Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 61354 on Personal Independence Payment, if she will set out the methodology used to estimate the number of claimants who would be subject to the benefits cap.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As I made clear in my statement to the House, Hansard, 1 July, col 219, any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I am leading, and which will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This review aims to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future. The review is expected to conclude in autumn 2026.
For the previous proposals’ impact on the benefit cap, administrative datasets from August 2024 showing the number of households exempt from the benefit cap as a result of PIP receipt were used to estimate the proportion of households that would become affected by the benefit cap if they lost their entitlement to PIP. This was then applied to the estimated volume of PIP claimants that would be affected by the 4-point policy that do not receive the Mobility component of PIP. Implicit in this assumption was that exemptions from the benefit cap are equally likely among those not having a 4-point score as those who have one.
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of her Department's proposed changes to the PIP eligibility criteria on the number of people subject to the benefits cap (a) nationally and (b) in Croydon East constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We estimate that in 2029/30, for those affected by the proposed changes to the PIP eligibility criteria, 1,200 claimants will be also subject to the benefit cap. This estimate assumes that people potentially subject to the benefit cap are no more, and no less, likely than other people affected by the proposed changes to change their behaviour to continue to qualify for PIP and the estimate is subject to revision.
Estimates of the volumes of PIP claimants affected by the reform in the future are forecast for England and Wales only and therefore have not been broken down by Parliamentary Constituency or any other geographic area.
After accounting for behavioural changes, the OBR predicts that 9 out 10 PIP recipients at the time of policy implementation are expected to be unaffected by the PIP 4-point change in 2029/30. No one will lose access to PIP immediately - and most people will not lose access at all. Our intention is that changes will start to come into effect from November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years. People who continue to receive a PIP mobility component will remain exempt from the benefit cap.
We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including ensuring health and care needs are met.
We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I am leading. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress.
Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools provide (a) children and (b) young people with information on support available for victims of domestic abuse.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), our statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges, is clear that all staff should be aware of and provide support to children and young people who might be victims of domestic abuse. KCSIE provides staff with advice on the signs and impact of domestic abuse, and signposts to support for child victims, including the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, the NSPCC Childline and the Operation Encompass helpline.
Through compulsory relationships education, all primary and secondary pupils learn about positive and respectful relationships, and the concepts and laws around sexual harassment and sexual violence.
The department is currently reviewing the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance to ensure it enables schools to tackle harmful behaviour, starting in primary. As part of the review, we will consider how content on tackling violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, can be strengthened. We intend to publish final revised RSHE guidance in 2025.
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse of (a) increasing funding for early interventions and (b) conducting late-stage interventions in children’s social care.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government recognises that early intervention improves outcomes and reduces overall public spending.
In the 2023/24 financial year, local authorities’ gross expenditure on children and young people's services was £14.8 billion, a 12% increase in cash terms from 2022/23. £8.1 billion was spent on looked-after children (LAC), an increase of nearly 16% from 2022/23. More than 50% of this increase owed to growth in residential care spending, which increased by 24% and accounted for 39% of LAC spend.
Early intervention has been shown to impact spending on LAC by keeping more families together. An evaluation of the Supporting Families programme highlighted a 32% reduction in the number of LAC over 24 months and estimated that every pound spent on the programme generated £2.28 in benefits.
Building on this evidence, the government has provided over £500 million in the 2025/26 financial year for the Families First Partnership programme, rolling out reforms to Family Help, multi-agency child protection, and family group decision making.
The government’s investment in 2025/26 is a significant step in our ambition to rebalance the children’s social care system towards early intervention, enable local authorities to move towards financial sustainability, and deliver improved outcomes. The government will set out funding plans for future years in phase 2 of the spending review on 11 June 2025.
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reductions in early intervention funding on levels of demand for (a) child protection services and (b) care placements.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government recognises that early intervention improves outcomes and reduces overall public spending.
In the 2023/24 financial year, local authorities’ gross expenditure on children and young people's services was £14.8 billion, a 12% increase in cash terms from 2022/23. £8.1 billion was spent on looked-after children (LAC), an increase of nearly 16% from 2022/23. More than 50% of this increase owed to growth in residential care spending, which increased by 24% and accounted for 39% of LAC spend.
Early intervention has been shown to impact spending on LAC by keeping more families together. An evaluation of the Supporting Families programme highlighted a 32% reduction in the number of LAC over 24 months and estimated that every pound spent on the programme generated £2.28 in benefits.
Building on this evidence, the government has provided over £500 million in the 2025/26 financial year for the Families First Partnership programme, rolling out reforms to Family Help, multi-agency child protection, and family group decision making.
The government’s investment in 2025/26 is a significant step in our ambition to rebalance the children’s social care system towards early intervention, enable local authorities to move towards financial sustainability, and deliver improved outcomes. The government will set out funding plans for future years in phase 2 of the spending review on 11 June 2025.
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of assessments undertaken by the National Age Assessment Board that were subject to a legal challenge in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024; and how many and what proportion of those decisions found in favour of the National Age Assessment Board.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The number of age assessments undertaken by the National Age Assessment Board that were subject to a legal challenge was 22 in total (1 in 2023 and 21 in 2024).
20 of the 22 age assessments decisions were successfully defended (91%).
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that two-year-olds in Government-funded childcare places receive free school meals in (a) private and (b) school nurseries.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Under current programmes, 2.1 million disadvantaged pupils are registered to receive benefits-based free school meals (FSM). This includes pupils attending a local authority maintained, academy or free school nursery who are entitled to FSM, as long as they are either in full-time education or receive education both before and after lunch, and meet the benefits-based FSM eligibility criteria.
As with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to FSM under continued review.
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of independence of the National Age Assessment Board.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The introduction of the National Age Assessment Board (NAAB) in March 2023, a decision-making body comprising of social workers who can conduct Merton age assessments on behalf of local authorities, offers significant improvements to our processes for assessing age. It aims to create greater consistency in age assessment practices and increase capacity and expertise in the system.
We have gone to great lengths to ensure that the NAAB is distinct from the Home Office’s asylum and immigration decision making functions and the two sit under separate management functions. In addition, the information acquired by the NAAB when conducting age assessments is not accessible to asylum and immigration decision making teams, other than the final decision on age.
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help protect patients who have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Mental Health Bill, which has now passed from the House of Lords to the House of Commons, will give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights, and support, and will ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment.
In January 2025, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) concluded a series of investigations into mental health inpatient settings. In 2023/24, approximately 51% of patients were detained under the act. The investigations raised important concerns and set out recommendations to improve mental health care, protect patients and the public, and promote a safe working environment for staff. The findings have been published in a series of reports, which are available on the HSSIB’s website.
NHS England has launched its mental health, learning disability, and autism inpatient quality transformation programme to support cultural change and embed a new model of care across all National Health Service-funded mental health inpatient settings. Local health systems have now published their three-year plans for localising and realigning inpatient care in line with this vision.
In addition, the Government is investing £75 million to reduce inappropriate out of area placements for mental health patients, so that they can be supported closer to their communities and in more appropriate settings.
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how Operation VALOUR will support (a) veterans in Croydon East constituency and (b) the creation of a new veterans hub in Croydon.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for Veterans and People gave on 12 May to Questions 50185, 50186, 50187, 50189, 50190, and 50191 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr Cartlidge), and Question 50424 to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr Jopp).