Chris Law

The group of Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) customers affected by the most severe health conditions or disabilities are considered to have limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA). The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) criteria for assessing whether someone has LCWRA is not determined by a point score. To be found to have LCWRA, someone must be assessed as meeting one or more of the LCWRA criteria, which are set out in legislation.

Scoring 15 points against the WCA Limited Capability for Work (LCW) criteria, be that any single WCA activity or in total across the activities, would result in somebody being found to have LCW/being placed in the ESA Work-Related Activity Group.

The group of Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) customers affected by the most severe health conditions or disabilities are considered to have limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA). The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) criteria for assessing whether someone has LCWRA is not determined by a point score. To be found to have LCWRA, someone must be assessed as meeting one or more of the LCWRA criteria, which are set out in legislation.

Scoring 15 points against the WCA Limited Capability for Work (LCW) criteria, be that any single WCA activity or in total across the activities, would result in somebody being found to have LCW/being placed in the ESA Work-Related Activity Group.

The specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

On 28 November we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 17 November 2024. Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UK, which is the nearest available data to the 30 November.

This information is updated quarterly and the next update, which will include end of November data is due around the end of February 2025. This release will cover data up to week commencing 10 February 2024.

• These statistics show that 150,000 Pension Credit claims were received between 29 July 2024 up to 17 November 2024.
• In the previous year we received around 67,000 applications for the closest comparable period, which was 31 July 2023 to 19 November 2023.
• The closest comparable period in 2022 shows we received around 87,500 applications between 1 August 2022 and 20 November 2022.

Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.

The consultation on Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper ran for 12 weeks and closed on Monday 22 July.

The Department received over 16,000 responses to the consultation. This demonstrates the depth of feeling about the previous Government’s proposals. I thank the British public, as well as the numerous charities and organisations who responded on behalf of their members, for the time and effort taken to share their thoughts and views.

Whilst engaging with responses, I can confirm that responses to the set of proposals on the reform of Personal Independence Payments was mixed and for some proposals consistently negative.

We will be setting out our own plans for social security in due course and will fulfil our continued commitment to work with disabled people so that their views and voices are at the heart of all that we do.

The Government has ambitious plans relating to employment, including disability employment, and we will be setting this out through a forthcoming White Paper, the Employment Rights Bill and the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. We know that there is more to do to address the labour market challenges of today and tomorrow.

Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people with health conditions, including multiple sclerosis, have the opportunity to work and save for as long as they wish and are able to.

A fully inclusive labour market that enables disabled people and people with health conditions to have access to the same opportunities as everyone else to the benefits of work is crucial to meeting our ambition for an 80% employment rate. As part of the Get Britain Working Plan, more disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.

Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including multiple sclerosis, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.

Under the Equality Act 2010, protection is available where a worker or job applicant’s condition fits the definition of a disability set out in section 6 of the Act. Where a person meets the Act’s definition of a disabled person, the employment provisions in the Act make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against disabled employees and applicants. As with all provisions under the Act, it is for the person who believes they have been discriminated against in the provision of services to personally seek advice or redress. Should they wish to do so, they can begin this process by contacting the Equality Advisory and Support Service, which provides free bespoke advice to individuals with discrimination concerns.

This Government is committed to delivering the Plan to Make Work Pay in full and updating Britain's employment protections, so they are fit for our modern economy and the future of work. As set out in the Plan to Make to Work Pay we are committed to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), so it provides a safety net for those who need it most. We will remove the Lower Earnings Limit to make it available to all employees and remove the waiting period so that SSP is paid from the first day of sickness absence. Ministers are identifying the most appropriate delivery mechanisms for the commitments in the Plan, including an Employment Rights Bill that will be introduced to Parliament within 100 days of taking office.

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.

We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of Europe. This Government is serious about our own defence and bearing our part of the burden for collective defence as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As the Prime Minister said in his statement to Parliament on 25 February, we must increase our security and defence spending.

While this will be funded through the difficult but necessary reductions to development assistance, this Government remains fully committed to the UK playing a globally significant role on development; it is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe.

China has made a significant contribution to economic development and growth across the world, and the UK and China have over a decade of constructive engagement on international development, to support delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, we also recognise the potential risks that Chinese overseas investment can present, which is why this Government is co-operating where we can, competing where we need to, and challenging where we must.

The Prime Minister has committed to publishing a single new national security strategy, bringing together all reviews into one document and reflecting the decisions on resource set out on 25 February 2025. This will be published following the Spring Statement in March and ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in June. Detailed decisions on ODA spending will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review.

The impact on specific programmes will be informed by the ongoing Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes. Plans will be set out in due course.

The decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending by 2027 was agreed by the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Chancellor.

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and official development assistance. Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review on the basis of various factors including impact assessments.

We are deeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli detention centres. The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities. We continue to raise this with the Israeli government as a priority. The Foreign Secretary, the Minister for Development, the Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (FSRHA) and I regularly meet NGOs to discuss topics including prisoners and detainees. The UK has always been clear that an immediate ceasefire is just the first step towards a lasting solution to this crisis. We are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to engage with international partners to ensure full implementation of the agreement, including the release of all hostages.

We do not hold this information.

We are deeply concerned by reports of the mistreatment of detainees. The UK continues to reiterate calls for Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and our Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates worldwide provide consular assistance to British nationals abroad. Types of British citizenship are set out on Gov.UK

The UK remains opposed to the Israeli Knesset legislation suspending UNRWA operations, which came in to force on 30 January. The vital work of UNRWA in ensuring that Palestinians have access to education, healthcare and other essential services must be protected across Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. On 31 January, we joined with Germany and France to call on Israel to abide by its international obligations and live up to its responsibility to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance and the provision of basic services to the civilian population. The Foreign Secretary also raised this on 13 January with Foreign Minister Sa'ar, during his visit to the region. The Minister for Development set out our concerns with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel on 4 December, while the Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories raised this with the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs on 23 January.

We are concerned by the reports of the detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and others. In recent weeks, I have raised this case with both Israel's Ambassador to the UK, and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Haskel. Israel must allow medical staff to carry out their work unimpeded, and to travel around Gaza as needed. Whilst we don't comment on specific non UK national cases, the government does raise international humanitarian law compliance regularly with Israel.

The UK is investing in the ceasefire, which is why the Minister for Development announced £17 million in humanitarian funding on 28 January to ensure healthcare, food and shelter reaches tens of thousands of civilians, and to rebuild vital infrastructure across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK has now announced £129 million for the OPTs this financial year, including £41 million for the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), providing essential services to civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Palestinian refugees across the region delivered through partner agencies. We remain opposed to the anti-UNRWA Knesset legislation and reiterate that the vital work of UNRWA must be protected across Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The UK continues to lead international action to press for a resolution to this urgent issue. On 31 January, we joined with Germany and France to call on Israel to abide by its international obligations and live up to its responsibility to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance and the provision of basic services to the civilian population.

When the Foreign Secretary travelled to Israel earlier this month, he met Foreign Minister Sa'ar and Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and discussed ceasefire and hostage negotiations, humanitarian aid into Gaza, as well as other regional issues.

The UK is actively working towards ending the conflict in Sudan. The Foreign Secretary has spoken with regional partners to explore how the UK can assist international mediation efforts. Richard Crowder, UK Special Representative to Sudan, visited Port Sudan in December 2024 - the UK's first official visit to the county since outbreak of conflict in April 2023. He pressed for a resolution to the conflict, and for all parties to engage constructively in mediation talks, including by complying with the Jeddah Declaration of Commitments to Protect Civilians. We also continue to lead efforts in the UN Security Council to support peace and to keep international spotlight on this crisis.

Ministers will consider Official Development Assistance allocations for 2025/26 over the coming months, and we will publish them in the Annual Report & Accounts in summer 2025. The next phase of the Spending Review will set departmental budgets from 2026/27 to 2029/30.

In November 2024, the UK announced a further £113 million of aid. With this announcement, the UK has doubled our aid to £226.5 million.

The UK continues to raise the critical issue of humanitarian access. We did this recently at the UN Security Council on 19 December 2024 and 6 January 2025, where we called for the warring parties to lift bureaucratic impediments and let aid get to those who need it. I have also engaged directly with the new Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, on the UN response. The UK Special Representative, Richard Crowder, met the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, General Burhan, during his first visit to Sudan and lobbied against current impediments such as visas. On 25 November 2024, the Foreign Secretary chaired a Sudan meeting with G7 and Arab Quint Foreign Ministers to discuss joint steps to improve humanitarian access and increase aid.

I met Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel and Yuli Edelstein, Chair of Israel's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, during my official visit to Israel in December 2024.