Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the findings of PwC’s Youth Employment Index regarding the role of long-term sickness in driving youth economic inactivity.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Long-term sickness continues to be the most common reason for economic inactivity in the working age population. Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, 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.
Young disabled people and young people with health conditions 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 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.
Additionally, the Youth Guarantee and Pathways to Work will guarantee specialist support for young people with long-term health conditions and disabled young people. We have announced an £820 million funding package for the Youth Guarantee to overhaul support and give a generation of young people a brighter future.
We set out our plan for the “Pathways to Work Guarantee” in our Pathways to Work Green Paper and we are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits. The guarantee is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by the end of the decade. We anticipate the guarantee, once fully rolled out, will include: a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement, and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support.
In recognition of employers’ vital role in addressing health-related economic activity, we appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the independent Keep Britain Working Review. The Report was published on 5 November. In partnership with DBT and DHSC, we are immediately launching Vanguards to test new employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in work and develop a Healthy Workplace Standard, putting Sir Charlie’s key recommendations into action from day one. Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.
The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated our 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.
Additionally, Alan Milburn will author an independent report to tackle the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training. The report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun, with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability. It will make recommendations for policy response to help young people with health conditions access work, training or education, ensuring they are supported to thrive and are not sidelined. It will complement the Timms Review by focusing specifically on the links between youth mental health, economic inactivity and the benefit system.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of young people entering high-quality apprenticeships, particularly in places with historically low participation.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people at the beginning of their careers.
In August, 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.
More recently, we have announced our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and backed this with an additional £725 million of investment. This will enable us to expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people. It also provides £140 million to pilot new approaches, with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to better connect young people aged 16–24, especially those who are NEET, to local apprenticeship opportunities.
In addition, from the next academic year, the government will fully fund apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers (essentially small and medium sized enterprises) for all eligible people aged under 25. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. This change will make it easier for those employers to engage with apprenticeships by cutting costs and reducing bureaucracy for both them and their training providers.
We also provide £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care. Additionally, employers benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve labour market transitions for graduates and strengthen the capacity of the economy to absorb new labour market entrants.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Economic growth is the Government’s first mission: creating good jobs, raising living standards and improving public services. We are committed to ensuring that there is a vibrant and diverse labour market in the UK which offers good jobs for graduates and new labour market entrants. As part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we committed to reforming our public employment service through building a Jobs and Careers Service and as set out to the House of Commons on 8 December 2025, the Work and Pensions Secretary announced the expansion of our Youth Guarantee.
The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, published in October 2025, outlined our plan to deliver the skilled workforce our economy needs and provides graduate focused reforms that will ensure graduates have pathways into priority sectors with real labour market demand. The reforms include more flexible opportunities for graduates to retrain or upskill, more provision for blended learning and employer aligned courses and regionally expanded training aligned to priority sectors, delivered through Skills England and Strategic Authorities. Graduates in areas like digital, engineering, defence, and construction will benefit from more tailored pathways and employer partnerships.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assess the level and effects of occupational formaldehyde exposure, particularly but not solely in the medical and veterinary fields; and what steps they plan to take to reduce damage to health from exposure.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (2002) (COSHH) (as amended) is a robust and well-established regulatory framework in place to protect workers from the health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace, including formaldehyde.
Under COSHH, it is the responsibility of each employer to assess the risk from their work activities involving formaldehyde and to ensure that the exposure of their employees to this hazardous substance is either prevented, or where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled.
Where workers or members of the public have serious concerns regarding the compliance of individual employers with these regulations, these can be raised with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) where concerns are triaged, and appropriate action taken to ensure employers are adequately controlling the risks from working with formaldehyde.
HSE is also working with stakeholder groups to remind employers of their duty to protect their employees from the risks associated with working with formaldehyde.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the funding available for apprenticeship training, so that small and medium-sized enterprises can take on more apprentices.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people at the beginning of their careers.
In August, 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.
More recently, we have announced our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and backed this with an additional £725 million of investment. This will enable us to expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people. It also provides £140 million to pilot new approaches, with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to better connect young people aged 16–24, especially those who are NEET, to local apprenticeship opportunities.
In addition, from the next academic year, the government will fully fund apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers (essentially small and medium sized enterprises) for all eligible people aged under 25. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. This change will make it easier for those employers to engage with apprenticeships by cutting costs and reducing bureaucracy for both them and their training providers.
We also provide £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care. Additionally, employers benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of current apprenticeship standards in meeting the UK’s future workforce needs in the digital and green industries.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
One of Skills England’s priorities is co-creating and refining a set of education and training products with employers and other partners, including occupational standards, apprenticeships and technical qualifications. Skills England is working with employers and other experts as well as analysing data to ensure apprenticeships and technical qualifications meet the needs of the current and future workforce.
Apprenticeships and technical education in the digital route play a crucial role in developing the next generation of skilled tech professionals, equipping them with the technical expertise and practical experience needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry.
Skills England have approved 34 digital apprenticeship standards representing a range of technical roles (e.g. digital support, network and telecoms, cyber, software design and development, data and AI) and unlike most occupations, they underpin a range of industries and employment sectors.
Skills England also has regular meetings with other government departments including DESNZ and DWP to ensure technical education supports Industrial Strategy priority sectors such as Digital and Clean Energy in order to drive growth.
The government’s Clean Energy Superpower mission includes challenging targets to provide lower cost, clean, secure power, with good jobs. The government published a Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan in June and a Clean Energy Jobs Plan in October. These documents set out how the government will contribute to the skills pipeline by making sure skills gaps in green industries are filled through a package of recruitment and training.
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 steps his Department is taking to support pensioners with (a) energy, (b) food and (c) housing costs in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
This Government provides a range of measures to help pensioners with the cost of living.
Most significantly, the Government’s commitment to supporting and delivering for older people by maintaining the Triple Lock throughout this Parliament will ensure the value of State Pensions continues to rise faster than prices over time. On current forecasts it means pensioners’ yearly incomes are set to rise by up to £2,100 by the end of this Parliament.
From this Winter, around 9 million pensioners in England and Wales, over three quarters of all pensioners, will benefit from Winter Fuel Payments. In addition, for eligible households, Cold Weather Payments are made automatically during periods of severe weather, and the Warm Home Discount provides a £150 annual rebate on electricity bills. Pensioners receiving Pension Credit qualify automatically for Cold Weather Payments and the Warm Home Discount.
Pension Credit continues to provide invaluable financial support to help low-income pensioners with their day-to-day living costs. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign, promoting it to eligible pensioners, their families and friends, so that more pensioners receive the financial help to which they are entitled. Housing Benefit is also available to help pensioners who rent their homes. Pensioner homeowners who receive an income-related benefit, including Pension Credit, can receive Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), which provides help towards the interest on eligible loans secured against their home and means they can stay in their homes without fear of repossession.
Finally, we have enabled local authorities such as Surrey County Council to provide discretionary assistance to pensioners facing hardship, through the Household Support Fund, which has been extended until March 2026. This fund helps vulnerable households with the cost of essentials such as food and energy.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people with a serious or terminal diagnosis are not required to repay benefit overpayments that arose due to official error, particularly in cases in which the claimant notified the Department promptly that they believed they were receiving benefits to which they were not entitled.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
All DWP colleagues are trained to support our most vulnerable customers and have access to a wide range of guidance to support them.
DWP will always strive to set affordable and sustainable repayment plans and encourages customers to make contact if they are unable to afford the proposed repayment rate.
People with a serious or terminal diagnosis can request that DWP cease recovery of their overpayment. This is a waiver request and details for claimants can be found here in Chapter 8 of this link : Benefit overpayment recovery guide - GOV.UK.
Claimants can also request mandatory reconsiderations and have the right to appeal overpayment decisions. This link sets out the path for this: Challenge a benefit decision (mandatory reconsideration): Eligibility - GOV.UK
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to use AI and digital technology to improve the efficacy of job and employment services.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are adopting AI in DWP to help colleagues deliver better outcomes for customers and to improve productivity and efficiency.
We will develop the Jobs and Careers Service to better support jobseekers and employers. As part of the design of the service, we will explore and test the most appropriate use of technology (including AI) to support job seekers with their work search.
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 his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for construction-related courses in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 November 2025 to Parliamentary Question UIN 90589.