The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.
Members of the Education and Work and Pensions Select Committees have decided to undertake an inquiry that will consider how …
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Department for Work and Pensions does not have Bills currently before Parliament
A Bill to make provision about the prevention of fraud against public authorities and the making of erroneous payments by public authorities; about the recovery of money paid by public authorities as a result of fraud or error; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 2nd December 2025 and was enacted into law.
Make provision to alter the rates of the standard allowance, limited capability for work element and limited capability for work and work-related activity element of universal credit and the rates of income-related employment and support allowance.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 3rd September 2025 and was enacted into law.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
We call on the Government to fairly compensate WASPI women affected by the increases to their State Pension age and the associated failings in DWP communications.
Raise statutory maternity/paternity pay to match the National Living Wage
Gov Responded - 25 Apr 2025 Debated on - 27 Oct 2025Statutory maternity and paternity pay is £4.99 per hour for a full-time worker on 37.5 hours per week - approximately 59% less than the 2024 National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21+, which has been set out to ensure a basic standard of living.
Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.
Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.
We have interpreted ‘mobilisation of the UK workforce’ to mean moving economically inactive or unemployed individuals into employment.
We are aiming for a fully operational, nationwide, transformed service from 2028/29, with ongoing improvement thereafter. We already provide support to help people into employment through our current Jobcentre offer which will continue and improve as we transition to the new Jobs and Careers Service. We have developed an enhanced employer offer and employer strategy and grown the Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) in priority sectors. We have also announced the integration of the careers service in England from October this year, which will provide a more joined up service for customers. In April 2025, we launched our first Pathfinder in Wakefield in April 2025 which is testing elements of the new service including new ways of delivering employment support.
We are also supporting people into employment through wider initiatives including the 17 youth and inactivity trailblazers, NHS Health and Growth Accelerators, Connect to Work programme and the Pathways to Work guarantee. In addition, the national rollout of the Youth Guarantee Gateway will start in April 2026 and follow a phased implementation to ensure adequate provision and infrastructure are in place to meet demand.
The contracts awarded in the period of the question were / are to deliver assessments in support of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Work Capability Assessments for Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance and a range of other benefits including Disability Living Allowance (Child). All contracts were awarded as multi year agreements. The attached links sets out the total values awarded per contract/contractor.
Please note, the contract value is the total estimated value of the contract at the point it was awarded and subsequently extended. Contract spend is the actual amount of money paid to suppliers during the contract period and can be different to the contract value as a result of a variety of factors (e.g. over/under delivery, changes in volume, demand and other variations to contract).
PIP Contracts (31 July 2012 – 6 September 2024)
Total Contract Value: £1,787,043,988
Lot 1 - Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Service - Contract Extension - Lot 1 - Find a Tender
Lot 2 - Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Service - Contract Extension - Lot 2 - Find a Tender
Lot 3 - Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Service - Contract Extension - Lot 3 - Find a Tender
HDAS Contract (29 October 2014 – 6 September 2024)
Total Contract Value: £1,297,737,098
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9bdd9fa5-0a4c-4484-a853-702b9683db80
FAS Contract (2 October 2023 – 31 August 2029)
Total Contract Value: £2,769,913,640 (including Lot 5)
Lots 1-5 - Functional Assessment Services (FAS) 2023 - Find a Tender
(NB – Lot 5 is managed by Department for Communities)
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 23 June 2025 to Question UIN 59626.
Carer’s Allowance is devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
We are committed to reducing waiting times in Access to Work so that people can access the support they need. We prioritise applications from customers who are due to start work within the next four weeks, as well as renewals for existing grants, to minimise disruption to employment.
In March 2025, the Department published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, launching a consultation on the future of Access to Work and how the scheme can better support disabled people in employment. We are reviewing all aspects of the programme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.
From the period 10/10/2025 to 23/02/2026 51,924 Access to Work claims have been processed. As of the 23/02/2026 there were 66,749 applications awaiting a decision.
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) guidance documentation and policy on introducing a Safe Weight Limit for Offshore Workers on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). HSE was not involved in the development of the document but was provided with a copy of the final draft for comment. HSE reviewed the guidance relating to occupational health legislation and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) standards. As HSE is not the relevant regulatory body regarding the safe operation and use of helicopter winching systems it did not comment on the implementation of a winching weight limit.
HSE is not in a position to approve OEUK guidance documents nor will it be involved in any discussion or decision making on the applicability of equality statutes that may be relevant. That is the responsibility of individual dutyholders and employers to ensure they maintain safe operations offshore under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and all relevant regulations applicable to the sector.
HSE understands that the policy and associated guidance, developed by OEUK, is being introduced in a phased manner, over time, to enable the sector to maintain safe operations. As part of HSE’s regulatory role it carries our frequent inspections of offshore installations, which include consideration of employee roles and core competencies. HSE has the ability to take proportionate enforcement activity if it identifies failings relevant to these areas.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) guidance documentation and policy on introducing a Safe Weight Limit for Offshore Workers on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). HSE was not involved in the development of the document but was provided with a copy of the final draft for comment. HSE reviewed the guidance relating to occupational health legislation and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) standards. As HSE is not the relevant regulatory body regarding the safe operation and use of helicopter winching systems it did not comment on the implementation of a winching weight limit.
HSE is not in a position to approve OEUK guidance documents nor will it be involved in any discussion or decision making on the applicability of equality statutes that may be relevant. That is the responsibility of individual dutyholders and employers to ensure they maintain safe operations offshore under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and all relevant regulations applicable to the sector.
HSE understands that the policy and associated guidance, developed by OEUK, is being introduced in a phased manner, over time, to enable the sector to maintain safe operations. As part of HSE’s regulatory role it carries our frequent inspections of offshore installations, which include consideration of employee roles and core competencies. HSE has the ability to take proportionate enforcement activity if it identifies failings relevant to these areas.
We recognise that the absence of indexation on pension rights accrued before April 1997 can erode the value of pensions over time and affect members who rely on these benefits in retirement.
The reforms we have introduced through the Pension Schemes Bill will enable more trustees of well funded defined benefit schemes to share surplus with sponsoring employers, and allow them to negotiate additional benefits for members, including discretionary indexation. More broadly and outside the Pension Schemes Bill, the Pensions Regulator already expects trustees to consider whether members would benefit from a discretionary increase and to take account of any history of making such awards.
Where the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is satisfied that both parents have equal day-to-day care for the child, in addition to sharing overnight care, there is no requirement for either parent to pay child maintenance. There is no statutory definition of day-to-day care; the CMS’ definition is broadly aligned with that of Child Benefit, where an ‘overall care test’ is used. This provides consistency across government and receipt of Child Benefit is regarded as a good indicator of who is entitled to child maintenance payments. Where shared care exists for at least 52 night per week, the CMS will reduce liability.
If a dispute on the amount of care provided by each parent does arises, the CMS will seek to collect evidence from parents, allowing both a reasonable time to submit the evidence before we review. It will give greatest weight to evidence of a formal agreement or court order directing shared care arrangements.
When CMS backdates a change of circumstances, it will increase or decrease liability depending on the outcome of the decision.
The CMS works to ensure that liability adjustments following changes in care arrangements are processed as quickly and accurately as possible. These changes can vary in complexity, and the time taken depends on factors such as the availability of corroborating information from both parents and whether there is agreement on the new arrangements.
Where there is disagreement or insufficient evidence, additional checks are required, which can extend the timescale.
Through its Service Modernisation Programme CMS is expanding digital channels and self-service options to provide greater choice and flexibility to allow parents to submit information more quickly, helping reduce delays.
CMS has enhanced customer communications by increasing the use of SMS text and email and simplifying letters to make them clearer and easier to understand. Online services, including Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance and My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC), allow parents to access advice and manage their case 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has also introduced online messaging for certain processes, enabling customers to respond to requests for information at a time that suits them, with plans to extend this functionality further. By promoting self-service, CMS frees up resources to support customers who need to speak to it by telephone. Recent improvements to call routing ensure more calls go directly to case-owning teams, providing a faster and more responsive service.
The DWP aims to contact a customer within 15 working days to tell them of the outcome of their complaint or when they can expect a response if it will take longer.
The number of Universal Credit Work Capability Assessments undertaken in each month from August 2025 to December 2025 for a) new and b) existing claimants can be found in the table below:
| Aug 25 | Sep 25 | Oct 25 | Nov 25 | Dec 25 |
(a) New | 37,000 | 43,000 | 42,000 | 38,000 | 31,000 |
(b) Existing | 2,300 | 2,800 | 5,600 | 3,200 | 3,400 |
Please note: the volumes in the tables above have been rounded up to the nearest 1000/100.
Due to the operational nature of the department, a significant proportion of DWP roles — particularly customer-facing and telephony positions—are required to be carried out from the office to ensure customers receive consistent and timely support.
Hybrid working is available only to colleagues whose job roles are able to support it and is offered on a noncontractual basis. Eligible staff are expected to spend at least 60% of their working time in the office, supporting effective teamwork, leadership visibility and high quality service delivery.
In line with Cabinet Office guidance, contractual homeworking is usually restricted to disabled employees for whom it is a reasonable adjustment, which the Equality Act 2010 obliges us to implement. As of 31 January 2026, 1.8% of paid staff are designated as Contracted Homeworkers.
The child maintenance liability is usually calculated as a percentage of a Paying Parent’s gross weekly income, unless they are on low income or benefits where they pay a flat rate of £7. Income information is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs for the latest tax year available and applies to parents who are employed or self employed. This allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately.
On previous Child Maintenance schemes net income was used. When this was changed to gross income on the 2012 scheme, percentages were adjusted to reflect the change and keep liabilities broadly the same for a given level of income as they had been under previous schemes.
The Government has announced a review of the child maintenance calculation to ensure the formula encourages compliance and sustainable arrangements. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to public consultation, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.
The information requested is not readily available as occupation data is not held centrally for Pneumoconiosis Etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 (‘1979 Act’) awards.
We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practices. To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, or cases that are up for renewal.
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.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) focuses on maximising compliance and identifying hidden earnings through measures such as data sharing with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly from HMRC for the latest tax year available. This allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately. Use of historic income ensures a stable calculation, which we know from customer feedback is valued as it enables parents to rely on maintenance for financial planning purposes.
In the event a receiving parent believes a paying parent’s earnings are not captured in the standard calculation using HMRC gross income data, they can apply for a variation, under which certain other categories of income can be considered.
Cases where the CMS has reason to believe Paying Parents may be hiding their income can be investigated by the Financial Investigation Unit. This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions (such as banks, investment companies and mortgage companies) to check the accuracy of information that the CMS is given. If any discrepancies are found, they can implement a correct maintenance liability that is supported by CMS legislation.
The department is currently reviewing the calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) focuses on maximising compliance and identifying hidden earnings through measures such as data sharing with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly from HMRC for the latest tax year available. This allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately. Use of historic income ensures a stable calculation, which we know from customer feedback is valued as it enables parents to rely on maintenance for financial planning purposes.
In the event a receiving parent believes a paying parent’s earnings are not captured in the standard calculation using HMRC gross income data, they can apply for a variation, under which certain other categories of income can be considered.
Cases where the CMS has reason to believe Paying Parents may be hiding their income can be investigated by the Financial Investigation Unit. This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions (such as banks, investment companies and mortgage companies) to check the accuracy of information that the CMS is given. If any discrepancies are found, they can implement a correct maintenance liability that is supported by CMS legislation.
The department is currently reviewing the calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose.
The average time taken from complaint receipt to allocation to an investigator (based on cases in investigation on 31 January 2026) was 26.62 weeks. Despite increased demand levels, this is a significant improvement compared to January 2024, when the average wait time was 56.08 weeks.
Of those cases in investigation on 31 January 2026, the case which had waited the longest took 45.29 weeks to be allocated to an investigator from the date it was received at ICE.
The Independent Case Examiner’s office continually seeks to improve further.
The average time taken from complaint receipt to allocation to an investigator (based on cases in investigation on 31 January 2026) was 26.62 weeks. Despite increased demand levels, this is a significant improvement compared to January 2024, when the average wait time was 56.08 weeks.
Of those cases in investigation on 31 January 2026, the case which had waited the longest took 45.29 weeks to be allocated to an investigator from the date it was received at ICE.
The Independent Case Examiner’s office continually seeks to improve further.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience, and associated public communications.
As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This addresses the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack.
The Department for Work and Pensions is actively supporting this work.
When an award of Carer’s Allowance is made, the customer is issued with a written notification letter advising of changes in circumstances they need to declare that may affect their entitlement. This is to ensure DWP holds the correct details for them. This letter also details how to contact Carer’s Allowance to declare any change, via contact number, postal address and GOV.UK details for the online service.
Annual benefit uprating letters advise the customer on the new rates of Carer’s Allowance due to be paid, any change to earnings limits, and remind the customer of the changes they need to notify to DWP, and how to do so. DWP has been working with partners such as Carer’s UK to support customers better in understanding fully their obligation to report changes in their circumstances, including employment.
DWP takes a range of action to ensure the veracity of benefit awards, including:
Work is ongoing to implement Administrative Liability Orders (ALO).
While Child Maintenance is reserved, enforcement of CM arrears in Scotland requires using the Scottish judicial system, which is devolved.
We are working closely with HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government to ensure enforcement action resulting from ALOs operates effectively across the UK, and plan to introduce regulations to Parliament to implement the measures across England, Scotland and Wales, as soon as possible.
There were around 1.1 million recipients of the UK State Pension living overseas outside the United Kingdom as of the quarter ending August 2025. DWP Stat-Xplore. A full breakdown by country of residence is also available via Stat-Xplore.
These figures relate to State Pension cases paid outside the UK, administered by the Department for Work and Pensions and cover State Pensions accrued in Great Britain only. State Pension cases administered separately in Northern Ireland by the Department for Communities are not included.
We take action to recover debt on every conviction for benefit fraud through our debt recovery processes or through recovery under the Proceeds of Crime Act where appropriate.
The fraud classification on our Debt Management system includes people who have accepted a caution or an administrative penalty, as well as those who have been convicted. We cannot identify if someone has been specifically convicted of benefit fraud without looking at each individual case.
We do however report on the number of prosecutions yearly in the Annual Report and Accounts. Last years can be found here: DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 25, page 114.
Figures for year ending 25/26 will be published in summer 2026.
Disability Living Allowance
From April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Disability Living Allowance for children was 121.7 working days.
We have approved overtime and reallocated decision makers to clear our outstanding Disability Living Allowance Child MR cases more quickly. This will help us to reduce our clearance times.
Attendance Allowance
From April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Attendance Allowance was 29.4 working days.
Personal Independence Payment
PIP MR clearance times are published at Personal Independence Payment statistics - GOV.UK. They can be found by accessing the latest release and opening the excel tables. Tables 4A – 4Biii contain information on PIP MR median clearance times.
Employment and Support Allowance
ESA Work Capability Assessment MR clearance times are available on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. They can be found by going through “ESA Work Capability Assessments”, “Mandatory Reconsideration – Clearances” “Table 4 – Median Clearance Times by Date of Decision”.
Disability Living Allowance
From April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Disability Living Allowance for children was 121.7 working days.
We have approved overtime and reallocated decision makers to clear our outstanding Disability Living Allowance Child MR cases more quickly. This will help us to reduce our clearance times.
Attendance Allowance
From April 2025 to January 2026, the average actual clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) for Attendance Allowance was 29.4 working days.
Personal Independence Payment
PIP MR clearance times are published at Personal Independence Payment statistics - GOV.UK. They can be found by accessing the latest release and opening the excel tables. Tables 4A – 4Biii contain information on PIP MR median clearance times.
Employment and Support Allowance
ESA Work Capability Assessment MR clearance times are available on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. They can be found by going through “ESA Work Capability Assessments”, “Mandatory Reconsideration – Clearances” “Table 4 – Median Clearance Times by Date of Decision”.
The Timms Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts.
I am chairing the Review alongside my fellow co-chairs Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We have appointed a steering group of a dozen people, responsible for overseeing co-production of the Review.
To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, almost all of the steering group has lived experience of a disability or long-term health condition.
The group benefits from diverse perspectives from a range of backgrounds, but it is not intended to be representative of the UK’s disabled community—no single group could represent all perspectives or experiences of disability. Instead, the steering group will shape a programme of participation that brings together the full range of views and voices. The steering group are currently shaping the programme of participation as a priority, and we will provide an update on this soon.
The information is not centrally recorded and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme.
Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation and is wholly responsible for the terms and administration of the Scheme, including the use of the telematics system. Motability and the department continue to work closely to consider how the Scheme can utilise telematics and other systems to ensure it is used for its intended purpose to support disabled people and their transport needs. Data on telematics and cars recovered from the Scheme are a matter for Motability.
The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme.
Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation and is wholly responsible for the terms and administration of the Scheme, including the use of the telematics system. Motability and the department continue to work closely to consider how the Scheme can utilise telematics and other systems to ensure it is used for its intended purpose to support disabled people and their transport needs. Data on telematics and cars recovered from the Scheme are a matter for Motability.
Pension Credit provides direct financial support to pensioner households on the lowest incomes, ensuring that they receive a guaranteed minimum level of income – the Standard Minimum Guarantee (SMG). The Standard Minimum Guarantee is subject to the Secretary of State’s annual statutory review of State Pension and benefit rates, and it will increase this year by 4.8% from April.
The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS)and the latest statistics are currently available to September 2025. Table 5 of the latest National tables shows the total amount of child maintenance that Paying Parents should have paid since the CMS began, and how much of that has not been paid at the end of every quarter, from March 2015 to September 2025.
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
The Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) is a Department for Work and Pensions initiative designed to help unemployed people move into work. It offers sector-specific training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview, supporting claimants to develop the skills and behaviours that employers are looking for in key industries such as construction.
A SWAP is demand-led and generally run in sectors with high volumes of vacancies; this includes the construction sector. From April 2021 to December 2025, there have been 65,930 starts on construction SWAPs. This represents 15% of all SWAP starts in that timeframe. We publish management information on SWAPs quarterly (Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) Management Information - GOV.UK). This includes SWAP starts by sector, and the proportion of SWAP starts with earnings at 6 and 9 months following a SWAP start.
DWP also collect and publish information about Skills Bootcamps starts, completions and employment outcomes. Further information about the methodology can be found on the relevant Explore Education Statistics page: Skills bootcamps starts, completions and outcomes, Financial year 2023-24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK
The Get Britain Working White Paper, published in autumn 2024, and Pathways to Work Green Paper, published in spring 2025, set out the Government’s plan on skills and employment support, including for those in receipt of sickness benefits.
Our Pathways to Work guaranteed offer of personalised employment, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits is backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade. Once fully rolled out, we anticipate this 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 addition, Connect to Work is being made available across all of England and Wales. This is a voluntary, locally commissioned, Supported Employment programme for individuals that are disabled, have a health condition or experiencing non-health related barriers to work to find and sustain employment. There is no benefit-related requirement for this programme. Lincolnshire County Council is the Lead Authority for the Lincolnshire Delivery Area and we expect them to open their service in spring 2026.
WorkWell is a health and employment support service providing integrated holistic early help for health-related barriers to work. WorkWell is delivered in partnership with health systems and has so far supported approximately 25,000 disabled people and people with health conditions to stay in and re-enter work. Following the success of the pilot, it will continue to be delivered in existing sites and expand across all of England including the Lincolnshire ICB. The expansion is backed by up to £259 million investment over three years.
Through the Adult Skills Fund in the 2025/26 academic year, we are spending £1.4 billion for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. In South Holland and the Deepings, the Adult Skills Fund fully funds learners who are unemployed or earn less than £25,750 (annual gross salary).
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 and Government already has a statutory duty to publish poverty statistics annually. We have put these clear reporting arrangements in place so that the progress we make is transparent for all.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) do not make decisions on whether to prosecute individuals and cannot make the decision to withdraw a prosecution. The DWP will complete the investigation and when appropriate hand the case files to the Crown Prosecution Service (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for Scotland), who will make the decision on whether to prosecute.
I met with the Ombudsman on 25 February. Work has restarted on the Action Plan, which will be published in due course.
Pension Credit provides direct financial support to pensioner households on the lowest incomes, ensuring that they receive a guaranteed minimum level of income – the Standard Minimum Guarantee (SMG). The Standard Minimum Guarantee is subject to the Secretary of State’s annual statutory review of State Pension and benefit rates, and it will increase by 4.8% from April.
Pensioners with incomes just above their Pension Credit level may still benefit from a range of wider support, depending on their circumstances, including help with housing costs, Council Tax, health related support, and other means tested assistance available across the welfare system.
The Department has robust investigation processes in place to address allegations of identity and residency fraud. The Department is also bringing in additional inspection of our end-to-end investigations following the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 through His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in England and Wales and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMICS) in Scotland.
As a principal part of the service design, the department uses data from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and its own benefits data to assess 91% of Paying Parents earned income and benefit status, which are key parts of the maintenance calculation. We also receive evidence of income directly from Universal Credit where a customer is in receipt of Universal Credit with earnings.
Primarily, calculations are based on historic income amounts from the latest available tax year, provided via interface by HMRC, where a complete tax year is available within the last 6 years. Where historic tax year information is unavailable, or a customer requests a supersession on the basis that PP income is 25% different from the historic amount, we have two routes based on the PP employment circumstances:
Where a paying parent receives unearned income which can be legally considered in assessing child maintenance either parent can request a variation to the normal maintenance calculation. Cases involving suspected misrepresentation or fraudulent behaviour can be investigated by the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU). This is a specialist team which can request information from financial institutions to check the accuracy of information the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is given.
Where a change to current income is applied, CMS will further verify this against HMRC evidence at Annual Review, and again at a Periodic Current Income Check (+11 months from change to Current Income) to re-verify the income evidence with RTI. This provides comprehensive assurance as it is independent of the Paying Parent and directly interfaces with HMRC, reducing the opportunity for misrepresentation or inaccuracies. We have increased the proportion of changes where we automatically interface with RTI, including changes instigated by Receiving Parents.
In October 2023, the Government announced intentions to introduce legislation so that unearned income can be considered automatically when the maintenance calculation is made to ensure a paying parent’s maintenance calculation reflects their ability to pay. We are currently engaging with stakeholders on how best to implement this.
The Department has strong safeguards in place to ensure that equipment and technology funded through the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) are not sold or misused.
Work coaches carefully assess each request to ensure it is reasonable, represents good value for money, and is necessary to support a customer to move into work, and that no alternative funding is available.
After an award is issued, work coaches check that the item is used as intended and will seek an explanation — or consider repayment — if concerns arise, such as training not being attended. Independent post-award checks add a further layer of assurance.
Work coaches are expected to meet their financial responsibilities and follow-up action must be taken post the FSF award. This ensures that action is taken to recover funds spent inappropriately.
In addition, a new digital FSF application system, due to launch nationally by the end of March, will strengthen oversight by providing improved data and enabling more detailed scrutiny of awards.
The Department has strong safeguards in place to ensure that equipment and technology funded through the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) are not sold or misused.
Work coaches carefully assess each request to ensure it is reasonable, represents good value for money, and is necessary to support a customer to move into work, and that no alternative funding is available.
After an award is issued, work coaches check that the item is used as intended and will seek an explanation — or consider repayment — if concerns arise, such as training not being attended. Independent post-award checks add a further layer of assurance.
Work coaches are expected to meet their financial responsibilities and follow-up action must be taken post the FSF award. This ensures that action is taken to recover funds spent inappropriately.
In addition, a new digital FSF application system, due to launch nationally by the end of March, will strengthen oversight by providing improved data and enabling more detailed scrutiny of awards.
There has been no assessment made of the number of graduates who have graduated in the last five years and are claiming benefits.
The table below covers the period from April 2023 to December 2025 for spend relating to centrally provided career coaching, career transition, or redeployment support accessed by DWP employees and March 2023 to August 2025 for spend relating to centrally provided career coaching within Talent, accessed by DWP employees.
| Centrally provided career coaching, transition, or redeployment support | Career coaching within Talent |
2023 | £199,180.38 | £206,253 |
|
| £51,563 |
Qtr2 | £63,105.19 | £51,563 |
Qtr3 | £71,485.00 | £51,563 |
Qtr4 | £64,590.19 | £51,563 |
2024 | £194,180.33 | £161,091 |
Qtr1 | £47,143.19 | £161,091 |
Qtr2 | £40,658.19 | £0 |
Qtr3 | £38,085.63 | £0 |
Qtr4 | £68,293.32 | £0 |
2025 | £165,239.03 | £127,948 |
Qtr1 | £51,671.17 | £0 |
Qtr2 | £42,873.93 | £127,948 |
Qtr3 | £34,781.93 | £0 |
Qtr4 | £35,912.00 | £0 |
|
|
|
Total Spend | £558,599.74 | £495,292.00 |
* For the Leaders Like You programme in Year 1 (2023), payments to Ernst & Young were made monthly. For ease of presentation, the 2023 figures are shown quarterly in the table. From 2024 the payment changed from monthly to a single annual invoice.
The CMS has access to resources which help caseworkers provide signposting to supporting organisations that support victims and survivors of domestic abuse. All CMS caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process and domestic abuse plan which includes steps to support and recognise domestic abuse, including economic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour.
The Government’s focus is to deliver a policy that meaningfully protects parents who are victims of domestic abuse. We believe the best way to achieve that is through the removal of the Direct Pay service. Under the reformed service, all cases will be managed in a single service where the CMS monitors and transfers all payments. Reforms to the CMS will provide a safer service for victims and survivors by preventing unwanted contact with the other parent and removing opportunities for abuse that currently exist in Direct Pay, including the need for receiving parents to report non-compliance.
Our intention remains to remove Direct Pay, and we will do so as soon as parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, we are strengthening our support for victims/survivors, for example by making it easier for parents to switch to the Collect and Pay service and being clearer in our communication about what support is available for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and how to access it.
Number of Directors with responsibility for HR across DWP and its Executive Agencies | Number of these who have a CIPD qualification or equivalent |
5 | 5 |
The Department regularly publishes Child Maintenance Service official statistics, with the latest statistics available to September 2025, and detailed quarterly statistics on the number of CMS Arrangements available on Stat-Xplore.
The table CMS Arrangement 1: Service Type and Paying Status by Quarter shows the number of CMS arrangements by service type for each quarter from March 2016 to September 2025. The table provides figures for the number of Collect & Pay arrangements for which the Paying Parent paid some child maintenance during the quarter, and those where no payment was made.
Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.
The apprenticeship ‘National achievement rate tables’ are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/
Apprenticeship retention and achievement rates for cyber security apprenticeships can be found here:
We do not produce data on the number of employers who have offered cyber security apprenticeships.
The apprenticeship ‘National achievement rate tables’ are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/
Apprenticeship retention and achievement rates for cyber security apprenticeships can be found here:
We do not produce data on the number of employers who have offered cyber security apprenticeships.