Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 reductions in Access to Work awards on business continuity for self-employed people and small employers.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Demand for Access to Work (AtW) has been growing. The number of customers in receipt of payment continues to increase with 74,190 customers receiving a payment for provision in 2024/25. This is an increase of 10% compared with 2023/24. In 2024/5 Access to Work supported 7,080 self-employed customers.
The Pathways to Work Green Paper launched a consultation which has now concluded. We will make use of the outcomes of the Green Paper consultation, the Collaboration Committees, and upcoming work of the Independent Disability Advisory Panel to inform the future direction of Access to Work. We will work closely with stakeholders, including self-employed and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what protections are in place within the Child Maintenance Service to support parents and children experiencing financial abuse.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) takes the issue of domestic abuse extremely seriously and recognises that domestic abuse can take many forms including physical, emotional, or financial abuse, violent or threatening behaviour and coercive control.
CMS has procedures to ensure victims and survivors can use the service safely. All caseworkers receive training to identify abuse and signpost parents to specialist domestic abuse organisations where needed.
A Specialist Case Team manages the most complex cases, reducing the need for victims to repeat their experiences and ensuring tailored support for vulnerable customers.
For Direct Pay cases, CMS can act as an intermediary to exchange bank details, preventing any unwanted contact between parents. CMS can also advise on secure bank accounts with centralised sort codes to reduce the risk of location being traced.
The Government's intention remains to remove Direct Pay and move to a single service in which CMS collects and transfers all payments. This will remove the need for victims and survivors to provide evidence of domestic abuse and eliminate direct contact between parents. CMS will monitor all payments and act swiftly where payments fail, helping to tackle non-compliance and better support victims and survivors. We intend to implement these changes as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 increases in the State Pension age on people with long-term health conditions in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The increase of State Pension age from 66 to 67 is occurring between April 2026 and March 2028. There will be people with long-term health conditions approaching State Pension age amongst those experiencing this change. People with long-term health conditions will continue to be supported by the benefit system up to and beyond reaching State Pension age.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 adequacy of the Personal Independence Payment application process.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We understand that the current application process can feel outdated and challenging for some. The Health Transformation Programme is transforming the entire PIP service to improve the customer experience and efficiency of the service, build trust in our decisions and support people to enter or remain in work.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average processing time is for (a) reimbursement claims and (b) redundancy-related payments under the Access to Work scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not collect data on the average processing time for (a) reimbursement (payment) claims.
Please find the Official statistics on payments which are published annually and can be accessed here: Access to Work statistics - GOV.UK
(b) Redundancy‑related payments are not administered by the Access to Work scheme.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether interim financial support is available to claimants while an Access to Work decision is under appeal.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Access to Work Scheme provides grant funding and is not a benefit, so interim financial support is not available through the scheme while an appeal is progressing. We always encourage customers to speak to their employer about workplace adjustments in the first instance.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with musculoskeletal conditions into work in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Just under 18 million people in England were estimated to be affected by musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in 2023 and improving their health and work outcomes will help deliver this government's mission to kickstart economic growth.
MSK problems were one of the leading causes of sickness absence in the UK in 2024. Early detection and prevention, including increasing access to employment advice, can support people with MSK conditions getting into and remaining in work.
The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including MSK conditions, with their employment journey. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including in Surrey and Surrey Heath, such as support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well Connect to Work and WorkWell.
We are also working to deliver the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. GIRFT teams are working with health system leaders, including in Surrey Heartlands ICB, to further reduce MSK community wait lists, which are the highest of all community waiting lists in England, and improve data and metrics and referral pathways to wider support services.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mechanisms are available to review child maintenance assessments where a paying parent is suspected of diverting income through (a) cash-based and (b) self-employed business activity.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) investigate suspected under-declaration of income within the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 effectiveness of data-sharing between the Child Maintenance Service and HM Revenue and Customs in detecting income manipulation.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.