Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 encourage people who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness and disability into work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government delivers an extensive programme of initiatives to support disabled people and those with health conditions, including those with long-term sickness, to start, stay, and succeed in work.
These initiatives include: the Work and Health Programme, Access to Work grants, Disability Confident, a digital information service for employers, Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres, Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023 to: double the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, launch WorkWell in approximately 15 pilot areas to provide light touch work and health support, explore new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to support, and establish an expert group to advise on a voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.
Alongside this, the Health and Disability White Paper announced plans to abolish the WCA. This reform will ensure those who are able to can progress in or towards work, without the worry of being reassessed and losing their benefits, giving claimants confidence they will receive support, for as long as it is needed, regardless of whether they are working.
Ahead of the White Paper reform, we have announced changes to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) from 2025, that will continue to protect those with the most severe conditions while ensuring those that can work are supported in doing so. Alongside this, a new ‘Chance to Work Guarantee’, will effectively abolish the WCA for most existing claimants who have already been assessed and are not expected to look for or prepare for work. This will remove the fear of reassessments and give people the confidence to try work, while providing continuity of service for vulnerable claimants.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 support the long-term unemployed into work.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government recently announced further steps to stem flows into long term unemployment and inactivity through the Back to Work Plan.
As part of the Plan, the Restart Scheme will be extended for two years, and eligibility will be expanded to those who have been on Universal Credit in the IWS regime for more than 6 months rather than 9 months (as is the case currently). Restart provides customers with up to 12 months of intensive, tailored employment support.
The expansion of the Restart Scheme means that people will be able to benefit from the support offered by Restart earlier in their customer journey. The extended Restart Scheme will provide support for around 500,000 UC customers in the IWS regime.
The Back to Work Plan also set out that UC customers who remain unemployed after support from the Jobcentre and from the 12-month Restart scheme will take part in a claimant review point. This is a new process where a Work Coach will thoroughly review why the customer remains out of work, and what barriers continue to persist. Work Coaches will update Claimant Commitments to reflect what further support is needed to break this cycle of long-term unemployment, considering individual circumstances. Customers will be required to accept a job, undertake time-limited work experience or other intensive support.
From late 2024, these pathways will be tested on a small scale for claimants completing Restart without earnings.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 help unemployed young people into work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department of Work and Pensions Youth Offer provides individually tailored Work Coach support to young people aged 16 to 24 who are claiming Universal Credit. This support includes the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Employability Coaches for young people with additional barriers to finding work, and Youth Hubs across Great Britain.
Previously, the Youth Offer was only available for those searching for work. As of the 25 September 2023, this been expanded to include to include additional young people on Universal Credit not currently searching for work, including young parents and carers.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 encourage people to increase their pension contributions.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This government is clear about the importance of pension saving so that individuals can plan for the retirement they want. We recognise the current minimum contribution rates for automatic enrolment (AE) are unlikely to give all individuals the retirement to which they aspire. That is why we are committed to implementing the 2017 Review measures.
Expanding AE to younger people and helping all eligible workers save from the first pound of earnings will boost overall saving levels, once fully implemented, by an extra £2 billion a year in pension contributions.
Following the successful passage of the Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) (No. 2) Act 2023, supported by government, we have committed to consult on the detailed implementation of AE expansion and will do so at the earliest opportunity and report to Parliament before using the powers in the Act.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 expand Automatic Enrolment.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
This government is clear about the importance of pension saving so that individuals can plan for the retirement they want. We recognise the current minimum contribution rates for automatic enrolment (AE) are unlikely to give all individuals the retirement to which they aspire. That is why we are committed to implementing the 2017 Review measures.
Expanding AE to younger people and helping all eligible workers save from the first pound of earnings will boost overall saving levels, once fully implemented, by an extra £2 billion a year in pension contributions.
Following the successful passage of the Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) (No. 2) Act 2023, supported by government, we have committed to consult on the detailed implementation of AE expansion and will do so at the earliest opportunity and report to Parliament before using the powers in the Act.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 help ensure parents pay child maintenance.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 help support people aged over 50 into work.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to delivering a comprehensive package of support to help over 50s to remain and return to work.
Eligible older jobseekers on Universal Credit will receive more intensive, tailored support during the first nine months of their claim. This will give work coaches more time to spend with older job seekers who have recently become unemployed and give extra support to help tackle barriers or difficulties in finding work.
37 new full-time 50PLUS Champion are now in every Jobcentre Plus district across GB, to support and upskill Work Coaches to deliver success for older claimants, including by raising awareness of the importance of supporting older job seekers.
The Mid-life MOT is being offered to workers in their 40s and 50s to review and take stock of their finances, skills and health. This enables them to better prepare for their retirement and build financial resilience. They will be delivered to people in work in the private sector in three pilot areas, to eligible customers in the Jobcentres claiming Universal Credit and digitally. As part of the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced even more 50+ customers on Universal Credit will be able to take part in the Mid-life MOT sessions in the Jobcentre. The digital Mid-life MOT will also be expanded and improved.
Alongside this enhanced offer, for those who became unemployed, Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches have the flexibility to offer all claimants, a comprehensive menu of help, such as through Restart, Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), the Flexible Support Fund, Mentoring circles, and 50+ job fairs, whilst also being supported by the 50 PLUS Champions.
We will introduce Returnerships, a new offer promoting existing skills interventions to the over-50s, focussing on flexibility and previous experience to reduce training length.
DWP also engages with employers to encourage positive attitudes towards older workers and the benefits of a multi-generational work force, and the adoption of suitable work practices to increase the retention, retraining and recruitment of older workers. DWP and The Business Champion for Older Workers, Andy Briggs, engage with employers to promote the benefits of older workers to business.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the level of economic inactivity among people of working age.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK labour market has record employment and close to record low unemployment, however we want to see even more people fulfil their potential, we are supporting employers to get the required skills for their workforce, and ensuring the economy continues to grow.
The Spring Budget set out a significant, wide-ranging package of DWP measures that represent an investment of £3.5bn over 5 years to boost workforce participation. These measures will help to break down the barriers stopping people moving into work and progressing in it. This includes investment to support disabled people and those with long-term health conditions, parents, over-50s, unemployed people and people on Universal Credit and working fewer than full-time hours.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to remove barriers to women returning to work after giving birth.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Lots of women want to work after having children. Universal Credit is designed to ensure that women get the flexible support they need to return to work. All claimants, including women returning to work after giving birth, are set requirements that take into account their circumstances and capability, including caring responsibilities.
For claimants with children aged two to four, support has also been adjusted so that these claimants are able to attend refresher training courses for up to a year, where it will improve their chance of returning to a previous occupation.
Additionally, where a claimant is caring for a pre-school age child, additional safeguards apply, as such, any work-related expectations are limited. Those expected to search for work can limit the time they can spend travelling to and from work. Lead carers are given longer to attend an interview or take up work so they can arrange childcare.
The Department is aware that for some UC claimants childcare costs can present a challenge for parents returning to work. To support parents when returning to work, eligible UC claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month regardless of the number of hours they work.
This is up to the maximum amount of £646.35 per month for one child and £1,108.04 per month for two or more children. From Summer 2023, the Department will increase the generosity of the UC childcare costs ‘caps’ (maximum amounts) - allowing parents to claim back over £300 more for one child or over £500 for two or more children of their childcare costs per month. This will increase the caps to £950.92 for one child and £1,630.15 for two or more children. For families with two or more children, this could be worth over £19,500 a year.
By September 2025, eligible working parents of children aged 9 months to when they start school will be able to get 30 hours of free childcare in England.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 incentivise people to return to the labour market.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The is Government is committed to helping people find a job, progress in work and thrive in the labour market, whoever they are and wherever they live.
Universal Credit has been designed to make work pay and we have comprehensive support in place to help DWP claimants start, stay and succeed in work, including face-to-face time with work coaches and interview assistance. In addition, there is targeted support for groups we know are more likely to be inactive, such as those aged 50+ and disabled people and people with a health condition.
DWP is leading work across government to look in detail at the issue of workforce participation. As only about half of the people who are economically inactive are on a DWP benefit, we are working with other government departments and stakeholders to gather insight and develop new ideas to tackle this issue.