Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leicester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 12 November (HL11411), why they continue to use benefit sanctions in the light of the finding of the draft report Impact of Benefit Sanctions on Employment Outcomes, published on 6 April 2024, that "a sanction leads the average claimant to exit less quickly into pay as you earn earnings and to earn less upon exiting."
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Benefit sanctions form part of a wider approach to social security, acting as both a consequence for those who do not meet their work-related requirements without good reason, and as a deterrent to encourage claimants to continue to comply with their obligations.
The analysis in The Impact of Benefit Sanctions on Employment Outcomes: draft report is limited to the impact on those who were sanctioned due to non-compliance with their Universal Credit claimant commitment and excludes any claimants who were not sanctioned. It does not address the deterrent impact of sanctions and therefore does not represent a comprehensive picture of the effectiveness of sanctions within the wider social security system.
Our goal is to ensure that all those who can work should be supported to do so. Our work coaches stand ready to help people to get into work or to move closer to the labour market, depending on their circumstances. And we are investing record amounts in supporting customers to overcome barriers to work whether related to health, skills, childcare or other things that stand in their way.
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 coaches there were in each English district in each month since July 2024.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The tables below provide Work Coach data by English District from July 24 to August 25.
DISTRICT | Jul-24 | Aug-24 | Sep-24 | Oct-24 | Nov-24 |
Avon Somerset & Gloucester | 390 | 400 | 390 | 400 | 400 |
Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire | 340 | 350 | 360 | 380 | 380 |
Berkshire Bucks & Oxford | 420 | 420 | 440 | 470 | 460 |
Birmingham & Solihull | 690 | 700 | 700 | 690 | 690 |
Black Country | 530 | 530 | 520 | 520 | 510 |
Cheshire | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
Cumbria & Lancashire | 540 | 540 | 550 | 540 | 540 |
Default DWP National | 30 | 20 | 20 | 30 | 20 |
Devon & Cornwall | 320 | 340 | 340 | 350 | 360 |
Dorset Wiltshire Hampshire & Iow | 660 | 680 | 690 | 690 | 690 |
Durham & Tees Valley | 370 | 370 | 370 | 370 | 360 |
East Anglia | 520 | 510 | 510 | 520 | 530 |
East London | 780 | 790 | 830 | 870 | 870 |
Essex | 390 | 390 | 400 | 400 | 400 |
Greater Manchester | 980 | 980 | 990 | 1,010 | 1,030 |
Kent | 440 | 450 | 450 | 440 | 430 |
Leicestershire & Northamptonshire | 420 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 430 |
Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire & Rutland | 550 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 530 |
Mercia | 520 | 510 | 500 | 490 | 480 |
Merseyside | 480 | 470 | 480 | 470 | 480 |
North East Yorkshire & The Humber | 370 | 370 | 380 | 380 | 380 |
North London | 700 | 690 | 620 | 630 | 630 |
Northumberland Tyne & Wear | 460 | 450 | 450 | 440 | 440 |
South London | 840 | 850 | 970 | 1,010 | 990 |
South Yorkshire | 400 | 400 | 400 | 390 | 390 |
Staffordshire And Derbyshire | 520 | 520 | 510 | 510 | 500 |
Surrey & Sussex | 510 | 500 | 480 | 490 | 500 |
West London | 660 | 660 | 680 | 710 | 710 |
West Yorkshire | 780 | 790 | 800 | 810 | 810 |
Grand Total | 14,740 | 14,800 | 14,940 | 15,120 | 15,110 |
DISTRICT | Dec-24 | Jan-25 | Feb-25 | Mar-25 | Apr-25 |
Avon Somerset & Gloucester | 390 | 410 | 430 | 420 | 420 |
Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire | 370 | 380 | 390 | 390 | 400 |
Berkshire Bucks & Oxford | 350 | 350 | 480 | 470 | 470 |
Birmingham & Solihull | 570 | 560 | 710 | 700 | 700 |
Black Country | 470 | 470 | 520 | 520 | 520 |
Cheshire | 160 | 150 | 160 | 160 | 150 |
Cumbria & Lancashire | 510 | 510 | 520 | 520 | 520 |
Default DWP National | 1,500 | 1,500 | 20 | 30 | 20 |
Devon & Cornwall | 350 | 350 | 360 | 360 | 350 |
Dorset Wiltshire Hampshire & Iow | 650 | 670 | 710 | 710 | 720 |
Durham & Tees Valley | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 |
East Anglia | 420 | 420 | 540 | 530 | 540 |
East London | 750 | 760 | 890 | 850 | 860 |
Essex | 370 | 370 | 410 | 410 | 410 |
Greater Manchester | 970 | 970 | 1,020 | 1,030 | 1,000 |
Kent | 400 | 400 | 440 | 440 | 440 |
Leicestershire & Northamptonshire | 390 | 390 | 440 | 440 | 440 |
Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire & Rutland | 490 | 500 | 530 | 530 | 520 |
Mercia | 450 | 450 | 480 | 470 | 470 |
Merseyside | 390 | 390 | 460 | 450 | 440 |
North East Yorkshire & The Humber | 370 | 370 | 390 | 390 | 380 |
North London | 550 | 560 | 640 | 620 | 640 |
Northumberland Tyne & Wear | 430 | 420 | 400 | 400 | 400 |
South London | 900 | 920 | 1,050 | 1,060 | 1,060 |
South Yorkshire | 370 | 370 | 380 | 390 | 380 |
Staffordshire And Derbyshire | 440 | 430 | 520 | 520 | 510 |
Surrey & Sussex | 380 | 380 | 500 | 510 | 510 |
West London | 660 | 660 | 710 | 710 | 720 |
West Yorkshire | 770 | 770 | 800 | 800 | 790 |
Grand Total | 15,150 | 15,200 | 15,230 | 15,170 | 15,130 |
DISTRICT | May-25 | Jun-25 | Jul-25 | Aug-25 |
Avon Somerset & Gloucester | 410 | 410 | 410 | 400 |
Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire | 400 | 400 | 390 | 400 |
Berkshire Bucks & Oxford | 470 | 470 | 480 | 480 |
Birmingham & Solihull | 710 | 700 | 710 | 710 |
Black Country | 510 | 510 | 500 | 510 |
Cheshire | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 |
Cumbria & Lancashire | 520 | 510 | 520 | 520 |
Default DWP National | 10 | 20 | 40 | 10 |
Devon & Cornwall | 360 | 350 | 340 | 340 |
Dorset Wiltshire Hampshire & Iow | 700 | 690 | 680 | 670 |
Durham & Tees Valley | 350 | 340 | 330 | 330 |
East Anglia | 530 | 520 | 520 | 520 |
East London | 870 | 880 | 880 | 870 |
Essex | 410 | 400 | 400 | 400 |
Greater Manchester | 1,000 | 980 | 1,000 | 980 |
Kent | 430 | 430 | 430 | 420 |
Leicestershire & Northamptonshire | 450 | 440 | 440 | 430 |
Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire & Rutland | 520 | 510 | 510 | 500 |
Mercia | 480 | 480 | 490 | 490 |
Merseyside | 440 | 440 | 440 | 450 |
North East Yorkshire & The Humber | 380 | 370 | 370 | 370 |
North London | 640 | 640 | 640 | 630 |
Northumberland Tyne & Wear | 400 | 400 | 390 | 380 |
South London | 1,050 | 1,030 | 1,010 | 970 |
South Yorkshire | 380 | 370 | 370 | 370 |
Staffordshire And Derbyshire | 510 | 510 | 500 | 490 |
Surrey & Sussex | 510 | 510 | 510 | 500 |
West London | 760 | 790 | 790 | 770 |
West Yorkshire | 780 | 770 | 760 | 760 |
Grand Total | 15,150 | 15,030 | 14,980 | 14,800 |
The table below provides Work Coach data by English District for September and October 25.
DISTRICT | Sep-25 | Oct-25 |
Avon, Somerset & Gloucestershire | 400 | 390 |
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | 390 | 370 |
Birmingham & Solihull | 710 | 690 |
Black Country & Coventry | 620 | 600 |
Cheshire & Lancashire | 580 | 570 |
Cumbria & Tees | 300 | 290 |
Default DWP National | 20 | 20 |
Devon & Cornwall | 340 | 330 |
Dorset Wiltshire Hampshire & Isle Of Wight | 660 | 640 |
East London | 860 | 880 |
East Midlands | 550 | 540 |
Essex | 400 | 390 |
Greater Manchester | 960 | 960 |
Hertfordshire | 210 | 210 |
Kent | 420 | 420 |
Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire & Rutland | 440 | 440 |
Merseyside | 450 | 460 |
Norfolk & Suffolk | 320 | 320 |
North & Mid Wales And The Marches | 130 | 130 |
North East Yorkshire & Lincolnshire | 520 | 520 |
North London | 640 | 650 |
Northumberland, Durham, Tyne & Wear | 500 | 500 |
South London | 900 | 880 |
South Midlands | 450 | 440 |
South Yorkshire | 380 | 370 |
Surrey & Sussex | 500 | 490 |
The Shires | 500 | 490 |
West London | 850 | 830 |
West Yorkshire | 760 | 750 |
Grand Total | 14,750 | 14,600 |
Notes:
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number women born in the 1950s who have died since the publication of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's findings (HC 638) on 21 March 2024.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has made no such assessment.
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the statement by Baroness Sherlock in the Chamber on 13 November that they will "create a guaranteed job" for eligible young people on Universal Credit for more than 18 months, how they define "guaranteed job"; who will provide it; and whether this means that every eligible young person will be provided with such a job in all circumstances.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor has announced that every eligible young person who has been on Universal Credit for 18 months without earning or learning will be offered guaranteed paid work. Participants of the scheme will receive support to take advantage of available opportunities, with the aim of helping them transition into regular employment.
The scheme forms part of the government’s aim to provide targeted support for young people at risk of long-term unemployment. Further details, including eligibility criteria and the structure of placements, will be confirmed at the Autumn Budget.
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, what discussions he has had with (a) the Prime Minister, (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (c) other Cabinet colleagues on lifting the two-child benefit cap.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Poverty Strategy will set out the decisive action this Government is taking to tackle child poverty and make sure children are given the best start in life.
The commitments we’ve made at the 2025 spending review and beyond are just the latest step of our Plan for Change to put extra pounds in people’s pockets – a downpayment on our Child Poverty Strategy, building on our expansion of free breakfast clubs, our national minimum wage boost and our reduction in the cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.
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, what estimate he has made of the cost of changing the two-child benefit cap to a) three, b) four and c) five children.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Poverty Strategy will set out the decisive action this Government is taking to tackle child poverty and make sure children are given the best start in life.
The commitments we’ve made at the 2025 spending review and beyond are just the latest step of our Plan for Change to put extra pounds in people’s pockets – a downpayment on our Child Poverty Strategy, building on our expansion of free breakfast clubs, our national minimum wage boost and our reduction in the cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.
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, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing the two-child benefit cap on incentives to work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Poverty Strategy will set out the decisive action this Government is taking to tackle child poverty and make sure children are given the best start in life.
The commitments we’ve made at the 2025 spending review and beyond are just the latest step of our Plan for Change to put extra pounds in people’s pockets – a downpayment on our Child Poverty Strategy, building on our expansion of free breakfast clubs, our national minimum wage boost and our reduction in the cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.
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, what estimate he has made of the cost of lifting the two-child benefit cap.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Poverty Strategy will set out the decisive action this Government is taking to tackle child poverty and make sure children are given the best start in life.
The commitments we’ve made at the 2025 spending review and beyond are just the latest step of our Plan for Change to put extra pounds in people’s pockets – a downpayment on our Child Poverty Strategy, building on our expansion of free breakfast clubs, our national minimum wage boost and our reduction in the cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.
Asked by: Peter Lamb (Labour - Crawley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, following the announcement made on 16 October 2025 regarding the extension of funding to Trailblazer areas under the Get Britain Working programme, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Trailblazer schemes to date on a) employment outcomes b) levels of economic inactivity, and c) associated health and wellbeing indicators.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department developed a Strategic Outline Business Case for the Get Britain Working Trailblazers in March 2025, which followed HM Treasury’s Green Book framework. Within this, an assessment was made of the potential impact of the programme upon employment and associated health outcomes, as well as increasing participation in education and training. An update to the Business Case is being conducted, which will take account of relevant information following the programme launch earlier this year.
The Department will be commissioning an evaluation, starting in December 2025, which is expected to build evidence on the effectiveness of the programme at achieving employment outcomes, reducing levels of economic inactivity, associated health and well-being indicators, increasing participation in education and training, and effectiveness of systems integration. We expect to publish interim findings during the next two years and will develop the value for money assessment once longer term impacts have developed.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
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 having Jobcentre staff in supported housing sites to support young people into employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It remains our priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter and sustain employment.
We are working with eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, led by Mayoral Strategic Authorities across England which are testing innovative approaches to identify and deliver localised support to young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET. This includes strengthening local coordination, through local leadership, and outreach to better connect young people with opportunities.
One of the Trailblazers in Central London is delivering targeted support to care leavers included those in supported accommodation to help them access suitable employment opportunities.
As part of our Youth Offer, we also have Youth Hubs which deliver a core offer of skills, training and employment-focused support. Alongside this, partner organisations deliver a range of services, based upon the needs of the local area that they service. This can include connecting young people to a wider range of services such as health, housing and wellbeing support, depending on local needs and partnerships.
To drive up quality in supported accommodation (including for young people), DWP is working alongside MHCLG to implement measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act in England, which include a proposed locally led licensing regime and new National Supported Housing Standards for providers. The proposed standards make it clear that residents should receive person-centred support including where appropriate being supported, encouraged, and enabled to take up learning, volunteering, training, and employment opportunities.