Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to increase pension credit uptake.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners receive the support to which they are entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign across Great Britain to encourage pensioners and their families to check their eligibility and make a claim.
The campaign includes advertising across television, radio, print and social media, supported by media partnerships and social media influencers. We are also distributing some 660,000 leaflets to selected households across Great Britain, including London, and continue to work closely with partners and Local Authorities to help support the campaign.
The Guarantee Credit element of the Pension Credit caseload – the main safety net element – has continued to grow recently, with almost 30,000 more households receiving Guarantee Credit in March 2026 than in February 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the effect of the planned adjustment to the triple lock from April 2030.on the value of the new State Pension.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
From April 2030, the basic State Pension and the full rate of the new State Pension will rise each year by the highest of inflation (the rise in the consumer price index), 2.5% or the amount required to return or maintain the value of the State Pension relative to earnings at its April 2029
The adjusted Triple Lock will see the State Pension rise in line with average earnings over time, rather than consistently growing faster than wages.
The Triple Lock has protected pensioner incomes and brought the State Pension to a forecasted record-high value relative to earnings. However, the current mechanism means increases in the State Pension outstrip earnings growth over time, which is unsustainable in the longer term. The adjustment will lock in the gains already made while putting the State Pension on a sustainable footing.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the forecast cost is of working-age health and disability benefits in 2029-30.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Spending on working age health and disability benefits in 2029-30 can be found in DWP’s Spring Forecast 2026 Benefit Expenditure and Caseload publication.
Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2026 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking legislative steps to amend Statutory Maternity Pay.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Members to the answer given on 24 April 2026 to Question UIN 124467.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to support community food initiatives in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Crisis and Resilience Fund allows local authorities in England to support community food provision where this meets the Fund’s objectives. Local authorities are encouraged to work with voluntary and community sector organisations and connect food support with wider services, such as advice, benefit support and help with debt.
Local authorities determine provision according to local needs and priorities. The Department does not hold information on individual community food initiatives at constituency level.
The Government has also taken substantive action to support low-income households and tackle food insecurity, by increasing the National Living Wage and increasing the rates of Universal Credit. The Child Poverty Strategy, particularly the removal of the two-child limit and increasing access to Free School Meals, are also contributing to addressing demand for food related support.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he intends to reform the Local Housing Allowance.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum financial support available for renters in the private rented sector.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions reviews LHA rates annually and future decisions will be based on government priorities.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many a) deaths and b) injuries have been caused by illegal gas works in i) England and ii) London in each year since 2020.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Flammable gas incidents resulting in death and injury are reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under Regulation 11(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). RIDDOR Reports notify HSE of deaths and major injuries arising in connection with flammable gas, which are recorded as fatalities and non-fatalities and the breakdown is published at ridgas.xlsx.
The breakdown for region and the root cause of each incident is not held.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to tackle illegal gasworks on private properties.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority for gas businesses and engineers (including self- employed gas engineers) who work in private properties. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) requires engineers undertaking gas work to be competent, registered with Gas Safe Register (GSR), to work in accordance with the appropriate standards and in a way that does not put people in danger.
HSE regulate this in private properties through enforcement powers set under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Enforcement powers available to regulators include prosecution, prohibition notices and improvement notices.
GSR also has a dedicated team to investigate allegations of gas work by unregistered engineers and businesses (illegal gas fitters) and provides HSE with evidence of these activities. In addition to this, GSR publishes a range of gas safety information and guidance on its website and regularly runs media campaigns to promote key gas safety messages to the public.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to improve access to the English for Speakers of Other Languages scheme.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), the Department for Work and Pensions supports adults aged 19+ in England who speak English as a second or additional language to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision.
Government publishes statistics on participation in ESOL provision through its Further Education and Skills publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/084d1d31-4477-488e-b95b-08de28d609b2
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her department collects data on (a) race and (b) ethnicity and c) religion from benefit claimants.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The purpose of collecting race and ethnicity data is because it they are protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
All public bodies have a requirement under the Public Sector Equality Duty to pay due regard to the impacts of policies to those who share protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act.
To do so requires that meaningful data be collected in a harmonised form, as set out by the Cabinet Office. Claimant declarations of their protected characteristics are optional, and not mandatory.
Data collected on protected characteristics is solely used for analytical and statistical purposes in aggregate form and has no part in decisions relating to benefit claims.