Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 4 February (HL14073), what is the average duration from initial contact to claim completion for claimants with a learning disability using (1) the digital service, and (2) the telephone or home-visit alternative service.

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

Claims are not awarded/paid until the end of the monthly assessment period, in order that an accurate assessment can be made, including any income/earnings received during that period. Therefore, there is no measure of claim completion prior to the end of the assessment period.

‘Payment Timeliness’ data, shows those claimants who are paid on time at the end of the first assessment period; however, this is not segregated by claimant characteristics or channel.

The latest published statistics for ‘Payment Timeliness’ are from October 2025, showing 93% received their payment on time and 88% their payment on time and in full.

Universal Credit is primarily a digital service, but there is a continued focus on accessibility and support, allowing claimants to transact via a variety of channels according to their needs, offering non‑digital routes. This includes making a claim by telephone or face-to-face and where appropriate, home visits may also be considered.

Independent support is also available through the Help to Claim service, delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland. For customers identified as vulnerable, including some customers with learning difficulties, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) also has an Enhanced Support Journey for those migrating from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) who may need additional help to make and complete their claim.

Where a customer is unable to manage their own affairs, DWP can appoint a suitable individual, third party, or organisation to act on the customer’s behalf and manage their Universal Credit claim. This arrangement can be short or long‑term, depending on the customer’s circumstances.

The Department is committed to ensuring customers are supported in a way that meets their individual needs and DWP staff are required to discuss and review accessibility needs at every interaction, as reasonable adjustment needs can change over time.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 4 February (HL14073), what assessment they have made of the technical requirements to make the requested statistics on identity verification and work capability failure rates for claimants with learning disabilities "readily available" for future parliamentary scrutiny and improving service provision.

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

The Department holds Universal Credit data to support the safe and accurate delivery of benefit; primarily supporting the effective administration of claims, rather than detailed analytical reporting by disability type. Therefore, data does not currently show identity verification or work capability related outcomes segregated by claimant characteristics, such as learning disabilities. The latest published statistics for ‘Payment Timeliness’ are from October 2025, showing 93% received their payment on time and 88% their payment on time and in full.

Identity verification can be completed through a range of digital and non‑digital routes; with the majority of customers successfully verifying their identity. A proportion of customers disengage from the process before completion; however, this can occur for many reasons (including finding work/earning more) and does not necessarily indicate an inability to verify identity. Where customers have health conditions or learning disabilities, support is provided operationally through tailored help and reasonable adjustments. Any agreed adjustments are recorded on the customer’s account and reviewed regularly, ensuring support can be delivered consistently throughout the Universal Credit journey.

There is continued focus on accessibility and support, allowing claimants to transact via a variety of channels according to their needs, including offering non‑digital routes, reasonable adjustments and tailored help for customers who may struggle with the claims process. These measures are intended to support successful engagement and completion of claims with 88% paid on time at the end of the first assessment period.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 9 February (HL13391), what was the legal basis for the compulsory redundancy of the chief executive of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and then filling that role immediately on an interim basis; and what changes were made to the job description of the redundant role for the interim role.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The compulsory redundancy of integrated care board (ICB) chief executives in August 2025 arose from a structural re-organisation following the reduction in the number of ICBs from 42 to 26. Where an ICB was abolished or merged, the Chief Executive office role ceased to exist, and affected postholders were therefore eligible for redundancy in line with their contractual terms and conditions of service.

Employment decisions, including management and restructuring, redundancy and any interim arrangements, sit with ICBs as statutory and independent employers. The redundancy decision in respect of the South Yorkshire ICB Chief Executive was based on the removal of the role and pre-dates any subsequent arrangements for interim leadership cover. Any interim appointment made following restructuring is a separate matter from the redundancy decision and must be managed in accordance with relevant national frameworks including the Very Senior Manager Pay Framework. The Department does not hold centrally collated information on changes to individual job descriptions, as these are determined locally by ICBs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 9 February (HL13391), what was the composition of the group of integrated care board (ICB) chief executive officers subject to compulsory redundancy in August 2025; and whether that group consisted only of those from ICBs being abolished or merged, or if it included leaders of boards that remained as standalone entities.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold a centrally collated breakdown of individual integrated care board (ICB) chief executive officer cases who were subject to compulsory redundancy, as such matters sit with ICBs as independent statutory employers.

This was a structural redundancy exercise, arising directly from the reduction in the number of ICBs from 42 to 26 under system reform. Only chief executive officers whose roles ceased to exist because their ICB was abolished or merged were in scope for compulsory redundancy in line with their contractual terms and conditions of service. Chief executives of ICBs that continued as standalone organisations were not included in the redundancy group.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 9 February (HL13391), whether the chief executive of the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) was offered the opportunity to remain in post under the new 26-ICB framework prior to his selection for compulsory redundancy; and if so, whether his refusal of that offer was considered when determining his eligibility for a contractual redundancy payment.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As referred to in the answer to HL15722 and HL15723, the redundancy exercise arose from structural reform reducing the number of the integrated care boards (ICBs) from 42 to 26, which resulted in the removal of a number of Chief Executive roles.

Only chief executives whose roles ceased to exist because their ICB was abolished or merged were in scope for compulsory redundancy. In the case of South Yorkshire ICB, the redundancy decision was based solely on the removal of the role as part of restructuring, not on the individual occupying the post. The Department does not hold centrally collated information on local discussions about alternative roles or offers made by individual ICBs, as they operate as statutory and independent employers and such decisions are a matter for local employers, not the Department.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the designation of countries where homosexuality is prosecuted as ‘safe countries’ in relation to asylum claims is compatible with their commitment to human rights.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The designation of countries under Section 94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 does not preclude protection for those at real risk of harm. The presumption of safety is rebuttable, in other words, claims are not automatically certified as 'clearly unfounded'. Instead, asylum claims from designated countries are assessed on their individual merits. If an applicant demonstrates a real risk of persecution, including on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, their claim will not be certified as clearly unfounded.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Act 2025 on LGBT individuals fleeing the new glorification and financing offences in Senegal; and what their reasoning is for the temporary 30-month protection status for claimants impacted by the criminalisation of LGBT individuals in their home countries.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Under s51 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, a person convicted overseas is only presumed to have committed a particularly serious crime where the act constituting the offence would have constituted a Schedule 3 sex offence in the UK.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months is the first step towards implementing the “core protection” model, announced as part of the reforms last autumn. These changes apply to all adults and accompanied children claiming asylum from 2 March 2026, including but not limited to those who have a well-founded fear of persecution or are at risk of serious harm on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Core Protection will allow those who are at risk to remain in the UK as long as necessary, whilst it is unsafe for them to return.

Refugees will be able to switch into a bespoke Protection, Work and Study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route. This will enable them to earn down their length of time before they can settle in the UK. This route will not include a safe, return review.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 4 February (HL14073), what technical reasonable adjustments, beyond "plain English" and dynamically built questions, are embedded in the digital interface to support claimants with learning disabilities; and in particular whether session timeouts have been extended.

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

While Universal Credit is delivered as a digital first service, the Department recognises some customers need support to access or manage services online. Universal Credit is designed and built in line with accessibility standards and is regularly tested with users who have a range of access needs, including learning disabilities. Features such as step-by-step journeys, plain English and clear prompts are built-in to support understanding and reduce cognitive load.

Where customers have health conditions or learning disabilities, support is provided operationally through tailored help and reasonable adjustments. Any agreed adjustments are recorded on the customer’s account and reviewed regularly, ensuring support can be delivered consistently throughout the Universal Credit journey. These include telephone and face-to-face support, postal correspondence, home visits and support from an appointee or representative to act on the customer’s behalf if appropriate. The Department also offers the Help to Claim service, delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland and provides enhanced support for vulnerable customers, including some moving from ESA.

In addition, regarding session time‑outs, there is a feature to give users the opportunity to extend the time for them to complete that stage. When making a claim there are many points where the data is autosaved, meaning that when a customer is timed out their information is mainly saved. Where session length or digital interaction presents a barrier, customers can be supported through assisted digital routes or non‑digital channels, tailored to their individual needs.

There is continued focus on accessibility and support, allowing customers to transact via a variety of channels according to their needs, including offering non‑digital routes, reasonable adjustments and tailored help for customers who may struggle with the claims process.