Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 benefit sanctions on people forced into prostitution due to destitution.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The core objective of Universal Credit is to support people who are out of work or on a low income to enter work, earn more, or to prepare for work in the future, and claimants are generally expected to undertake certain work-related activities in return for financial support.
Any work-related requirements are agreed in discussion with the claimant and will always be tailored in light of a claimant’s circumstances, ensuring they are realistic and achievable. Work coaches have the flexibility to personalise work-related requirements for claimants based on the impact of any health condition, caring responsibilities, or other circumstance.
A sanction is only applicable where a claimant fails to undertake their agreed activity without good reason. Before a sanction decision is made, claimants are always asked to provide their reasoning, and several safety measures, including checking for any vulnerabilities, are in place before deciding whether a sanction is applicable. These include: checking to see if the claimants circumstances had changed and if the requirement remained reasonable; considering whether the claimant had undertaken alternative activity that means the requirement was met; and reviewing any known vulnerabilities and their impact on a claimant’s ability to meet their requirements.
If a claimant is sanctioned and can demonstrate that they cannot meet their most immediate and essential needs, we also have a system of recoverable hardship payments. These needs can include heating, food, and hygiene.
DWP’s commitments to the violence against women and girls (VAWG) Strategy will help align us with the wider cross government ambition to tackle sexual exploitation. This includes strengthening the training and guidance provided to frontline staff and Domestic Abuse SPOCs, ensuring they are better equipped to recognise and respond to all forms of VAWG, including sexual exploitation. In addition, DWP is rolling out its 5-year plan for safeguarding following the Written Statement in December 2025.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many apprentices the Department recruited in 2025, compared with the figures for i. 2022, ii. 2023 and iii. 2024.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As the policy holder for apprenticeships and skills, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognises the value of apprenticeships in building skills and kickstarting careers. We are committed to creating meaningful apprenticeship opportunities within our department and are proud to be 6th in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers ranking.
Since 2022, we have created opportunities for over 500 Universal Credit claimants to start a Level 2 or 3 apprenticeship with entry-level work experience within the department through our Social Mobility Apprenticeship scheme, with many apprentices securing permanent employment in DWP. We have also created apprenticeship opportunities for young people who would have otherwise been at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET) through our School Leaver SMA scheme.
In 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions had 907 apprenticeship starts, compared with 1824 in 2022, 1348 in 2023 and 1142 in 2024. Numbers have been limited in recent years by headcount restrictions in the Civil Service. At the same time, we have diversified our entry routeways including an increased focus on our other life chances schemes such as Movement to Work, in addition to apprenticeship opportunities. We have also focussed on improving the overall quality and relevance of our apprenticeship programmes to ensure that they support colleagues to develop the right skills and capabilities for DWP roles, particularly in priority areas such as Digital and Counter Fraud.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department’s disciplinary report only shows current live, on-going disciplinary cases and those closed within the past 12 months. There is also no detail on the disciplinary report that specifically states breaches of Civil Service Code as the reason for disciplinary. This information would only be available at disproportionate cost.
Civil Servants are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant UIN 87565 what steps his Department is taking to address the challenges it has identified in the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for young people in supported accommodation, and whether a timetable has been set for considering potential reforms.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As confirmed at Autumn Budget, we will be introducing new earned income disregards for those in receipt of Housing Benefit and live in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation. This will help smooth the transition between the Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, and reduce the financial cliff edge for individuals in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation as they move into work or increase their hours.
This will require legislative changes and be accompanied by IT changes made to local authority IT systems. In preparation for this, we have already begun engagement with stakeholders to ensure that the implementation meets the needs of those affected. This is accompanied by clear communications to support local authorities, housing providers and third sector organisations to ensure that eligible customers are aware of and able to utilise this change.
The new disregards will be in place from Autumn 2026.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the £53 million support package to be administered under the Crisis and Resilience Fund for off-gas grid households using heating oil will be allocated to Norfolk.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Of the £53 million of funding to support low-income households reliant on oil for heating, £27 million has been allocated to England and will be delivered via the Crisis and Resilience Fund. This is in addition to £842 million a year that has already been committed through the Crisis and Resilience Fund at Spending Review 2025, which all unitary and upper tier authorities in England will receive to support vulnerable and low-income households facing financial shocks, including rising essential costs such as energy.
Norfolk has been allocated £3,055,625 to distribute to households the local authority considers most in need. Allocations have been published on gov.uk (Crisis and Resilience fund to support low-income heating oil households).
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve transparency in Child Maintenance Service decision‑making.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to making its decisions clear, accessible, and transparent.
Whenever a decision is made that affects a child maintenance calculation or payment arrangements, CMS issues notifications to customers explaining the outcome. Where the maintenance calculation changes, customers are provided with information setting out how the new calculation has been reached.
CMS is taking steps to improve communications with parents by simplifying content and retiring outdated letters. In addition, the online My Child Maintenance Case service enables parents to view their case details, track changes, check their current position and view digital copies of notifications at any time. CMS are continuing to develop this service to provide even more information to customers.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what was the total value of non-contractual severance payments across the department in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) companion animal care functions and (b) informal caregiving on labour market participation.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has made no assessment of pet‑related factors on labour market participation, productivity or flexibility.
The Government does not collect or hold information on the impact that pet ownership has on the labour market.
With regard to comparative assessments between companion animal care functions and informal caregiving, the Department has made no such assessment.
However, the Department has published analysis and research on informal care and employment. This can be found in the Informal Carers and Employment: Summary Report of a Systematic Review, available at: Informal carers and employment: summary report of a systematic review - GOV.UK
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to The Universal Credit (Earned Income) Amendment Regulations 2020, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of moving double-paydays to subsequent assessment periods on (a) working Universal Credit recipients and (b) resourcing within her Department; and what steps she is taking to reduce the impact on (i) claimants and (ii) resources.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department recognises that receiving two sets of earnings from the same employer within a single Universal Credit assessment period can create unexpected fluctuations in a claimant’s award. This situation typically occurs when a claimant’s monthly payday falls very close to the end of their assessment period, resulting in two wage payments being reported through HMRC’s Real Time Information (RTI) system in the same month. To address this, the Universal Credit (Earned Income) Amendment Regulations 2020 were introduced, allowing one set of monthly paid earnings to be reallocated to a different assessment period to ensure awards are calculated fairly. This rule only applies where earnings are paid calendar monthly.
The Department’s assessment found that enabling the reallocation of earnings has a positive impact on working UC recipients. By smoothing income across assessment periods, the change reduces financial volatility for the relatively small number of households affected and helps maintain a regular payment cycle. Importantly, it also prevents claimants from losing their Work Allowance in months when double reporting would otherwise occur.
Most cases affected by double earnings are now identified and corrected automatically, minimising any burden on customers and administrative pressure on the Department.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, of the households exempt from the Benefit Cap due to receipt of the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element of Universal Credit, how many contain a second working age adult who is not in receipt of LCWRA.
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.