, responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme, including the choice of vehicles, sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. Motability Foundation publish annual reports which set out the number of customers on the Scheme as a whole and can be found on this link: Annual Reports and Accounts | About Us | Motability Foundation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on preparing Jobcentres for the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill.

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

Our Get Britain Working strategy is driving forward reforms and helping create a more inclusive labour market that supports economic growth and opportunity for individuals. The Employment Rights Bill is key to this agenda as it aims to deliver greater security in work, support higher living standards and contribute positively to productivity.

This complements our approach to Jobcentre reform; the new Jobs and Careers service will have a renewed focus on helping people into good quality work, with career progression and increased earnings potential. It will also put employers’ needs at the heart of the service - we are engaging closely with employers on the design of a future service.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has engaged with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the government’s approach to these labour market reforms.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has a target for the number of work coaches employed by his Department.

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

The Department continually impacts and assesses the service being offered to customers. Staff numbers, including the number of Work Coaches, and demand for Jobcentre services are reviewed on an ongoing basis, in line with the latest economic and benefit forecasts.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of Personal Independence Payment are aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18; how many of those are in full time education; and how many of those are in each constituency in England.

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

The information requested on the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) recipients aged 16, 17 and 18 in full-time education is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) recipients by age and parliamentary constituency in England is available via Stats-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml). Guidance on how to use PIP data on Stat-Xplore is also available here: Personal Independence Payment data on Stat-Xplore: user guide - GOV.UK. An account is not required to use Stat-Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions.

The relevant information can be found in the ‘PIP Cases with Entitlement from 2019’ dataset.

To filter for parliamentary constituencies in England, under the ‘Westminster Parliamentary Constituency 2024’ category, select ‘DWP policy ownership’. Click on the arrow beside ‘England’ and select ‘Westminster Parliamentary Constituency 2024’ to include all English constituencies.

Next, to filter by specific ages, under ‘Age (bands and single year)’, expand the ‘16-19’ category and select the ages 16, 17 and 18 as required.

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 taper rates on young people living in supported accommodation who take on paid work; and if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that those young people are better off when they increase their hours of work.

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

It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.

We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for working age customers (including young people) residing in supported and temporary accommodation.

Currently, a broad spectrum of customers receive rent support through Housing Benefit. This includes pensioners, residents in Supported or Temporary Accommodation and customers who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rules would apply to all these groups.

We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions will be taken in the round and in the context of the current fiscal environment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of women born in the 1950s who have died since 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 discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on ensuring that vulnerable pensioners in the North East are protected from online benefit scams.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

DWP is taking a number of steps to protect our vulnerable customers from online benefit scams. This includes raising public awareness of benefit scam messages on the Gov.uk website. Our most recent press release relating to Winter Fuel Payment warned our customers to be alert to text message scams in advance of next month’s payments and urging them to forward any suspicious texts to 7726. This is free of charge and helps phone providers block the numbers involved. Customers are also encouraged to forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.

We are also working together with Action Fraud raising awareness on social media sites including Facebook and X formerly known as Twitter. This is alongside DWP’s continued work with trusted partners and charities such as Independent Age to ensure accurate and timely information is available. DWP has also developed a recorded message for our telephone lines to raise awareness of Winter Fuel Payment scams.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to encourage self-employed workers to pay into private pension funds.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The proportion of the self-employed who are saving into a pension has fallen significantly from almost 50% in the late 1990s to less than 20% at present. While self-employed workers are not eligible for Automatic Enrolment, the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) must accept individuals who are self-employed, meeting certain conditions, who wish to join a pension scheme.

The Department is currently working with Nest Insight and partners to test potential solutions. The Pensions Commission will also explore steps to improve pension outcomes, especially for those at the greatest risk of undersaving, such as self-employed workers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were employed by the (a) Pensions Regulator and (b) Health and Safety Executive in each year since 2005.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Pensions Regulator and Health and Safety Executive are directly accountable to Parliament. The information requested is published in their respective annual report and accounts, which are laid before the House of Commons and publicly available.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Universal Credit claimants were recorded in the last 12 months who were categorised as (1) refugees, (2) having pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, (3) having settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, (4) having indefinite leave to remain, and (5) having limited leave to remain.

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

To access Universal Credit a person must be British, Irish, have a right of abode, or have a valid UK immigration status that permits recourse to public funds as well as meeting all the other entitlement conditions. The Department recently published Universal Credit Immigration status and Nationality summary statistics through ODS tables on GOV.UK.

For statistical production purposes, immigration status data has been categorised into 8 groups (see attached document).

Taken from the published statistics, the following table shows the number of people on Universal Credit by immigration status for each month from August 2024 to July 2025. The additional breakdowns requested for the EU Settlement Scheme are not readily available and to provide them would incur disproportionate cost.

Total number of people on Universal Credit by Immigration status each month from August 2024 to July 2025, Great Britain

Source: Universal Credit Immigration status and nationality summary statistics

Notes

1. The latest Nationality recorded on the UC system declared by the claimant, reported across all previous UC claims.
2. Immigration status is sourced from Habitual Residence Test (HRT) data. The latest immigration status is recorded and reported against the corresponding claim at the point in time it applied.
3. Aligned UCFS Nationality and HRT data are available from April 2022 onwards only.
4. Cells in these tables have had statistical disclosure control applied to avoid the release of confidential data. Due to adjustments totals may not be the sum of the individual cells.
5. Figures for the most recent month are provisional. These figures will be subject to revision in subsequent releases in line with our statistical revisions policy.
6. HRT revisions can occur and can be retrospectively applied and supersede previous decisions. Hence changes to previous months are possible.
7. If a claimant has dual nationality and one is CTA then they will be recorded as CTA - UK, Ireland, Right of Abode.
8. Non-EU individuals can be in the EUSS, such as Non-EU family members of EU citizens.
9. Non-Ukrainians/Non-Afghans can be in resettlement schemes.
10. Right of Abode individuals include some groups of Commonwealth citizens.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Universal Credit claimants were recorded in non-UK immigration status groups in each year since 2019.

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

To access Universal Credit a person must be British, Irish, have a right of abode, or have a valid UK immigration status that permits recourse to public funds as well as meeting all the other entitlement conditions. The Department recently published Universal Credit Immigration status and Nationality summary statistics through ODS tables on GOV.UK.

For statistical production purposes, immigration status data has been categorised into 8 groups (further details provided in Table Guidance in the attached document).

Taken from the published statistics, the following table shows the number of people on Universal Credit by immigration status for each April from 2022 to 2025. Data is not held prior to April 2022.

Total number of people on Universal Credit by Immigration status for April 2022 to April 2025, Great Britain

Source: Universal Credit Immigration status and nationality summary statistics

Notes

1. The latest Nationality recorded on the UC system declared by the claimant, reported across all previous UC claims.
2. Immigration status is sourced from Habitual Residence Test (HRT) data. The latest immigration status is recorded and reported against the corresponding claim at the point in time it applied.
3. Aligned UCFS Nationality and HRT data are available from April 2022 onwards only.
4. Cells in these tables have had statistical disclosure control applied to avoid the release of confidential data. Due to adjustments totals may not be the sum of the individual cells.
5. Figures for the most recent month are provisional. These figures will be subject to revision in subsequent releases in line with our statistical revisions policy.
6. HRT revisions can occur and can be retrospectively applied and supersede previous decisions. Hence changes to previous months are possible.
7. If a claimant has dual nationality and one is CTA then they will be recorded as CTA - UK, Ireland, Right of Abode.
8. Non-EU individuals can be in the EUSS such as Non-EU family members of EU citizens.
9. Non-Ukrainians/Non-Afghans can be in resettlement schemes.
10. Right of Abode individuals include some groups of Commonwealth citizens.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the effectiveness of benefit sanctions in supporting claimants into sustained employment.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions published a draft report on the Impact of Benefit Sanctions on Employment Outcomes, on the 6th April 2023.

The draft report is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-impact-of-benefit-sanctions-on-employment-outcomes-draft-report

And can also be found in the attached document.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to increase the availability of the test digital service for applicants for (a) the Personal Independence Payment and (b) other benefits in (i) Horsham constituency and (ii) other areas.

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

We are enabling customers to complete parts of their application online, as announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper. We are also planning to increase the number of face-to-face assessments.

We are transforming the way in which DWP delivers services, including the provision of online and self-serve options, while protecting and improving other channels.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 83176 on Universal Credit, how many and what proportion of claims were made by people with the support of a paid interpreter; and what was the the total cost of (a) translation and (b) interpretation for supporting claimants in each of the last ten years.

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

The Department does not retain data on how many and what proportion of Universal Credit claims were made by people requiring the support of paid interpretation services. The breakdown of costs for translation and interpretation across all benefits including Universal Credit, from 2019/2020 to present is shown below. This data is not available prior to 2019.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact of benefit sanctions on (1) the mental health of claimants, (2) levels of household debt, and (3) food bank use.

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

We engage on an individual level with all of our claimants and are committed to tailoring support to their individual needs. This includes agreeing realistic and structured steps to encourage claimants into, or closer to, work, where appropriate. These conditionality requirements are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain appropriate for the claimant. This would include tailoring to reflect any mental health issues the claimant raised.

When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good reason, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.

The Fair Repayment Rate (FRR) was implemented on 30 April 2025; this meant the overall deductions cap was reduced from 25% to 15% of a customer’s Universal Credit Standard Allowance. Approximately 1.2 million Universal Credit households with deductions will retain more of their award, on average, £420 a year or £35 per month.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any potential abuses of the Motability Scheme, and what consideration they have given to reforms that might better target those in need.

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

The Department is responsible for the disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), that provides a passport to the Motability scheme.

The Department takes benefit fraud extremely seriously. Whilst Motability is independent of government, the Department meets with Motability regularly to discuss the scheme, including how it is taking action against any misuse.

The PIP mobility element is in scope of the Timms Review, which aims to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on clearing the backlog of Carer’s Allowance overpayment debts in relation to earnings.

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

DWP secured additional funding for 2025/2026 for a 27% increase in resource to clear the stock of Carer’s Allowance (CA) Verify Earnings and Pensions (VEP) alerts. VEP enables DWP to receive real time identification of changes in a claimant’s income through an interface with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Pay as You Earn (PAYE) information.

This focus has ensured DWP has now cleared this stock of CA VEP alerts, moving DWP to a position of actioning all alerts as close as possible to the date of generation by HMRC, and helping reduce the risk of large overpayments building up over many years.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department’s plans to process all Carer’s Allowance overpayments in relation to earnings.

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

DWP secured additional funding for 2025/2026 for a 27% increase in resource to clear the stock of Carer’s Allowance (CA) Verify Earnings and Pensions (VEP) alerts. VEP enables DWP to receive real time identification of changes in a claimant’s income through an interface with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Pay as You Earn (PAYE) information.

This focus has ensured DWP has now cleared this stock of CA VEP alerts, moving DWP to a position of actioning all alerts as close as possible to the date of generation by HMRC, and helping reduce the risk of large overpayments building up over many years.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on processing Carer's Allowance overpayments; and when that process will be completed.

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

DWP secured additional funding for 2025/2026 for a 27% increase in resource to clear the stock of Carer’s Allowance (CA) Verify Earnings and Pensions (VEP) alerts. VEP enables DWP to receive real time identification of changes in a claimant’s income through an interface with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Pay as You Earn (PAYE) information.

This focus has ensured DWP has now cleared this stock of CA VEP alerts, moving DWP to a position of actioning all alerts as close as possible to the date of generation by HMRC, and helping reduce the risk of large overpayments building up over many years.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the annual budget was for the (a) Pensions Regulator and (b) Health and Safety Executive in each year since 2005.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Both the Health and Safety Executive and the Pensions Regulator are funded from a mix of sources. These include direct government funding, levies on industry (in the case of the Pensions Regulator) and from charging or cost recoveries.

The full spend, and financial breakdowns, for these bodies by year can be found in their respective Annual Report and Accounts. This information is available in the public domain via The Pensions Regulator and Health and Safety Executive respective ARAs. They can be found using the following links:

The Pensions Regulator (see Financial Review sections)

HSE Annual Reports and Accounts (see statement of Cashflows section)

[ARCHIVED CONTENT] Reports produced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Found: The childcare element of Universal Credit sits in DWP, has faced ongoing operational challenges is not

Found: available leave entitlements are accompanied by statutory pay entitlements set by the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: There will be an estimated £726,000 increase to the DWP Departmental Expenditure Limit as a result of

Found: Council, Construction Launches Skills Mission at Leaders Meeting, 26 June 2025. 370 The Department for Work and Pensions

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

Found: (DWP).

Found: Yours sincerely, Pat McFadden MP Secretary of State DWP Peter Kyle MP Secretary of

Found: The tables below are based on the Department for Work and Pensions ‘Households Below Average Income’

Found: The plan connects DWP resources, social prescribing, and new funding to prevention and community-led

Found: Business and Trade (DBT), and include HM Treasury, the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: SMEs need clear pathways between local authorities, mayoral authorities, HMRC, DWP, and DBT.

Found: Financial Impact Per 4-Person Team  Average income per person: £25K–£30K/year  Savings to DWP (benefits

Found: Many chair renters are not saving for retirement, increasing future pressure on the DWP.

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

Found: my married name, since that is the name by which I am known by all UK authorities including HMRC, DWP

Found: that the way that the local housing allowance works is an issue that we will be discussing with both DWP

Found: significant decline in uptake: where previously 89% of eligible children identified by the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: significant decline in uptake: where previously 89% of eligible children identified by the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: If the DWP does not do something in addressing child poverty and making sure that parents are not unfairly

Found: Alan Krikorian: I am the deputy director at the Department for Work and Pensions for the growth and

Found: The DWP still retains levers for unemployment.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve access to (a) specialist healthcare, (b) information at diagnosis and (c) financial support for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their population, including for Parkinson’s. In doing so, the Government expects ICBs to take account of the relevant guidelines and best practice in designing their local services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline on Parkinson’s disease, code NG71, states that people with Parkinson’s should have an accessible point of contact with specialist services, which can be provided by a Parkinson’s nurse specialist, and that all individuals should be offered access to the services provided by these specialist nurses to support ongoing care and advice

NHS England has established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support ICBs to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including for those with Parkinson’s. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions. A toolkit is being developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which will include components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and RightCare Toolkit for Progressive Neurological Conditions aim to improve care for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s Connect allows healthcare professionals to refer patients at the point of diagnosis directly to support that Parkinson’s UK offers, such as local support groups, a confidential helpline, and online learning resources.

The Diagnosis Connect service will directly refer patients to specialist charities at the point of diagnosis for personalised advice, information, guidance, and support.

The Department for Work and Pensions offers Personal Independence Payments (PIP) to individuals with health conditions or disabilities. However, there is currently no automatic entitlement to PIP in relation to a specific health condition, except in cases of people nearing the end of life.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many people were employed by the (a) Office of Gas and Electricity Market, (b) Office for Nuclear Regulation and (c) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in each year since 2005.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) and NDA are directly accountable to Parliament. The information requested is published in Ofgem’s and NDA's annual report and accounts, which are laid before the House and publicly available

Whilst ONR’s government sponsor is DWP, we can confirm that the information requested can be found in ONR’s annual report and accounts, which is laid in Parliament. The first date that their annual report and accounts is available from is 2014-15 as ONR was not made a public corporation until 2013 under the Energy Act of that year.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the annual budget was for the (a) Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, (b) Office for Nuclear Regulation and (c) Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in each year since 2005.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) and NDA are directly accountable to Parliament. The information requested is published in Ofgem’s and NDA's annual report and accounts, which are laid before the House and publicly available

Whilst ONR’s government sponsor is DWP, we can confirm that the information requested can be found in ONR’s annual report and accounts, which is laid in Parliament. The first date that their annual report and accounts is available from is 2014-15 as ONR was not made a public corporation until 2013 under the Energy Act of that year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent work the Children and Young People’s Cancer Taskforce has undertaken in relation to the national cancer plan; and how recommendations from the Taskforce will be reflected in that plan.

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

Since its launch on 4 February 2025, the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce has been exploring opportunities for clinical and non-clinical improvement across a range of areas via a series of monthly taskforce meetings. To date, these meetings have focused specifically on developing a clear set of commitments for inclusion in the National Cancer Plan.

The Department is aware of the unique challenges that children aged up to 16 years old and young adults under 25 years old with cancer face and the work of the taskforce has focused on both of these patient groups.

The taskforce has considered opportunities for improving early detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience, which includes issues like travel. This is in recognition of the fact that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of United Kingdom charities who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

The National Cancer Plan, due for publication early next year, will set out further details on the work of the taskforce and Department’s plans to improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years, for all patient groups, including children and young people.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what policies on (a) children and (b) young people under 25 he plans to include within the national cancer plan for England.

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

Since its launch on 4 February 2025, the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce has been exploring opportunities for clinical and non-clinical improvement across a range of areas via a series of monthly taskforce meetings. To date, these meetings have focused specifically on developing a clear set of commitments for inclusion in the National Cancer Plan.

The Department is aware of the unique challenges that children aged up to 16 years old and young adults under 25 years old with cancer face and the work of the taskforce has focused on both of these patient groups.

The taskforce has considered opportunities for improving early detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience, which includes issues like travel. This is in recognition of the fact that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of United Kingdom charities who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

The National Cancer Plan, due for publication early next year, will set out further details on the work of the taskforce and Department’s plans to improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years, for all patient groups, including children and young people.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle travel costs for (a) children and (b) young people under 25 with cancer; and whether he plans to include policies on this matter within the national cancer plan.

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

Since its launch on 4 February 2025, the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce has been exploring opportunities for clinical and non-clinical improvement across a range of areas via a series of monthly taskforce meetings. To date, these meetings have focused specifically on developing a clear set of commitments for inclusion in the National Cancer Plan.

The Department is aware of the unique challenges that children aged up to 16 years old and young adults under 25 years old with cancer face and the work of the taskforce has focused on both of these patient groups.

The taskforce has considered opportunities for improving early detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience, which includes issues like travel. This is in recognition of the fact that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning and ensuring the healthcare needs of local communities are met, including providing support for travel. The National Health Service in England runs the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) to provide financial assistance for travel to a hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests when referred by a doctor or other primary healthcare professional. Patients who do not qualify for the HTCS and who are on a low income may be able to claim the costs from the Department for Work and Pensions through Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payment. There are also a number of United Kingdom charities who provide support, including financial support, for patients with cancer.

The National Cancer Plan, due for publication early next year, will set out further details on the work of the taskforce and Department’s plans to improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer. Our goal is to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next 10 years, for all patient groups, including children and young people.

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Found: Government launched Employment Councils which bring together probation, prisons, local employers and DWP

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

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Found: The NFI offers mortality screening against the following: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) deceased

Found: oversee our involvement in the cross-government Synergy Programme (working with the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: as the Armed Forces Champions network within Jobcentre Plus and aligning with the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: as the Armed Forces Champions network within Jobcentre Plus and aligning with the Department for Work and Pensions

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

Found: He criticises the tribunal for “overruling” the DWP assessment.

Found: As announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Department for Work and Pensions is radically

Found: as the Armed Forces Champions network within Jobcentre Plus and aligning with the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: as the Armed Forces Champions network within Jobcentre Plus and aligning with the Department for Work and Pensions

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Found: year.18 16 Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics 17 In May 2024, the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: In May 2024, the Department for Work and Pensions rolled out an increase in the administrative earnings

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Found: would draw on data from Careers Wales, schools, colleges, local authorities and the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: under national schemes. 31 Households Below Average Income, Family Resources Survey, Department for Work and Pensions