Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the new 30,000-mile three-year mileage allowance under the Motability Scheme on the ability of disabled people to remain in paid employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 June 2026 to Question UIN 5478.
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. Department officials and Motability meet regularly to review the Scheme and how it operates to ensure it meets the needs of disabled people
Motability have announced that from 1 July 2026, customers who need significantly more travel than the standard mileage allowance for essential healthcare, education or employment journeys may be eligible for additional mileage support. Customers must demonstrate they require more than 3,000 miles a year for these purposes, with support applied to approved miles above that threshold through reduced excess mileage charges, while leisure and holiday travel is excluded. Support can be requested when ordering a vehicle or during a lease, with eligibility assessed based on individual circumstances and supporting evidence.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) complexity and (b) length of the Disability Living Allowance claim form on claimants; and whether he plans to amend the form.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Disability Living Allowance claim form is under regular review to ensure that it is as easy to understand as possible, and that the information collected is complete. Recently, work has been undertaken to improve the legibility of the claim form. This has included rewording some questions, strengthening the guidance in notes and advice sheets as well as providing additional clarity on the information required.
The questions within the claim form ensure the Department has a clear understanding of the difficulties the child faces in everyday life, in order that DWP decision makers can make a clear and informed decision based in law. Other questions in the form safeguard and protect the public purse and reduce fraud and error.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Disability Living Allowance claim form; and whether he plans to take steps to make the form easier to complete.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve training for Child Maintenance Service call handlers on (a) vulnerable people and (b) victims of domestic abuse.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions and the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) take the support of vulnerable customers, including victims and survivors of domestic abuse, extremely seriously.
All CMS Caseworkers receive comprehensive technical training, including specific modules on identifying and supporting vulnerable customers and victims and survivors of domestic abuse. This Domestic Abuse training is kept up to date through mandatory two year refresher training to ensure colleagues maintain the requisite skills and knowledge.
For the most complex domestic abuse cases, CMS uses a specialist team, which provides tailored support and reduces the need for victims and survivors to repeatedly recount their experiences.
All Caseworkers can access the Every Call Matters Hub, which provides access to supporting products and call standards to support confidence and quality when speaking with customers.
CMS aim to handle calls in a sensitive manner and ensure all customers get the help and support they need to use the service safely. This may include signposting to support organisations or reporting to the police where this may be necessary.
Further work is ongoing to strengthen quality assurance processes, including call listening, to ensure that vulnerable customers and victims and survivors of domestic abuse consistently receive the appropriate level of service. Insight from quality assurance outcomes is used to support ongoing training and learning.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the current average time taken is to pay Access to Work suppliers for services delivered; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in paying suppliers.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Access to Work payment processing is currently at 10 working days for generic payments and 15 days for special aids and equipment. We are upskilling additional staff to deliver payments and reduce processing times.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of the Disability Living Allowance claim form; and whether he plans to take steps to improve it.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
An accessible online version of a DLA1 (new claim form) is available to download from gov.uk.
All other DLA Child forms and letters are available as a reasonable adjustment for customers who require alternative methods to interact with the department. These include, but are not limited to, email accessible version, braille, large print, audio.
All forms and letters are regularly reviewed to ensure they provide the customer with the information required and support a smooth customer interaction.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Pensions Ombudsman operating on a voluntary basis, in the context of (a) its statutory responsibilities and (b) its role in resolving pension disputes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We have interpreted this question as being about complaints that are resolved through The Pension Ombudsman’s (TPO) Resolution Service (RS). TPO operates independently to deliver its statutory responsibilities. Its RS includes 22 employed pension specialists and 150 industry experts working on a voluntary basis. RS provides an informal route for resolving disputes and reducing pressure on formal investigations. In 2024/25, the RS resolved 1,512 complaints, 80% of the 1905 received, without the requirement for a formal ombudsman investigation. Where early resolution is not possible, the Pensions Ombudsman retains full statutory authority to investigate and determine cases.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the financial and emotional impact of current waiting times for mandatory reconsideration on individuals; and what his Department is doing to ensure that mandatory reconsiderations are carried out in a timely manner.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) offers claimants the opportunity to challenge decisions and provide additional information which may be relevant to their claim.
Entitlement is usually from the date of claim, so if a decision is changed at MR, the amount awarded will be the same as if it were awarded at the initial decision stage. Arrears are paid as a lump sum.
We are allocating more decision makers to MRs to ensure decisions are made in as timely manner as possible.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
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 mandatory reconsiderations on the (a) finances and (b) emotions of affected people; and how the Department is ensuring those reconsiderations are completed in a timely manner.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) offers claimants the opportunity to challenge decisions and provide additional information which may be relevant to their claim.
Entitlement is usually from the date of claim, so if a decision is changed at MR, the amount awarded will be the same as if it were awarded at the initial decision stage. Arrears are paid as a lump sum.
We are allocating more decision makers to MRs to ensure decisions are made in as timely manner as possible.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
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 receipt of combined monthly benefit payments on claimants with (a) severe mental health conditions and (b) reduced capacity.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Universal Credit (UC) is designed to support people both in and out of work, using up to date information to assess UC entitlement each month, meaning that the benefit calculated accurately reflects the needs of the household.
DWP understands that some customers will require support to help them adjust to monthly payments. Money guidance on budgeting, debt, pensions and savings is provided at the customer’s initial work search interview. More frequent payments are available to customers who are struggling to adapt to monthly payments.