Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department's press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what analysis his Department has conducted on the impact of the WorkWell programme on the health outcomes of those who cited mental health as their main impediment to finding work.

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

WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.

WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.

Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK

An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with health conditions in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency who will be helped back into work as a result of the WorkWell programme.

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

WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.

WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.

Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK

An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what proportion of the £259 million funding to support people with health conditions back into work will be allocated to the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

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

WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.

WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.

Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK

An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what proportion of people supported by the WorkWell pilot have been able to earn a sufficient income to no longer require support from universal credit.

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

WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.

WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.

Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK

An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what data his Department holds on the proportion of people supported by the WorkWell pilot who have remained in work long-term.

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

WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.

WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.

Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK

An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals who entered in the United Kingdom without leave since July 2024 are in receipt of payments from his Department; and what is the (a) total and (b) per person sum of those payments.

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

Those in the UK without lawful status are persons subject to immigration control and have no recourse to public funds. This means that those in the UK without a valid immigration status are not able to access public funds benefits including Universal Credit.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his statement on Pensions on 29 of January 2026, what new evidence did his Department's officials present to him in his re-consideration of the decision regarding state pension age changes that was not considered on or before 11 of November 2025.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Secretary of State has taken a new decision, and the process has been thorough. We have looked at information previously considered and conducted new searches as part of an extensive review of relevant historical documents.

In addition to the 2007 Automatic Pension Forecast Evaluation, other evidence relating to letter effectiveness and State Pension age awareness was provided to the Secretary of State.

This included survey evidence on Combined Pension Forecasts, and additional State Pension age awareness evidence from the late 2000s. The decision document, which is available on gov.uk, includes some references to the evidence that was considered. The DWP research reports referenced are also publicly available in the National Archive.

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 the review of the Child Maintenance Service calculation announced on 24 June 2025.

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

We will announce further details about the publication of the Government’s consultation regarding the child maintenance calculation in due course.

Given the significant amount of time since the child maintenance calculation was updated, we need to assess carefully the impact of any proposed changes on all parents that use the CMS to ensure they effectively support families and children and that they are introduced in a way which works well for CMS customers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claims from single parents with (a) Work preparation and (b) All work-related activity Claimant Commitment requirements have been closed since 2023 due to non-acceptance of the Commitment.

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

The requested information is not held. A claimant must accept their claimant commitment to be assigned a conditionality group. Failure to do so will result in their claim being closed.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to change or extend eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment.

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

Bereavement Support Payment is available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. It supports working age people through the immediate period following the death of a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner.

The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.

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 changes to women's State Pension age on retirement insurance schemes for vulnerable individuals.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The precise design of any benefits under an insurance policy is a matter for the insurer and the policy holder and is not covered in Department for Work and Pensions legislation.

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 State Pension age changes for 1950s-born women living in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age.

Estimates can be made with ONS 2022 Census Data of how many women born in the 1950s were resident in each constituency in that year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes for 1950s-born women living in Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey constituency.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age.

Estimates can be made with ONS 2022 Census Data of how many women born in the 1950s were resident in each constituency in that year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes on 1950s born women in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age.

Estimates can be made with ONS 2022 Census Data of how many women born in the 1950s were resident in each constituency in that year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many a) UK nationals and b) non-UK nationals are in receipt of Universal Credit, who are currently abroad for a period of more than six months.

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

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

A customer who is claiming Universal Credit (UC) can go abroad for up to one calendar month. If the claimant exceeds the period abroad and the reason for the trip abroad does not fall under circumstances that allow exemption, a temporary absence decision will be made and assessment periods that exceed the month can be reduced to nil entitlement. If there is a doubt on whether the claimant is habitually resident, a Habitual Residence Test will take place and a decision made on whether the claim should be disallowed.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a) making Universal Credit and other benefits data available to Electoral Registration Officers for the purposes of Automatic Voter Registration, and b) allowing people who update their address with his Department to update their voter registration automatically at the same time.

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

DWP promotes a culture of encouraging data sharing for public good whilst ensuring this is done in a secure, legal and ethical way. DWP require both a lawful basis and legal power to share personal data.

DWP has been supporting Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) with since 2014 when Individual Electoral Registration (IER) was introduced in England and Wales. You can now register to vote online in as little as 3 minutes. All you need is your name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number. DWP data is used within this process.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many a) UK nationals and b) non-UK nationals are in receipt of Universal Credit, who are currently abroad for a period of up to six months.

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

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

A customer who is claiming Universal Credit (UC) can go abroad for up to one calendar month. If the claimant exceeds the period abroad and the reason for the trip abroad does not fall under circumstances that allow exemption, a temporary absence decision will be made and assessment periods that exceed the month can be reduced to nil entitlement. If there is a doubt on whether the claimant is habitually resident, a Habitual Residence Test will take place and a decision made on whether the claim should be disallowed.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish an equalities impact assessment of the Child Poverty Strategy, including its impact on groups at highest risk of poverty.

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

A full summary Equalities Analysis was published alongside the Strategy and is available at: Child Poverty Strategy: Summary Equalities Analysis - GOV.UK.

The impacts of policies contributing to the Child Poverty Strategy will be kept under review and monitored on an ongoing basis by departments using their own established approaches to considerations made under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).

The ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation of the Child Poverty Strategy will also continue to assess the poverty risk and prevalence for groups with protected characteristics, as far as the data and evidence gathering allow. The Monitoring and Evaluation framework published alongside the Strategy set out that a baseline report will be published in Summer 2026, with annual reporting on progress thereafter.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will consider establishing small neighbourhood hubs to provide skills and training support to residents to strengthen their foundational skills.

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

Foundation skills including English, maths, and digital skills are fundamental for full participation in work, education and society.

The Jobcentre Plus’s network of over 600 local centres offers tailored, flexible support for UC claimants to build foundational skills through its Work Coaches and a broad range of local skills provision. Across Great Britain, we are also testing delivery of services and support in communities through mobile vehicles and outreach.

Responsibility for adult skills has moved to the Department for Work and Pensions, enabling a clearer focus on adult skills and career outcomes. This work is supported by the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), which helps adults aged 19+ to improve their skills and progress in work. In addition, devolved ASF funding will give local leaders the flexibility to align adult skills provision with regional economic and employment priorities.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase awareness among young people of career opportunities in British manufacturing industries.

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

The Government is taking a range of steps to increase awareness among young people of the diverse and rewarding career opportunities available in British manufacturing. This forms part of our wider efforts to reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Promoting the Youth Guarantee, the Government’s commitment to ensure young people have access to support to find a job, training or an apprenticeship, is a key element of this approach.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) promotes careers in manufacturing to young people through a range of national and local activity, including Jobcentre-led manufacturing-focused careers sessions, employer talks and jobs boards focused on apprenticeships and early careers roles. Work Coaches are also being upskilled to help them confidently challenge outdated myths and discuss modern manufacturing with young people.

We work closely with industry bodies such as Make UK and the Institute for Grocery Distributors, to support young people to better understand the breadth of manufacturing careers available. In addition, we encourage employers to directly engage with schools and colleges, and work closely with the National Careers Service to provide clear information on routes into the sector. We also promote pathways into manufacturing, including government skills interventions such as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes and Skills Bootcamps, and apprenticeships.

National Manufacturing Day (NMD) further supports these efforts by opening up factories and workplaces to schools, colleges, and local communities. Through activities such as factory tours, demonstrations and employer-led talks young people can see firsthand what modern manufacturing looks like and the range of roles available, including apprenticeships and graduate routes. The Department for Education (DfE) supports NMD by promoting it to schools and parents and providing materials on education and training routes into the sector for school leavers.

Finally, DWP hosts regular Jobs and Careers Fairs, with planned events throughout 2026, designed to support young people, particularly those who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET, to explore opportunities across different sectors, including manufacturing. These events enable young people to access advice and training and engage directly with 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 ensure that people who leave employment due to long-term health conditions or disability can access Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment without (a) delays and (b) repeated appeals.

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

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to providing timely and accurate support to people whose ability to work is affected by long-term health conditions or disabilities through Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Anyone who claims ESA and PIP must satisfy the relevant conditions of entitlement, regardless of the circumstances in which the claim is made. Initial decisions on claims will be made without delay once all evidence needed is available.

Decisions are made within a statutory framework, which allows for revision within one month of notification, with extensions where reasonable. Decisions may also be revised or superseded where there has been official error, where new medical evidence is presented or where a customer has had a relevant change in circumstances. These provisions help ensure accurate decision making and reduce the need for repeated appeals.

We recognise that some customers have complex needs and may require additional support and reasonable adjustments, including adapted communication, additional time, and advocacy from representatives or appointees.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued on the consideration of occupational health reports when assessing claims for (a) Employment and Support Allowance and (b) Personal Independence Payment for people with cognitive or fluctuating conditions.

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

The Department provides comprehensive training and guidance for assessment providers and the health professionals (HPs) who carry out both Work Capability Assessments (WCA) in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC), and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments. The WCA Handbook and the Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide (PIPAG) sets out how HPs should evaluate all relevant evidence when assessing a claimant’s functional limitations against the respective criteria.

Both WCA and PIP assessments are functional assessments, focusing on the impact of health condition(s) or disability. HPs consider all available evidence. DWP decision makers give due consideration to all available evidence when making decisions on benefit entitlement, including the HP’s assessment report and any evidence provided by the individual, their GP or consultant, and anybody else that provides them with formal or informal support.

HPs receive training on cognitive and fluctuating conditions and how these might impact on how individuals perform the activities/descriptors which form the assessments.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out how his Department monitors whether Universal Credit claimant commitments for single-parent claimants are appropriately tailored to individual circumstances.

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

Lead carers within Universal Credit have different conditionality requirements that reflect their childcare responsibilities. These expectations are set according to the age of their youngest child: where the youngest child is under 1, there are no work preparation or work search requirements; where the youngest child is aged 1 or 2, the lead carer is expected to undertake work preparation activities only; and where the youngest child is aged 3 to 12, they may be asked to undertake work-related activities for up to 30 hours per week.

Work Coaches ensure that claimant commitments for single parents are appropriately tailored through a personalised discussion with each customer. This enables the Work Coach to take into account the individual’s circumstances, including childcare availability, school hours, travel time, and wider caring responsibilities, to ensure that support remains flexible and appropriate to the customer’s needs.

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 the requiring claimants to score four points in a single daily living activity to be eligible for the Personal Independence Payment on people with learning disabilities.

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

As I set out to the House on 1 July 2025, the Government listened to concerns and withdrew its proposal to introduce an additional requirement to score a minimum of 4 points in a single activity to be eligible for the daily living element of PIP.

Instead, we launched the Timms Review, the first full review of PIP since its introduction in 2013. The Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts, and aims to ensure that 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, if his Department will consider recognising Long Covid as an occupational disease.

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

The Department is advised by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC), an independent scientific body, on the changes to the list of occupational diseases for which Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit can be paid.

IIAC has published Command Papers on COVID-19 and its occupational impacts. The Department is considering the recommendations in these documents which can be accessed here: COVID-19 and Occupational Impacts - GOV.UK and Occupational Impact of COVID-19 in the Transport and Education Sectors - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of families subject to the household benefit cap are blended families.

Answered by Stephen Timms - 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, if he will make and assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 to ensure that hazardous medicinal products with reprotoxic effects are controlled to the same standard as carcinogens and mutagens.

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 84440.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to develop or adopt a UK list of hazardous medicinal products and to require safety data sheets for finished medicines; and if he will take steps to work with the Health and Safety Executive to make such a list publicly available to NHS employers.

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 84436.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is provided to Personal Independence Payment assessors on considering the effects of active medical treatment on claimants’ functional ability.

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

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments focus on the functional impact of a claimant’s health condition, rather than diagnosis or treatment alone. At assessment, Health Professionals (HPs) gather information on any past, current and ongoing medical treatment related to conditions that impact function, including medication, therapy, monitoring, side effects and effectiveness. Where necessary to properly inform their advice, HPs should and routinely do seek additional evidence from treating health professionals or other appropriate sources.

Medical treatment is covered throughout training and guidance, and HPs routinely consider the effects of ongoing medical treatment on functional ability when advising on appropriate descriptors. This includes both positive effects, where treatment enables activities to be completed more reliably, and negative effects, such as side effects or symptom fluctuation. These factors are particularly important when applying the reliability criteria, including whether an activity can be carried out safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and within a reasonable time. The impact of treatment is also assessed directly within activity 3, which relates to managing therapy or monitoring a health condition.

Where symptoms fluctuate, including because of treatment variability, HPs assess functional impact over a 12-month period to reflect good and bad days and determine how descriptors apply on the majority of days. HPs also consider what medical treatment is being undertaken when advising on a recommended review date, aligning this with the point at which an individual’s functional needs could reasonably be expected to change, for example following recovery or changes to treatment. Claimants are also expected to notify the Department directly of any changes in their condition or circumstances, so that their award can be reviewed where appropriate.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how fluctuating symptoms are taken into account within Personal Independence Payment assessments.

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

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments focus on the functional impact of a claimant’s health condition, rather than diagnosis or treatment alone. At assessment, Health Professionals (HPs) gather information on any past, current and ongoing medical treatment related to conditions that impact function, including medication, therapy, monitoring, side effects and effectiveness. Where necessary to properly inform their advice, HPs should and routinely do seek additional evidence from treating health professionals or other appropriate sources.

Medical treatment is covered throughout training and guidance, and HPs routinely consider the effects of ongoing medical treatment on functional ability when advising on appropriate descriptors. This includes both positive effects, where treatment enables activities to be completed more reliably, and negative effects, such as side effects or symptom fluctuation. These factors are particularly important when applying the reliability criteria, including whether an activity can be carried out safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and within a reasonable time. The impact of treatment is also assessed directly within activity 3, which relates to managing therapy or monitoring a health condition.

Where symptoms fluctuate, including because of treatment variability, HPs assess functional impact over a 12-month period to reflect good and bad days and determine how descriptors apply on the majority of days. HPs also consider what medical treatment is being undertaken when advising on a recommended review date, aligning this with the point at which an individual’s functional needs could reasonably be expected to change, for example following recovery or changes to treatment. Claimants are also expected to notify the Department directly of any changes in their condition or circumstances, so that their award can be reviewed where appropriate.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how ongoing medical treatment is taken into account within Personal Independence Payment assessments.

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

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments focus on the functional impact of a claimant’s health condition, rather than diagnosis or treatment alone. At assessment, Health Professionals (HPs) gather information on any past, current and ongoing medical treatment related to conditions that impact function, including medication, therapy, monitoring, side effects and effectiveness. Where necessary to properly inform their advice, HPs should and routinely do seek additional evidence from treating health professionals or other appropriate sources.

Medical treatment is covered throughout training and guidance, and HPs routinely consider the effects of ongoing medical treatment on functional ability when advising on appropriate descriptors. This includes both positive effects, where treatment enables activities to be completed more reliably, and negative effects, such as side effects or symptom fluctuation. These factors are particularly important when applying the reliability criteria, including whether an activity can be carried out safely, to an acceptable standard, repeatedly, and within a reasonable time. The impact of treatment is also assessed directly within activity 3, which relates to managing therapy or monitoring a health condition.

Where symptoms fluctuate, including because of treatment variability, HPs assess functional impact over a 12-month period to reflect good and bad days and determine how descriptors apply on the majority of days. HPs also consider what medical treatment is being undertaken when advising on a recommended review date, aligning this with the point at which an individual’s functional needs could reasonably be expected to change, for example following recovery or changes to treatment. Claimants are also expected to notify the Department directly of any changes in their condition or circumstances, so that their award can be reviewed where appropriate.

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 implications for his Department's policies of the report by Marie Curie, entitled Dying in Poverty, published in 2025.

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

The Government acknowledges the findings of Marie Curie’s Dying in Poverty report (2025), which highlights the financial insecurity experienced by individuals at the end of life.

This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it including for those nearing the end of their life. For these claimants, the Government’s priority is to provide financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way this is applied is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain welfare benefits without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods, and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households are in receipt of benefits in excess of £28,000.

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

The Family Resources Survey (FRS) is an annual report that provides facts and figures about the incomes and living circumstances of households and families in the UK. The FRS uses a nationally representative sample of UK households and includes data on benefit receipt, at both individual and family levels.

The latest FRS is available for 2023/24 and, in the ‘Income and state support data tables’, Table 2.14a shows the number of benefit units in the UK by the total amount of annual state support received for that financial year, plus the two preceding years. This data is also available in the ‘FRS Family 2’ table in the Family (Benefit Unit) Dataset on Stat-Xplore. Please read the notes which accompany these tables.

The number of families who received in excess of £28,000, can be extracted from the Family (Benefit Unit) Dataset on Stat-Xplore by using the custom range functionality (which is available to registered users) on the Family (Benefit Unit), total, annual amount of Income received from State Support, in bands, in latest prices (CPI-adjusted real terms) data by using the ‘Range’ option in the ‘Measures’ section.

You can register or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, you can access guidance on how to extract the information required. In addition there is also the FRS Stat-Xplore User Guide.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to implement he recommendations of the Independent Review of Carer’s Allowance Overpayments.

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

I refer the hon. Member to my Written Statement of 25 November HCWS1092 and (at Col 22WS) Carer's Allowance Overpayments Review - Hansard - UK Parliament where I outlined the department’s response to Liz Sayce’s Independent Review. The Government has welcomed the report and is accepting or partially accepting 38 out of the 40 recommendations. In some cases, the changes the report is asking for have already been made. Others will take more time to put in place.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what safeguards are in place to ensure that parties appearing before the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal are informed of any material change in the nature of allegations made against them during proceedings: and what recourse is available when a change is not properly disclosed or explained.

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

The Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) Tribunal’s job is to establish if DWP’s decision was correct when it was originally made. As such, allegations are not part of the proceedings.

DWP lapsing a decision, which is where the department finds in a claimant’s favour before their appeal is heard by a tribunal, is the only situation in which the DWP could be considered to make a material change to its understanding of the case during proceedings. This change can only be made in the claimant’s favour and would be notified in writing to the claimant with accompanying appeal rights.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects the Health and Safety Executive to launch a public consultation as part of the statutory process for the potential renewal of the approval of glyphosate for use in Great Britain.

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

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expects to launch the statutory public consultation on the assessment of the renewal of the approval of glyphosate in Summer 2026. Further information can be found here Active substance renewal: glyphosate - HSE

The consultation will be hosted on the HSE consultation website, and they will announce the start of the consultation via their e-bulletin service. In line with the regulations, the consultation will last for 60 days.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with amputee charities regarding helping amputees into work.

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

Good work is good for health, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, including amputees, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity.

Blesma, the veterans’ limbless charity, are members of the Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum and have been members of a Universal Credit stakeholder forum and the Health Transformation Forum.

Disabled people are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.

We set out our plan for the “Pathways to Work Guarantee” in our Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, and are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and people 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.

Additionally, we have developed a digital information service for employers, oversees the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.

The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan also states the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what support is available to amputees seeking work.

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

Good work is good for health, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, including amputees, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity.

Blesma, the veterans’ limbless charity, are members of the Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum and have been members of a Universal Credit stakeholder forum and the Health Transformation Forum.

Disabled people are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.

We set out our plan for the “Pathways to Work Guarantee” in our Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, and are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and people 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.

Additionally, we have developed a digital information service for employers, oversees the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.

The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan also states the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Sikhs and Jews are recorded as (a) ethnic or (b) religious groups by the agencies his department is responsible for.

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

The Department adheres to the current harmonised definitions for ethnicity and religion, which are owned and managed by the Office for National Statistics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment their Department has made of trends in the level of discrimination faced by (a) Sikhs and (b) Jews as ethnic groups in the provision of their Department's services.

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

I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 18 July 2025 to PQ UIN 66615.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with local employers in the West Midlands on tackling skills shortages.

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

We recognise the important role that local employers have in addressing skills shortages, that is why Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are increasing the voice and influence that employers directly have in their local skills systems. The West Midlands LSIP is led by Coventry Chamber of Commerce, working collaboratively with: other Chambers of Commerce in the region; the West Midlands Combined Authority and a range of local employers; further- and higher- education training providers; and other stakeholders – including Job Centre Plus. When the new LSIP is developed this summer, it will provide strategic direction to the West Midlands skills system and an invaluable source of intelligence to the newly established Skills England, which has recently joined my Department.

Additionally, through both its national Strategic Relationship Team (SRT) and Job Centre Plus teams in the West Midlands, the DWP is working to address the skills shortages in the area. This includes delivering Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which give people job specific training and guaranteed interviews and running employer led academies in areas like construction, manufacturing and food production. The department is working with: industry bodies; West Midlands Combined Authority; local employers; and with organisations such as the Construction Industry Training Board and Skills for Care, to design training that meets real employer needs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help increase uptake of apprenticeships among young people in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

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

This government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people, including those in the Aldridge-Brownhills constituency, at the beginning of their careers.

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many civil servants employed by their Department work in roles primarily focused on (a) transgender policy, (b) diversity, (c) equity and (d) inclusion; and at what annual salary cost.

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

Dedicated EDI staff help DWP comply with equality legislation, making sure that vulnerable customers are supported. Proactive EDI initiatives can help prevent issues related to discrimination or exclusion, reducing grievances and costly disputes.

As of December 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) employed 84,373.2 paid full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. There are no roles within the Department that are primarily focused on transgender policy.

Roles considered to be primarily focused on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are as follows:

• 1 x Grade 6 – 0.86 FTE

• 8 x Grade 7 – 8 FTE
• 6 x Senior Executive Officers (SEO) – 5.3 FTE

This constitutes a total of 14.16 FTE staff, which represents approximately 0.02% of the Department’s total Paid FTE workforce as being EDI focused.

The annual expenditure associated with the salaries for staff whose roles are primarily focused on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (based on People & Capability Annual Average Salary and including employer pension and NI contributions) amounts to approximately £1,121,565.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average response time is for correspondence from members of the public and from Members of Parliament acting on behalf of their constituents; what targets are in place for responding to correspondence; and what steps the Department is taking to ensure that enquiries submitted via MPs’ offices are acknowledged and replied to promptly.

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

MP enquiries continue to be treated as a matter of high priority. There is clear guidance avail-able to all staff regarding the expected timeframe for responding to enquiries from MPs, which is accessible via the Department’s intranet.

The Department for Work and Pensions aims to respond to MP enquiries within 15 working days. Where this is not feasible, such as in complex cases, the Department remains committed to providing a response at the earliest opportunity.

Higher volumes of MP enquiries combined with a rise in more complex complaints, which take longer to investigate, has caused some delays with our responses. We are in the process of recruiting more complaint handlers to reduce our response times.

Data on responses to correspondence from MPs is regularly published and can be found here:

Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what career coaching, career transition, and redeployment support services are available to staff in his Department through centrally provided civil service programmes.

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

The table below shows the career and redeployment support options available to DWP employees.

The information is based on DWP’s use of the centrally provided Civil Service Learning Frameworks service. The data covers the period from January 2023 to December 2025.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to verify the ongoing residency of non-UK national claimants who have been absent from the UK for more than a month.

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

The Department uses the Habitual Residence Test (HRT) for income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit, to assess whether someone has a legal right to be here and whether they are factually resident in the UK. For an individual to be factually habitually resident they must have been present in the UK for an appreciable period, usually between one and three months, and have a settled intention to remain.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with small businesses on the apprenticeship system.

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

This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers and learners in England and support the industrial strategy. We recognise the importance of ensuring that small and medium sized (SME) employers can benefit from these reforms and continue to access apprenticeships.

The department engages regularly with employers and their representative organisations, including small businesses, to inform the ongoing development of the growth and skills levy. This includes regular sessions to explore how to simplify systems and processes as well as engagement with employers following the Budget on delivery of the next phase of the growth and skills levy.

Skills England also works closely with employers, training providers, unions and other key partners to identify priority skills gaps, helping ensure that the growth and skills levy delivers value for money, meets the needs of business and helps kick-start economic growth.

To ensure its work is shaped by real business experience, Skills England maintains regular dialogue with the B5 group of major employer organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses. It also has a dedicated SME sponsor on its board and an executive team actively engaging SMEs across the country, ensuring smaller firms have a strong voice in shaping the skills system.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Minister for Pensions' oral contribution during the Report Stage of the Pension Schemes Bill on 3 December 2025, Official Report, column 1043, whether the proposed statutory guidance on fiduciary duties and subsequent amendments to it will be subject to the negative or affirmative procedure for statutory instruments.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Government has set out its intention to develop statutory guidance for the trust-based private pensions sector. The proposed guidance intends to clarify how trustees can interpret and apply their existing duties, particularly when considering wider or longer-term factors in investment decision-making. Government is developing this guidance in partnership with the pensions sector and will consult on the draft guidance.

Further details including the legislation to underpin strategy guidance will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

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

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Government has set out its intention to develop statutory guidance for the trust-based private pensions sector. The proposed guidance intends to clarify how trustees can interpret and apply their existing duties, particularly when considering wider or longer-term factors in investment decision-making. Government is developing this guidance in partnership with the pensions sector and will consult on the draft guidance.

Further details including the legislation to underpin strategy guidance will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the discontinuation of the Skills Bootcamps programme on (a) upskilling and (b) retraining individuals in Somerset for 2026-27 financial year.

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

The Skills Bootcamp programme has not been discontinued.

We continue to support the delivery of Skills Bootcamps, in order to benefit more adults, employers, and the economy, and funding remains available for Skills Bootcamps in Somerset in the 2026-27 financial year.

We are giving local areas greater control of the delivery of Skills Bootcamps in line with our commitment to devolution, supporting areas to use Skills Bootcamps to more closely meet the needs of their local employers and economy.

A new funding model for local areas from 2026-27 will ensure the distribution of funding remains fit for purpose and sustainable as the programme matures.

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 statutory maternity pay rates that do not allow parents to receive 30 hours of free childcare on the ability of those parents to access childcare; and what steps he is taking to ensure that parents on statutory maternity pay can access childcare support while on maternity leave.

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

The 30 hours free childcare entitlement aims to support parents to return to work or to take on more hours if they wish. To be eligible, each working parent in a household must expect to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum/Living Wage (£195 per week/£10,158 per year for those over 21 in 2025-2026), and less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year. The minimum income threshold rises in line with National Minimum Wage increases at the beginning of the financial year.

Eligibility is based on expected income for the next 3 months following a parent’s declaration. To ensure parents continue to meet the income criteria for the entitlement, it is right that parents confirm they still meet the income threshold.

There is an exception for parents on parental leave or in receipt of statutory pay who are applying for an older child, not the subject of the parental leave. They can apply online at GOV.UK. For parents who are applying for the child that is the subject of their current parental leave, their return-to-work date will affect when they can apply and take up their free childcare place.

The Government is committed to making life better for families and has committed to review the parental leave and pay system. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements are in scope of the Parental Leave and Pay Review, including Statutory Maternity Pay.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of making injury-related pension enhancement and compensation elements protected within divorce settlements.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

People may be able to access a workplace or private pension earlier than the scheme’s normal minimum pension age due to ill health, subject to the rules of the individual scheme. These rules vary, and it is for schemes to determine the conditions under which benefits can be paid before the normal pension age and/or on enhanced terms.

Where an ill health pension is paid from an arrangement that meets the legal definition of an occupational pension scheme, it is generally a shareable asset in the event of a divorce. This applies even where the pension has been brought into payment early for ill health reasons.

There is a specific exception in legislation for benefits that arise solely due to disablement, or death resulting from an accident suffered by a person that occurs during their pensionable service. These rights are not shareable on divorce.

The division of assets in divorce proceedings is a matter for family courts, which make decisions based on the law of the country in which the divorce takes place. In England and Wales, this falls under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, for which responsibility rests with the Ministry of Justice.

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 Pensions Regulator on what estimate it has made of how many and what proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in (a) thermal coal-fired and (b) any other fossil fuel-fired power generation capacity; what assessment it has made of the potential impact of using UK pensions funds for expanding the use of fossil fuel on the markets of (i) the UK, (ii) Europe and (iii) any other country; and what estimate it has made of the value of UK pension funds invested in fossil fuels that are at risk of becoming stranded.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has not produced such estimates. As part of its supervision and to assist in understanding the link between performance and asset allocation, TPR now gets access to investment data from workplace pension schemes – including increased transparency on scheme decision-making, as well as probing investment governance standards.

Occupational pension schemes are required to set out how they consider financially material environmental, social and governance factors in their Statements of Investment Principles and to report annually on implementation. Larger schemes must also disclose their climate related risks and opportunities in line with the Task Force on Climate related Financial Disclosures framework. A 2024 TPR review found that more than 60% of sampled schemes had set a net zero goal for 2050 or earlier. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is currently undertaking a Post Implementation Review of the TCFD regime. We will report our findings this year.

In parallel, Government is working on the adoption of UK Sustainability Reporting Standards aligned with international standards and on mandating climate transition plans. TPR’s Transition Plan Working Group, which includes representatives from across the pensions industry, will report to the DWP in the spring. These initiatives will continue to strengthen transparency around scheme exposures to climate related risks and support the UK’s net-zero goals and broader green agenda.

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 additional per-apprentice cost to employers delivering (a) apprenticeship in engineering and (b) other high-cost apprenticeships following the changes to apprenticeship funding in August 2025.

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

As we introduce new products, such as apprenticeship units and foundation apprenticeships, we are also simplifying the Growth and Skills Levy, improving its transparency and making it more efficient.

Currently, levy-paying employer accounts can show large unspent balances (currently totalling around £6.5 billion) which far exceed our annual apprenticeship budget. This has led to an incorrect understanding that there are significant unspent funds available to spend. However, over the last four years, on average, 98% of the English apprenticeships budget has been spent.

The 10% government top-up is one cause of this problem and removing it, alongside reducing the expiry period to 12 months, means we can simplify the system and ensure levy balances are more closely aligned to the annual levy paid by employers. Existing funding will remain within accounts, with the changes applying only to new funds entering accounts.

We are also changing the government’s co-investment rate from 95% to 75% for levy-paying employers once they have exhausted all their funds. Levy-paying employers will still be able to benefit from a very generous government contribution once their funds are exhausted, but it is right that employers who utilise all their levy funds contribute more to apprenticeship training and assessment. This will support greater employer investment in skills overall and ensure funding is available to roll out further flexibility for business and increase opportunities for young people.

We will carefully monitor the impact of these changes once they take effect.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment on the potential impact of increasing employer co-investment to 25 per cent on the number of apprentices taken on by levy-paying employers.

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

As we introduce new products, such as apprenticeship units and foundation apprenticeships, we are also simplifying the Growth and Skills Levy, improving its transparency and making it more efficient.

Currently, levy-paying employer accounts can show large unspent balances (currently totalling around £6.5 billion) which far exceed our annual apprenticeship budget. This has led to an incorrect understanding that there are significant unspent funds available to spend. However, over the last four years, on average, 98% of the English apprenticeships budget has been spent.

The 10% government top-up is one cause of this problem and removing it, alongside reducing the expiry period to 12 months, means we can simplify the system and ensure levy balances are more closely aligned to the annual levy paid by employers. Existing funding will remain within accounts, with the changes applying only to new funds entering accounts.

We are also changing the government’s co-investment rate from 95% to 75% for levy-paying employers once they have exhausted all their funds. Levy-paying employers will still be able to benefit from a very generous government contribution once their funds are exhausted, but it is right that employers who utilise all their levy funds contribute more to apprenticeship training and assessment. This will support greater employer investment in skills overall and ensure funding is available to roll out further flexibility for business and increase opportunities for young people.

We will carefully monitor the impact of these changes once they take effect.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Service's arrears department is (i) office based and (ii) staffed through home working; how many people work for that team; what their response time is; and whether that response time is in line with their service level agreement.

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

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) arrears department operates using a combination of office‑based and hybrid working arrangements. CMS currently offers the opportunity to work a minimum of 60% of time in the office with 40% at home, although staff can choose to work more time in the office if they wish. Some choose to work in the office full time. The only exceptions to this are individual requirements as part of a reasonable adjustment. Hybrid working is not a contractual right and is therefore subject to change. There are currently 771 employees working in the arrears team.

CMS monitors the performance of the arrears function. Caseworker response times remain consistent across both office‑based and home‑working arrangements and continue to operate fully within the Service Level Agreement for the arrears function.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of removing the 10 per cent levy top-up on the affordability of apprenticeship training for small and medium-sized levy-paying employers.

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

As we introduce new products, such as apprenticeship units and foundation apprenticeships, we are also simplifying the Growth and Skills Levy, improving its transparency and making it more efficient.

Currently, levy-paying employer accounts can show large unspent balances (currently totalling around £6.5 billion) which far exceed our annual apprenticeship budget. This has led to an incorrect understanding that there are significant unspent funds available to spend. However, over the last four years, on average, 98% of the English apprenticeships budget has been spent.

The 10% government top-up is one cause of this problem and removing it, alongside reducing the expiry period to 12 months, means we can simplify the system and ensure levy balances are more closely aligned to the annual levy paid by employers. Existing funding will remain within accounts, with the changes applying only to new funds entering accounts.

We are also changing the government’s co-investment rate from 95% to 75% for levy-paying employers once they have exhausted all their funds. Levy-paying employers will still be able to benefit from a very generous government contribution once their funds are exhausted, but it is right that employers who utilise all their levy funds contribute more to apprenticeship training and assessment. This will support greater employer investment in skills overall and ensure funding is available to roll out further flexibility for business and increase opportunities for young people.

We will carefully monitor the impact of these changes once they take effect.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what outcome measures will be used to assess the first phase of the Job Guarantee rollout, and when the Department plans to publish the results.

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

As a part of our recent publication on the Jobs Guarantee, the department has published a draft Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) which outlines expected outcome measures that will be used to assess grants administered under phase one of the scheme.

Schedule 4, Part B of this draft GFA outlines the expected outputs and outcomes that may be assessed in Phase One of the scheme. Final outputs and outcomes will form part of final grant funding agreements made with successful grant applicants.

We will monitor performance throughout the first phase to inform the delivery of the national roll out later in 2026.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the benefit cap on children's physical and mental health outcomes, including nutrition, stress and access to early intervention services.

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

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

Alongside employment support, the department supports families in work through an exemption from the benefit cap for households earning at least £846 each month. There is also protection for the most vulnerable as those who are caring or are severely disabled are exempt from the benefit cap.

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

Furthermore, the Government is committed to rolling out Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority by April 2026 and creating up to 1,000 hubs across the country by the end of 2028. Family Hubs will offer universal, open access support for families and connect them to other local services such as healthcare, welfare, early education, and housing.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the existing exemptions from the benefit cap for households with disabled children, including whether those exemptions reflect the additional costs associated with disability.

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

The Government recognises that households with disabled children have additional costs and that is reflected in the support that is available for these families.

For example, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is available as a contribution to the extra costs associated with being disabled to those under the age of 16 who, due to a disability or health condition have mobility issues and/or care needs which are substantially in excess of a child the same age without the disability or health condition. Universal Credit also provides an additional amount for disabled children.

Households in receipt of disability and/or caring benefits, including child DLA, are exempt from the benefit cap. This reflects the impact a disability and/or caring responsibilities may have on a household's ability to work and earn enough to meet the benefit cap work exemption of at least £846 each month. Additionally, disability and caring benefits do not count towards the benefit cap.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in improving access to work for people with disabilities.

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

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

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

We also have recently concluded the Access to Work Collaboration Committees, in which we engaged with a range of stakeholders, including disabled people’s organisation representatives and those with lived experience, to provide discussion, experience, and challenge to the design of the future Access to Work Scheme.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the expenditure on the Milburn Review into youth inactivity has been.

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

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

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 14 October 2025 to Questions 77787, 77788 and 77789 on Pension Funds: Fossil Fuels, what estimate The Pensions Regulator has made of the (a) proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in (i) thermal coal-fired and (ii) other fossil fuel-fired power generation capacity, (b) contribution of UK pension funds to fossil fuel expansion in (i) the UK, (ii) Europe and (iii) other international markets and (c) value of UK pension fund assets invested in fossil fuels that are at risk of becoming stranded.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has not produced such estimates.

Occupational pension schemes are required to set out how they consider financially material environmental, social and governance factors in their Statements of Investment Principles and to report annually on implementation. Larger schemes must also disclose their climate related risks and opportunities in line with the Task Force on Climate related Financial Disclosures framework. A 2024 TPR review found that more than 60% of sampled schemes had set a net zero goal for 2050 or earlier. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is currently undertaking a Post Implementation Review of the TCFD regime. We will report our findings this year.

In parallel, Government is working on the adoption of UK Sustainability Reporting Standards aligned with international standards and on mandating climate transition plans. TPR’s Transition Plan Working Group, which includes representatives from across the pensions industry, will report to the DWP in the spring. These initiatives will continue to strengthen transparency around scheme exposures to climate related risks and support the UK’s net-zero goals and broader green agenda.

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 barriers to work for disabled people in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

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

Good work is good for health, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity.

Disabled people are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) in Primary Care and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.

DWP is working with the NHS and Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) as part of the Get Hertfordshire Working strategic plan. DWP and the NHS co-chair the Work and Health subgroup of the plan. This group is working with local employers and key partners from the statutory, education and voluntary sectors, to support residents with health conditions to both stay in and return to work through a range of activities such as employment and skills training and providing support in managing their health conditions. The group is also developing employment pathways such as work experience, internships, and apprenticeships with partner agencies.

DEAs in the Jobcentres supporting the constituency hold in-depth Work Ability conversations that focus on strengths, suitable work options, workplace adjustments and confidence building. There is a Weekly Wednesday Job Club for Berkhamsted customers. As part of the Pathways to Work initiative DEAs work in collaboration with HCC to deliver joined up services for residents by supporting disabled people into employment through our Connect to Work programme, referrals to Employment Advisors in Talking Therapies and IPS.

We set out our plan for the Pathways to Work Guarantee in our Pathways to Work Green Paper and are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and people 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.

The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan also states the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out how his Department will ensure that jobs under the Jobs Guarantee scheme are additional, including whether they represent newly created roles or existing vacancies.

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

Eligible young people participating in the scheme are likely to have multiple barriers and complex needs which may have prevented them from securing employment. The scheme will break the cycle of unemployment by guaranteeing meaningful paid employment opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.

It is a requirement of the Jobs Guarantee scheme that jobs created or sourced under the scheme do not cause existing employees or contractors to be displaced, dismissed, or to have their hours reduced.

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 trends in the availability of flexible, remote or hybrid working on mothers with childcare responsibilities, including in Basingstoke; whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) school hours, (b) school holidays and (c) the availability of informal childcare on women’s participation in the labour market; and whether his Department plans to take steps to help encourage employers to offer flexible roles that enable parents to (i) maintain employment, (ii) develop skills and (iii) reduce reliance on out-of-work benefits.

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

We’re delivering a modern deal for working parents through the Employment Rights Act. Improving access to flexible working to allow parents to fit work around their family life, and employers will be expected to agree flexible working requests unless there is a clear and reasonable reason why they can’t.

Access to childcare support is essential in enabling parents to move into or progress in employment. Eligible Universal Credit (UC) customers can be reimbursed up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month up to the maximum amounts (caps). The UC childcare offer can be used alongside the Department for Education’s early years and childcare entitlements in England to help cover costs of childcare during school holidays and before or after the school day, and there are similar offers in the Devolved Nations.

To deliver our long-term ambition, the Department for Education is leading a cross-government review of early education and childcare support to design and deliver a simpler system that maximises benefits for child development and parents’ ability to work or work more hours.

We are also investing up to £289m in Wraparound Childcare places before and after school, and during the school holidays, rolling out Free Universal Breakfast Clubs in every primary school, and spending over £200m each year on free Holiday Childcare places for our most disadvantaged children. These policies will ensure that parents have access to affordable, quality childcare so they can work, study, and train.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the expenditure on the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment is, including payments to external contractors and panel members.

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

Members of the Timms Review steering group will be paid at a rate of £300 a day, with an expected time commitment of up to 5 days a month. The Review’s two external co-chairs, who were appointed in October 2025, are paid at a rate of £400 a day, with the same expected time commitment. In addition to their fees, members of the steering group and the co-chairs will be reimbursed for any reasonable expenses, including travel, accommodation and the costs of any accessibility requirements required in the course of their work on the Review.

This approach is to remove financial barriers to participation, ensuring no one is excluded due to cost, and is based on strong feedback from disabled people and other experts.

The Department also put in a contract with The Public Service Consultants (PSC) to support the Review. This is the first time that the Government has undertaken co-production on this scale, and we want to ensure we have the expertise to get it right. The contract was signed by the Department on 29th December 2025. To date, there have been no payments through this contract to them as external contractors.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been paid in fees and expenses to external members appointed to the Timms Review.

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

Members of the Timms Review steering group will be paid at a rate of £300 a day, with an expected time commitment of up to 5 days a month. The Review’s two external co-chairs, who were appointed in October 2025, are paid at a rate of £400 a day, with the same expected time commitment. In addition to their fees, members of the steering group and the co-chairs will be reimbursed for any reasonable expenses, including travel, accommodation and the costs of any accessibility requirements required in the course of their work on the Review.

This approach is to remove financial barriers to participation, ensuring no one is excluded due to cost, and is based on strong feedback from disabled people and other experts.

The Department also put in a contract with The Public Service Consultants (PSC) to support the Review. This is the first time that the Government has undertaken co-production on this scale, and we want to ensure we have the expertise to get it right. The contract was signed by the Department on 29th December 2025. To date, there have been no payments through this contract to them as external contractors.

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 protect benefit claimants from being charged high fees by private companies for assistance with Personal Independence Payment applications.

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

We are aware that some private companies provide advice on how to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP), including some who may charge a fee for their services.

For those claiming PIP, we provide detailed guidance and information. We would also encourage individuals to seek advice from sources such as charities and Citizen’s Advice, which offer reliable and trustworthy guidance without charge.

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 trends in (a) pensioner poverty and (b) child poverty across the UK.

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

Statistics on the number of pensioners living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK. The table showing the percentage of pensioners in relative poverty over time by region is published as “table 6.10ts” of “pensioners- hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2023-24-tables”.

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are pub-lished annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK. The table showing the percentage of children in relative poverty over time is published as “table 4.1tr” of “children-trends-hbai-1994-95-2023-24-tables”.

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

The latest statistics published on 27 March 2025 are up to and including 2023/24. The latest available data can also be found on https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to use it can be found here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/User-Guide.html.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles that are purchased through the Motability Scheme are produced in the United Kingdom.

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

The Secretary of State regularly meets with colleagues across government to discuss a range of issues.

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

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

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what capacity his Department has made available for Work Capability Assessments in the next six months; and what the backlog of cases is.

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

During the second half of 2024, DWP experienced a much higher level of demand for new Work Capability Assessments (WCA) than envisaged. As a result, 34,000 reassessments built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We have worked with suppliers to rapidly increase capacity to clear this, including by accelerating the recruitment and training of additional assessors. As of 31 January 2026, 14,000 of these cases remain, and we expect the remainder to be cleared in the coming months.

In the meantime, claimants awaiting a reassessment will continue to receive their current rate. Where a reassessment leads to entitlement to a higher rate of benefit, that rate will be backdated accordingly.

Please note:

• All volumes have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.
• All of the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the Assessment Suppliers
• The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of applications for the Access To Work scheme had a wait time of more than two weeks from submitting an application to receiving a decision in 2025 in (a) Berkshire and (b) the UK.

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

The Department does not hold data on Access to Work application processing times at the level requested. Determining this information would require manually reviewing individual applications which would incur disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the estimated total Universal Credit expenditure is for 16 to 21 year olds who are receiving the UC health element, including the standard allowance and other elements, and for all ages receiving the health element, for each financial year since 2019/20.

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

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

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people became unemployed while waiting for a decision on their application to the Access To Work Scheme in 2025.

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

This information is not held. Access to Work is available only to those in, or about to begin, employment, so this information is not recorded.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support young people pursuing apprenticeships who are unable to obtain English and Maths GCSEs; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the requirement to obtain English and Maths GCSEs when irrelevant to their chosen vocation on young people's confidence and self belief.

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

Young people are not required to hold GCSE qualifications in English and/or maths before starting an apprenticeship.

Apprentices under the age of 19 are funded to achieve up to a level 2 qualification in English and/or maths (where they do not already hold one) before the end of their apprenticeship, putting them in the best position to progress in their life and career. This can be a GCSE or functional skills qualification.

Further flexibility is in place for apprentices with a learning difficulty and/or disability, where there is evidence this is likely to be a barrier to them completing their apprenticeship. In these cases, they are able to achieve an entry level 3 functional skills qualification to complete. Since August 2024, this flexibility has been available to apprentices with a learning difficulty and/or disability but without an Education Health and Care Plan.

Found: efficiency installations HC 1229 61st Financial sustainability of children’s care homes HC 1233 60th DWP

Found: We did it with benefits fraud, where as well as the DWP that, local government, health or education

Found: There has been a failure on the part of both the Department of Work and Pension (DWP) and the FCDO

Found: SUM(B42:C42)Department of Health - Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant -56.7=SUM(B43:C43)DWP

Found: I work very closely with HMRC and DWP—Treasury sits on a lot of their investment boards and delivery

Found: consultations launched by the Department for Business 2 and Trade and the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: Official Official Baroness Sherlock OBE Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

Found:  In the context of welfare and social security, the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has

Found: Example 2 – UK welfare fraud AI: the Department for Work and Pensions (‘DWP’) operates a machine learning

Found: must now work quickly to provide redress to the people affected. recommendation Within six months, DWP

Found: small and medium sized businesses, 31 July 2025, p43 195 Department for Education, Department for Work and Pensions

Found: Local Government Housing Dispute Policy Renters Rights £23.649m £23.649m £17.212m Department for Work and Pensions

Found: Transfer from DSIT for contribution to the Matrix programme. 3.3 0.0 3.3 0.0 0.0 3.3 Transfer from DWP

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

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

Found: If they are sitting and assisting somebody with a DWP problem or a housing problem, they are acting

Found: If they are sitting and assisting somebody with a DWP problem or a housing problem, they are acting

Found: The consultation acknowledges: "In June 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reported that

Found: Once you take into account housing benefit going out from the DWP as well, the maths gets even simpler

Found: So if you are sitting at HMRC or DWP, for example, you are managing quite a different set of problems

Found: awareness, one was on preconception health and prevention of long-term conditions for women, one was with DWP—chaired

Found: been derived primarily from estimates from a combination of Home Office border data and HMRC and DWP

Found: visas, border and immigration data from the Home Office, and, for British nationals, we use data from DWP

Found: If we can link to DWP data, then we can discover the likelihood that people will receive benefits.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions her Department has had with industry on the number of flight instructors; and assessment she has made of the capacity of flight schools to train commercial airline pilots.

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

Ministers and officials engage regularly with industry and trade bodies (including the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) on all aviation skills issues.

As the UK aviation sector operates predominantly in the private sector, it is for individual airlines to recruit and train pilots to meet today’s demand and the demand of the future.

A major training organisation has now been approved to deliver the first officer apprenticeship, which would provide training completely cost-free to young people. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and Skills England to encourage airlines to deliver this apprenticeship.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provision of data on employee health benefits to SME decision makers on levels of employee ill health.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is working with the Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health and Social Care on the Keep Britain Working Vanguard Phase, focused on tackling health-related economic inactivity and promoting healthy and inclusive workplaces. We are partnering with employers of all sectors and sizes, including SMEs, alongside employee health benefit providers, to test and identify what interventions are most effective in preventing and managing employee ill health. This will include exploring what support SMEs need to make informed decisions about accessing suitable health benefit provision.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help increase workforce numbers in the farming and agriculture sectors in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises that access to a sufficient workforce is essential for the resilience and productivity of the farming and agriculture sectors.

Defra works closely with other Government departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Education, to support workforce supply and ensure that employers in agriculture can access the people and skills they need. This includes engagement on employment programmes, skills routes and local delivery, which can benefit businesses in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and across England.

Through the agricultural reform programme, we are investing £2.7 billion a year to support productivity, innovation and business resilience, helping to make farming and agriculture more sustainable and attractive as long-term careers.

The DWP delivers Sector-based Work Academy Programmes, which provide training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview tailored to employer needs. Between April 2021 and December 2025, DWP delivered 1,380 SWAP starts in the agriculture sector, helping employers to recruit and support people into agricultural roles.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce regional differences in life expectancy; and what steps they are taking to account for housing, employment and environmental factors in health policy.

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

The Government is committed to increasing the amount of time people spend in good health and to preventing premature deaths, with an ambitious commitment to halve the healthy life expectancy gap between the richest and poorest regions.

Our 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out a reimagined service designed to tackle inequalities in both access and outcomes, as well as to give everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, the means to engage with the health service on their own terms.

The 10-Year Health Plan and the Environmental Improvement Plan set out how the Government will take action to reduce exposure to harmful emissions of air pollutants. This includes action on domestic burning, on which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have recently launched a consultation.

The 10-Year Health Plan also sets out actions to address poor quality housing and improve the standard of rented homes, alongside £15 billion of investment announced in the Warm Homes Plan. £5 billion of this will be targeted at low-income and fuel poor households. This will help to make homes warmer, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient, which in turn will improve health and reduce health inequalities.

Further to this, the Government recognises that good-quality employment is an important determinant of good health. Sir Charlie Mayfield has submitted the Keep Britain Working review, which highlights how crucial it is to support people to stay healthy and in work.

In partnership with the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Work and Pensions, we are rapidly translating Sir Charlie’s key recommendations into action.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Councillor Stephen Lismore

We ask the UK Government to introduce a fully funded national retraining programme, delivered in partnership with the DWP or CITB, to support people in gaining NVQ3 qualifications in electrician, plumbing, or mechanical engineering.

Found: Government to introduce a fully funded national retraining programme, delivered in partnership with the DWP

Found: The spending review settlements for DWP and HMRC for the next three years include specific investments

Found: a workplace assessment, carried out by a DWP contractor.

Found: The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) typically approves support for individuals for three years,

Found: Date: 6 Feb 2026 Topics: Employment, Work, welfare and pensions Departments: Department for Work and Pensions

Found: Capital Total Net Budget Resource Capital Non-Budget Expenditure Net Cash Requirement Department for Work and Pensions

Found: Capital 59,100 45,000 Non-Budget Expenditure - - Net Cash Requirement 508,200 228,690 Department for Work and Pensions

Found: (DWP) to cover Bootcamp overspends relating to MOG (Prog) 63,000,000 (Section M) BCT

Found: (DWP) to cover Bootcamp overspends relating to MOG (Prog) 63,000,000 (Section M) BCT

Found: non-material transactions with other government departments, HM Revenue & Customs, Department for Work and Pensions

Found: transferable skills the Armed Forces provide, from engineering, cyber and logistics— bringing the MoD and DWP

Found: The Department for Work and Pensions is still considering its position regarding Job Centres.

Found: FROMLORDKATZMBEGOVERNMENTWHIPS’OFFICE GOV 02072196802 HIP.CO,DEFRA,DWP,FCDO,HO,HOUSEOFLORDS WoLONDONSW1AOPW

Found: FROMLORDKATZMBEGOVERNMENTWHIPS’OFFICE GOVERNMENTWHIPCO,DEFRA,DWP,FCDO,110,HOUSEOFLORDS SOANDWOLONDONSWIAOPW

Found: FROMLORDKATZMBEGOVERNMENTWIIIPS’OFFICE NTWHIPCO,DEFRA,DWP,FCDO,HO,HOUSEOFLORDS WOLONDONSWIAOPW 02072196802

Found: comparing this to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) process, which is delivered by Department for Work and Pensions

Found: gov.scot 13 Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics 14 In May 2024, the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: differs from other employability support programmes such as Fair Start Scotland and those offered by DWP

Found: including a skills proposal and skills hub, as well as a skills passport pilot being developed with DWP

Found: operating at arm’s length from government and is accountable to Parliament through the Department for Work and Pensions

Found: which on reflection could have been more supportive, and there was significant backlash. 9 DWP

Found: from received date in Accounts Payable)29/12/2024 901.45 16/01/2025Information not held DEPARTMENT FOR WORK AND PENSIONS

Found: the Scottish Government pay award • if you were an employee of an OGD, for example, Department for Work and Pensions

Found: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Department for Work and Pensions (DWP

Found: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Department for Work and Pensions (DWP

Found: Local authorities should work with local Department for Work and Pensions offices, Job Centre Plus and

Found: Local authorities should work with local Department for Work and Pensions offices, Job Centre Plus and

Found: Evaluation CRM Customer Relationship Management CRN Companies House Registration Number DWP