Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants receiving the higher Daily Living rate of Personal Independence Payment are in receipt of Carers Allowance.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

In November 2025 (the latest available data), in areas under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales and abroad), 88,000 people receiving the higher Daily Living rate of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) were in receipt of Carers Allowance.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 47466 on Pathways to Work: Impact Assessments, what the most recent equivalent disaggregation is by health category; what definitions are used in the disaggregation for Anxiety and Depression and ADHD/ADD; and how those definitions vary from the categories used for his Department’s PIP cases with entitlement from 2019 release.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The equivalent table for the PIP caseload at April 2026 is provided below.

ADHD / ADD is defined in the same way as the category used in the “PIP cases with entitlement form 2019” release.

Anxiety and Depression is a disaggregation of the Psychiatric Disorders group on the “PIP cases with entitlement from 2019” release; as previously included in the notes of the referenced response to question 47466, the group contains the following primary conditions:

- Anxiety disorders - Other / type not known

- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

- Stress reaction disorders - Other / type not known

- Generalised anxiety disorder

- Phobia - Specific

- Phobia - Social

- Agoraphobia

- Panic disorder

- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

- Anxiety and depressive disorders - mixed

- Conversion disorder (hysteria)

- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

- Dissociative disorders - Other / type not known

- Somatoform disorders - Other / type not known

- Depressive disorder

- Bipolar affective disorder (Hypomania / Mania)

- Mood disorders - Other / type not known

Table 1: PIP Daily Living claimants by primary condition group

Source: PIP Administrative Data

Notes:

- Figures are based on the PIP caseload at the end of April 2026 (latest available data).

- Data only includes claimants awarded Daily Living component.

- Data only includes claimants living in regions under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales and Abroad).

- Data only includes working age claimants

- Data includes normal rules claimants only and excludes special rules for end of life (SREL) claimants as they typically receive maximum or very high scores.

- Data may show minor differences to published award level information due to missing or poor-quality score data for a small number of claims.

- Health condition category is based on primary health condition as recorded on the PIP Computer System at time of latest assessment. Many claimants have multiple health conditions, but only the primary condition is available centrally for analysis.

- Only the 18 disabling condition groups which make up the highest proportions of the PIP caseload are displayed in this table.

- Other disabling condition groups which cover smaller proportions of the PIP caseload are covered in the "Other Conditions" category. This includes:

• Visual Diseases
• Other General Musculoskeletal Diseases
• Endocrine Diseases
• Hearing Disorders
• Gastrointestinal Diseases
• Genitourinary Diseases
• Skin Diseases
• Autoimmune Diseases (Connective Tissue Disorders)
• Infectious Diseases
• Diseases of the Liver, Gallbladder or Biliary Tract
• Haematological Diseases
• Metabolic Diseases
• Multisystem and Extremes of Age
• Diseases of the Immune System

- Figures may not sum due to rounding.

- Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 for volumes and the nearest percentage point for proportions.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many departmental staff are part of teams considering the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the social security and welfare system.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

AI has potentially transformative benefits for the economy and wider society, and the Government is doing all it can to ensure that the United Kingdom is at the forefront of this technological transition.

As part of that, teams across DWP, for instance working in policy, operational and digital, are considering how AI could impact the social security and welfare system to ensure the Department continues to deliver effectively for citizens in the future.

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 train job coaches to support workers at risk of losing their jobs from Artificial Intelligence.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

AI has potentially transformative benefits for the economy and wider society, and the Government is doing all it can to ensure that the United Kingdom is at the forefront of this technological transition.

The government is actively monitoring the impact AI may cause in the labour market, including job creation and displacement. Where workers are displaced, as you would expect, they will benefit from support from work coaches to find reemployment.

DWP is committed to ensuring that Work Coaches are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to provide tailored support to customers navigating a changing labour market. All Work Coaches undertake a comprehensive learning programme, including induction, consolidation and continuous professional development throughout their careers.

The learning programme is regularly updated to reflect changing customer needs and developments in the labour market, including the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This supports Work Coaches to have informed conversations with customers about emerging employment opportunities, changes in skills demand, and the support available to help people move into or progress in work.

This Government is investing £187 million in digital and AI learning. Every UK adult is eligible for free AI upskilling via the AI Skills Boost, with the ambition of upskilling 10 million workers in AI skills by 2030.

This is in conjunction with a range of wider reskilling opportunities, such as Sector Based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs) which provides opportunities to those who are looking to change career or sectors through providing placements for pre-employment training, a work experience placement and a guaranteed interview for a real job.

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 the National Insurance rate, Minimum Wage and Employment Rights Act on the unemployment rate.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government is committed to evidence-led policymaking which supports our aims to increase both the rate of employment, as well as the attractiveness of work.

From April 2026, the National Minimum Wage for those aged 18 to 20 increased to £10.85 per hour and the National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over increased to £12.71 per hour. These rates were set following the recommendations of the independent Low Pay Commission, which considers labour market analysis, pay data, stakeholder evidence and the cost of living.

The Government has also committed to aligning the 18 to 20 National Minimum Wage rate with the National Living Wage rate. Our most recent LPC remit, for the minimum wage rates for April 2027, ensures that the Low Pay Commission will retain flexibility over the pace and timing of this alignment while prioritising the employment prospects of younger workers.

We have sought to balance these reforms to encourage employers to take on new talent. Employers are not required to pay Employer National Insurance Contributions for employees under-21s and for under-25 apprentices, on earnings up to £50,270.

The Government has also more than doubled the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, protecting the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions.