Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether any people with disabilities applying to the Access for Work scheme have been waiting nine months or more for their assessment; why the time needed for an assessment to the Access to Work scheme rose from an average of 56.9 days for the period April 2024–February 2025 to 84.6 days in February 2025; what plans they have to reduce the waiting time for such assessments; and what are the implications for challenging willingness to work.

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

Access to Work (AtW) provision data is provided at Access to Work statistics: April 2007 to March 2025 - GOV.UK, and relates to approvals and payments. The data details the number of people who have had AtW provision approved, the number of people who received at least one AtW payment, AtW expenditure and the annual payment per customer for AtW provision. It is broken down into several categories including financial year, type of provision, primary medical condition, region and others. At present, data on waiting times for assessments is not published.

Increased waiting times reflect growing demand for the AtW scheme. We are committed to reducing waiting times for claims. We have streamlined delivery practices and have increased the number of staff processing claims. We also prioritise customers starting a job in four weeks, or those whose existing grant requires renewal.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what sanctions are provided for in the Public Office (Accountability) Bill in response to serious wrongdoing by police officers.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill creates four new criminal offences:

1. Failing to comply with the duty of candour and assistance;

2. Misleading the public;

3. Seriously improper acts; and

4. Breach of duty to prevent death or serious injury.

Police officers may be prosecuted for any or all of these.

The offences of failing to comply with the duty of candour and assistance and misleading the public have a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

The seriously improper acts offence has a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment. The breach of duty to prevent death or serious injury offence has a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment.