Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment for recent changes to the Motability Scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Changes to the Motability Scheme were announced as part of the Autumn Budget. An Equality Impact Assessment including consideration of the impact on affected individuals was undertaken and published by HMT at that time and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason supported living provided by local authorities in Wales is not recognised as exempt accommodation for the purposes of housing benefit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Housing Benefit regulations contain a landlord definition used to determine whether supported housing and supported living qualifies as specified accommodation. Exempt accommodation is one of four categories of specified accommodation. Exempt accommodation can only be provided by non-metropolitan county councils in England, housing associations, registered charities and voluntary organisations where that body, or person acting on its behalf, also provides the claimants with care, support or supervision. Non-metropolitan county councils in England were included in the definition because these authorities were the only ones who did not administer Housing Benefit.
We continue to keep this under review and are considering ways in which this definition could be improved as we progress work with MHCLG to implement the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act. Any future decision on whether the definition should be changed will be considered in the context of the Government’s missions, including Local Government Reorganisation, as well as goals on housing and the financial environment.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason a non-metropolitan county council in England is defined as exempt accommodation under housing benefit regulation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Housing Benefit regulations contain a landlord definition used to determine whether supported housing and supported living qualifies as specified accommodation. Non-metropolitan county councils in England were included in the definition because these authorities were the only ones who did not administer Housing Benefit.
We continue to keep this under review and are considering ways in which this definition could be improved as we progress work with MHCLG to implement the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act. Any future decision on whether the definition should be changed will be considered in the context of the Government’s missions, including Local Government Reorganisation, as well as goals on housing and the financial environment.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to introduce alternative methods of calculating the minimum income floor for self-employed people.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government has committed to reviewing Universal Credit. I have spoken to many stakeholders on many different parts of UC, including how the system supports self-employed customers. We have engaged extensively with stakeholders, frontline staff and customers, including a large-scale survey of nearly 10,000 Universal Credit customers.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
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 Minimum Income Floor for self‑employed Universal Credit claimants with caring responsibilities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Universal Credit for self-employed individuals aims to encourage sustainable work choices and support self-employment where it is a realistic route to financial self-sufficiency.
The Minimum Income Floor is designed to encourage low-earning customers to increase their earnings and grow their business. The level of the Minimum Income Floor is calculated using the number of hours per week that a customer is expected to work, tailored specifically to customers individual circumstances, including for health conditions and caring responsibilities. It is set at a maximum of 35 hours for individuals with no limitations on their expected working hours.
To align with the offer of 30 hours of free childcare for working parents, self-employed individuals with children aged 3-12 typically have their Minimum Income Floor set using a maximum of 30 hours per week.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has he made of the number of FAS and PPF members whose original pension scheme did not provide for specified pre-1997 indexation and will therefore not be included in the Government’s plans announced in the Budget on 26 November.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will introduce pre-1997 indexation in the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), for members whose original schemes provided this. Compensation payments from these schemes on pensions built up before 6 April 1997 will be CPI-linked (capped at 2.5%), and this will apply prospectively.
The PPF have made an assessment that around 165,000 PPF members and 91,000 current FAS members have some pre-97 benefits where their former schemes provided mandatory indexation. The remaining members will not fall within the scope of our reforms, either because these members had no mandatory pre-97 indexation in their original schemes, or no pre-97 service.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
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 impact of not uprating Local Housing Allowance on homelessness in Wales.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State confirmed in his Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1101) that Local Housing Allowance rates and the benefit cap will not be increased for 2026-27. He considered a range of factors, including the rentals levels across Great Britain, the wider fiscal context and welfare priorities. This included the decision to prioritise removing the two child limit, which will lift 450k children out of poverty.
Responsibility for housing and homelessness is devolved to the Welsh Government, while social security is reserved to the UK Government.
Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities for those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
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 merits of removing the benefit cap alongside the removal of the two child cap announced in the Budget Statement on 26 November 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made
The benefit cap aims to incentivise work as, where possible, it is in the best interest of children to be in working households. Being in work substantially reduces the chance of poverty: the poverty rate of children living in households where all adults work is 17% compared to 65% for children who live in households where no adults work.
Returning to employment, or increasing the number of hours worked, significantly increases the likelihood of a household not being affected by the cap. People who are working and earning at least £846 each month are exempt from the benefit cap. There is also protection for the most vulnerable as those who are caring or are severely disabled are exempt from the benefit cap.
The Government is committed to helping people move into and progress in work and we are delivering a step-change in employment and skills support for parents, enabling parents to balance work and caring responsibilities through high quality, flexible jobs, and improving access to childcare so parents are better able to work.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has he made of the number of households that will be affected by the removal of the two child cap but subjected to the benefit cap following changes announced in the Budget Statement on 26 November in (a) Wales and (b) across the UK.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested information is not available.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to review the criteria used to determine the State Pension age to reflect regional inequalities in healthy life expectancy.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government launched the third Government Review of State Pension age on 21 July.
This Review will consider a wide range of evidence including the latest ONS life expectancy and healthy life expectancy projections, findings from the Government Actuary on adult life in retirement, and an independent report led by Dr Suzy Morrissey, which will consider which facts are most relevant in setting State Pension age.