Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in his Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of effectiveness of the 50PLUS Champion role; and whether he plans to expand the role or increase specialist support available to Jobcentre Plus customers aged 50 and over.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement, and this government recognises the wealth of skills and experiences that midlife workers bring both to the workplace and the economy. DWP policies, such as 50PLUS Champions and Additional Work Coach Time for customers aged 50 and over, form part of a wide-ranging strategy that promotes age-inclusive employment practices, flexible working, and progression and career development.
The department takes seriously the findings from the Evaluation evidence from policies targeted at claimants aged 50 plus - GOV.UK published on 28 May, which evaluated the effectiveness of Additional Work Coach Time, 50PLUS Champions and the digital Midlife MOT.
Going forward, as part of our plans to Get Britain Working and create a Jobs and Careers Service, we are reforming employment support to make it more inclusive and better tailored to individuals. This includes strengthening the support we offer to people aged 50 and over to help them move back into good, meaningful work and progress in work. We will consider the evaluation findings as part of this.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 apply the findings of recent evaluations of employment support for people aged 50 and over to future programme design.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement, and this government recognises the wealth of skills and experiences that midlife workers bring both to the workplace and the economy. DWP policies, such as 50PLUS Champions and Additional Work Coach Time for customers aged 50 and over, form part of a wide-ranging strategy that promotes age-inclusive employment practices, flexible working, and progression and career development.
The department takes seriously the findings from the Evaluation evidence from policies targeted at claimants aged 50 plus - GOV.UK published on 28 May, which evaluated the effectiveness of Additional Work Coach Time, 50PLUS Champions and the digital Midlife MOT.
Going forward, as part of our plans to Get Britain Working and create a Jobs and Careers Service, we are reforming employment support to make it more inclusive and better tailored to individuals. This includes strengthening the support we offer to people aged 50 and over to help them move back into good, meaningful work and progress in work. We will consider the evaluation findings as part of this.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 implications for his policies of the finding that Additional Work Coach Time for Universal Credit claimants aged 50 and over does not have a statistically significant impact on employment outcomes; and what alternative approaches his Department is considering to help improve outcomes for jobseekers.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement, and this government recognises the wealth of skills and experiences that midlife workers bring both to the workplace and the economy. DWP policies, such as 50PLUS Champions and Additional Work Coach Time for customers aged 50 and over, form part of a wide-ranging strategy that promotes age-inclusive employment practices, flexible working, and progression and career development.
The department takes seriously the findings from the Evaluation evidence from policies targeted at claimants aged 50 plus - GOV.UK published on 28 May, which evaluated the effectiveness of Additional Work Coach Time, 50PLUS Champions and the digital Midlife MOT.
Going forward, as part of our plans to Get Britain Working and create a Jobs and Careers Service, we are reforming employment support to make it more inclusive and better tailored to individuals. This includes strengthening the support we offer to people aged 50 and over to help them move back into good, meaningful work and progress in work. We will consider the evaluation findings as part of this.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department plans to take following the publication of the report, Evaluation evidence from policies targeted at claimants aged 50 plus, published on 28 May 2026.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement, and this government recognises the wealth of skills and experiences that midlife workers bring both to the workplace and the economy. DWP policies, such as 50PLUS Champions and Additional Work Coach Time for customers aged 50 and over, form part of a wide-ranging strategy that promotes age-inclusive employment practices, flexible working, and progression and career development.
The department takes seriously the findings from the Evaluation evidence from policies targeted at claimants aged 50 plus - GOV.UK published on 28 May, which evaluated the effectiveness of Additional Work Coach Time, 50PLUS Champions and the digital Midlife MOT.
Going forward, as part of our plans to Get Britain Working and create a Jobs and Careers Service, we are reforming employment support to make it more inclusive and better tailored to individuals. This includes strengthening the support we offer to people aged 50 and over to help them move back into good, meaningful work and progress in work. We will consider the evaluation findings as part of this.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 employment opportunities for women aged 16 to 25.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are almost one million young people aged 16-24 who are currently not in employment, education or training (NEET). Of this group 448,000 are women.
This government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. We have recently committed a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking total additional investment into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to £2.5 billion over the next three years. This investment will support almost one million young people, including women, and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.
Within the up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, this investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.
For jobseekers over the age of 24, the Department offers employment support through a range of channels including the Find a Job website, financial support through the Flexible Support Fund to help with interviews or starting work, and tailored flexible support through Jobcentre Plus. Work Coaches offer personalised advice to help individuals secure roles which reflect their skills, qualifications and prior experience, alongside targeted job‑search support. Where appropriate, Work Coaches also identify any skills gaps and signpost jobseekers to relevant training and provision, including Skills Bootcamps, apprenticeships, sector‑based work academy programmes (SWAPs), and free courses for jobs, as well as essential English, maths and digital skills.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce regional disparities in the women’s employment rate.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This government is committed to reducing regional disparities in the women’s employment rate.
We recognise that women face additional barriers that can compound employment issues – in particular, childcare costs can affect parents’, and disproportionately women’s, decisions to take up paid work or increase their hours. We are taking action to address these barriers including ensuring that eligible Universal Credit claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs, while working parents may access up to 30 hours a week of funded childcare.
For too many people, labour market opportunities are shaped by where they live. Through our Get Britain Working strategy, we are aiming to improve employment outcomes at a national level and reduce regional disparities in unemployment rates for everyone, including women. As a part of this, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new Jobs and Careers Service across Great Britain, bringing together employment, careers and skills. The service will work with local employers and partners to ensure it reflects and addresses the different needs of local labour markets.
We are introducing programmes to tackle region-specific issues. We are delivering Local Get Britain Working plans in all areas of England, which are led by local government and co-developed with local stakeholders, and will identify local labour market challenges and priorities, and support the integration of locally delivered services. We are delivering 17 Economic Inactivity and Youth Guarantee Trailblazers led by Mayoral Strategic Authorities and the Welsh Government which are testing local approaches to support people who are hardest to reach to move towards work.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the levels of gender disparities in the unemployment rate.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The unemployment rate in Jan-Mar 2026 was 5.0%. This has fallen by 0.2%pts on the quarter.
The unemployment rate for men in Jan-Mar 2026 was 5.3% and was 4.7% for women. The gender unemployment rate gap is 0.6%pts and has increased by 0.3%pts on the year.
The government is committed to tackling the challenges women face in the labour market, whether they want to find a job, return to work, or progress in work, regardless of their background or stage of life. To support this commitment, the Government has appointed Mariella Frostrup as the Women’s Employment Ambassador, building on her work as the Menopause Employment Ambassador over the past 18 months.
The Department offers a range of employment support that women can benefit from. This includes the ‘Find a Job’ website, financial support through the Flexible Support Fund to help with interviews or starting work, and tailored, flexible support through Jobcentre Plus. Alongside targeted job-search support, Work Coaches offer personalised advice to help individuals secure roles which reflect their skills, qualifications and prior experience.
Where appropriate, Work Coaches identify any skills gaps and signpost jobseekers to relevant training and provision, such as Skills Bootcamps, apprenticeships, sector-based work academy programmes, and free courses for jobs, as well as essential English, maths and digital skills.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS document Female unemployment rate (aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted): %, published on 21 April 2026, what steps he is taking to tackle the increase in female unemployment.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The government is committed to tackling the challenges women face in the labour market, whether they want to find a job, return to work, or progress in work, regardless of their background or stage of life. To support this commitment, the Government has appointed Mariella Frostrup as the Women’s Employment Ambassador, building on her work as the Menopause Employment Ambassador over the past 18 months.
The Department offers a range of employment support that women can benefit from. This includes the ‘Find a Job’ website, financial support through the Flexible Support Fund to help with interviews or starting work, and tailored, flexible support through Jobcentre Plus. Alongside targeted job-search support, Work Coaches offer personalised advice to help individuals secure roles which reflect their skills, qualifications and prior experience.
Where appropriate, Work Coaches identify any skills gaps and signpost jobseekers to relevant training and provision, such as Skills Bootcamps, apprenticeships, sector-based work academy programmes, and free courses for jobs, as well as essential English, maths and digital skills.
As set out in the Child Poverty Strategy, the Government recognises that high childcare costs can affect parents’, and disproportionately women’s, decisions to take up paid work or increase their working hours. Eligible UC customers can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month regardless of the number of hours they work. In addition, eligible working parents can also access 30 hours a week of funded childcare through DfE’s Working Parent Entitlement.
From April 2026, employers with 250 or more employees have the option to produce and publish a voluntary action plan alongside their gender pay gap data, setting out how they will address workplace barriers for women.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS document Female unemployment rate (aged 16 and over, seasonally adjusted): %, published on 21 April 2026, what steps he is taking to tackle the increase in female unemployment.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.