Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
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 people with health conditions into work.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is committed to championing the rights of, and helping, disabled people and people with health conditions. More people with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work through our Pathways to Work offer which includes the Connect to Work Supported Employment programme, and through the expansion across England of our groundbreaking programme WorkWell.
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, on how many occasions in the last five years Work Capability Assessors have exceeded minimum daily assessment requirements.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has not set a specified number of Work Capability Assessments that health professionals (HP) are expected to complete per day. The number of assessments completed can vary depending on the type of assessment (telephone, video, or face‑to‑face), the claimant’s condition, and any additional evidence required, as these appointments have fixed time slots and are delivered through different channels.
While we do have expectations for the total number of assessments conducted by Functional Assessment Service (FAS) suppliers, these would be aggregate monthly numbers across their entire workforce, not individual targets for specific HPs.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Work Capability Assessments assessors are required to process per day.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has not set a specified number of Work Capability Assessments that health professionals (HP) are expected to complete per day. The number of assessments completed can vary depending on the type of assessment (telephone, video, or face‑to‑face), the claimant’s condition, and any additional evidence required, as these appointments have fixed time slots and are delivered through different channels.
While we do have expectations for the total number of assessments conducted by Functional Assessment Service (FAS) suppliers, these would be aggregate monthly numbers across their entire workforce, not individual targets for specific HPs.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 111895, what plans his Department has to engage with the private sector on delivery options for the digital element of the new Jobs and Careers Service.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is preparing to undertake a market engagement exercise to understand the range of products and services that could support and enhance the Jobs and Career Service. These opportunities will be published on Find a Tender in due course.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 111898, what the evaluated costs are for delivering and operating the digital elements of the Jobs and Careers Service in-house compared with using private-sector technology.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 10th December to PQ 96593.
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 discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect to trends in unemployment since July 2024.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since November 2024, employment is up by over 454,000, youth employment by 126,000, and the ethnic minority employment rate has risen to 69.9%. The UK’s employment rate has remained stable at 75% over the past year and we’ve seen other positive labour market trends. While unemployment has risen slightly to 5.2%, this is still below the average unemployment rate seen under the last government. Crucially, part of the rise in unemployment is driven by the fall in inactivity as more people are actively seeking work.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 adequacy of the Personal Independence Payment application process.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We understand that the current application process can feel outdated and challenging for some. The Health Transformation Programme is transforming the entire PIP service to improve the customer experience and efficiency of the service, build trust in our decisions and support people to enter or remain in work.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the Timms Review plans to engage with disabled people reliant on both personal independence payment and means-tested benefits.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Timms Review is committed to a wide programme of participation and engagement, drawing on a broad range of evidence and voices. The Terms of Reference state the Review must be “co-produced with disabled people, along with the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard”.
The Review’s steering group will set out shortly its initial plans for engagement.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 111895, what delivery options his Department is considering for the digital elements of the Jobs and Careers Service.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is considering a wide range of delivery options for the Jobs and Careers Service.
Currently several elements of the Jobs and Careers new digital service have already been assessed and the decision taken to build some of these elements in house. For other digital elements, the Department is preparing to undertake a market engagement exercise to understand the range of digital products and services that could support and enhance the Jobs and Career Service. The outcome of this engagement will help inform the future delivery strategy for the Jobs and Career Service.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the MP hotline can be used by hon. Members for raising non-emergency queries about claimants who have been sent housing payment demands as a result of being migrated from ESA to Universal Credit.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recognise that for some customers, the transition to Universal Credit can feel complex at the outset. To support individuals during this period, dedicated help is available through our Universal Credit helpline, where colleagues can provide guidance and reassurance tailored to their circumstances.
The Department’s MP Hotlines are specifically intended for urgent, non‑complex enquiries where a claimant may be at risk of harm to their wellbeing, facing an imminent loss of income, or experiencing another situation requiring immediate intervention. As such, they are not designed for routine or non‑urgent matters, including standard enquiries relating to managed migration from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit or issues relating to the issuing of housing payment notifications.
Hon. Members wishing to raise non‑emergency enquiries of this type are encouraged to use the Department’s established written correspondence routes. This ensures that all enquiries are properly logged, triaged, and responded to in a way that allows us to provide thorough and appropriate support to constituents.