Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 3 December 2024 (HL Deb col 395GC), what steps they are taking to upgrade the legacy technology systems in order to extend the operation of the Tell Us Once scheme in the future.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We undertake continuous upgrading of the system to ensure its stability and extensibility.

Currently, we are considering all the modernisation options for upgrading the Tell Us Once service, part of which includes what type of review might be necessary. It also means better understanding how the service might expand to meet the needs of wider government in future.

We will continue to work closely with government partners, third parties and citizens to ensure the Tell Us Once service meets citizens’ expectations. The most recent internal evaluations in February 2025 of customer feedback show a satisfaction score of 92% for the online service.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to produce a timeline for conducting a review of the Tell Us Once service.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We undertake continuous upgrading of the system to ensure its stability and extensibility.

Currently, we are considering all the modernisation options for upgrading the Tell Us Once service, part of which includes what type of review might be necessary. It also means better understanding how the service might expand to meet the needs of wider government in future.

We will continue to work closely with government partners, third parties and citizens to ensure the Tell Us Once service meets citizens’ expectations. The most recent internal evaluations in February 2025 of customer feedback show a satisfaction score of 92% for the online service.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the introduction of a universal priority services register for utility services.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government recognises the importance of identification and support for the vulnerable in utility services. My officials in the Department for Business and Trade are engaging with regulators and other government departments to establish the best way to achieve this and encourage regulators to progress work in this important area.