Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of (a) tableware and (b) crockery used in (a) his Department and (b) job centres is made by a British manufacturer.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The current FM supply chain who provide catering services (as of 1st October 2025) has inherited canteen crockery and cutlery from the previous supplier(s), therefore are unable to ascertain where these were manufactured.
Our suppliers have confirmed there are no plans in place currently to purchase any crockery or cutlery in the future.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of PIP claimants currently have more than four points in any one category.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information you requested can be found in Table 2.27 in the Pathways to Work: Evidence Pack: Chapter 2.
The assessment of the Office for Budget Responsibility, published at the Spring Statement, is that most of the current claimants of PIP Daily Living who did not score four points in any of the activities at their last assessment will, nevertheless, because of behaviour changes, be awarded PIP Daily Living again after the proposed eligibility changes take effect.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when a person who reached state pension age before 2016 would become entitled to their basic state pension.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The basic State Pension was available for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016.
Men were eligible for basic State Pension at age 65. Women born prior to 6 April 1950 were eligible for the basic State Pension at age 60.
Following changes to the State Pension age due to the Pensions Act 1995, women born from 6 April 1950 to 5 April 1953 were eligible for the basic State Pension on a phased basis between 6 May 2010 and 6 March 2016. They had a State Pension age of between 60 years and one day and 63 years.
Details can be found in Table 1 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f02e640f0b62305b84929/spa-timetable.pdf
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the rate of remuneration for (a) cleaners, (b) security guards and (c) catering staff in her Department in (i) Greater London and (ii) outside Greater London.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
We can confirm that the Department holds information on the rate of remuneration for (a) cleaners & (b) security guards in (i) Greater London and (ii) outside Greater London.
The Department does not hold any information on the rate of remuneration for (c) catering staff which is part of a service price inclusive of catering staff costs.
The rates of remuneration are considered commercially sensitive and were not disclosed at point of contract award.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in her Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Department for Work and Pensions pays all employees at least the statutory National Living Wage of £7.83 per hour, regardless of age.
The Living Wage Foundation advocates employers paying an alternative hourly rate known as the Real Living Wage (RLW) or London Living Wage (LLW). The current Real Living Wage is £8.75.
(a) Inside Greater London 33 employees are paid less than the RLW.
(b) Outside Greater London 85 employees are paid less than the RLW.
Please note the above figures are calculated based on all employees in London working a 37 hour week. We do have individuals with a reserved right to work a 36 hour week, which would reduce these figures.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in her Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the London Living Wage.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Department for Work and Pensions pays all employees at least the statutory National Living Wage of £7.83 per hour, regardless of age.
The Living Wage Foundation advocates employers paying an alternative hourly rate known as the Real Living Wage (RLW) or London Living Wage (LLW). The current London Living Wage is £10.20.
(a) Inside Greater London 33 employees are paid less than the LLW
(b) Outside Greater London 15,663 employees are paid less than the LLW. Employees outside of Greater London can be based anywhere across the country.
Please note the above figures are calculated based on all employees in London working a 37 hour week. We do have individuals with a reserved right to work a 36 hour week, which would reduce these figures.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the contracted hours are for the highest paid member of staff in her Department.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The highest paid member of staff at the Department for Work and Pensions is contracted to work 42 hours weekly. The standard departmental contract states that all Senior Civil Servants are subject to a minimum of 42 hours, including daily lunch breaks of 1 hour. Senior Civil Servants are also required to work any additional hours that may be reasonable and necessary for efficient performance of one’s duties.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how may staff (a) are employed directly by (b) are seconded to and (c) work under contract to her Department.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
(a) DWP latest published Departmental headcount and payroll data for July 2018 shows a total of 82,626 staff employed by the department.
(b) In relation to secondments in to the department, the information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
(c) Departmental headcount and payroll data for July 2018 shows 614 people working under contract to the Department.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2018 to Question 139031, on Universal Credit: Stoke on Trent, if she will place a copy of the research referred to in that Answer in the Library.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The research published by DWP is in the Universal Credit Extended Gateway: findings from research with extended Gateway claimants, and is available at
We also plan to publish our further research into Universal Credit and arrears later this year.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children under the age of 16 had a claim rejected for disability living allowance in each of the last three years.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Entitlements to Child DLA awards are not determined by specific disabilities or diagnosis; instead entitlement is determined by the effects which a disability or long term health condition has on a person’s life. These are all factors to be taken into consideration when looking at the number of Child DLA new claim rejections.
The Department for Work and Pensions has specially trained case managers who examine comprehensive claimant forms and supporting evidence provided to decide the extent to which the condition affects the mobility and care needs of the claimant (this is what the assessment is based on). Case managers have access to a comprehensive medical guidance and, where consent is provided, can directly contact named professionals in the claim form to obtain additional information required to make an accurate decision.
Applicants who believe they have not received the correct level of DLA award(s) can seek for a mandatory reconsideration, where their claim will be looked at again.
Please see the table below which shows the total number of children under the age of 16, who had a claim rejected and awarded for Disability Living Allowance in each of the last three years.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Child - Number of New Claims Rejected and Awarded | |||
DLA Child New Claim Rejections | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
24,734 | 27,703 | 33,951 | |
DLA Child New Claims Awarded | 71,129 | 73,186 | 78,814 |
Source:
Disability Living Allowance Computer System (DLACS)
Notes:
Data taken from MUs 26, 31, 81 and 84
New Claims - includes Normal Rules and Special Rules
Please note that the data supplied are derived from unpublished management information which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.