Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review Personal Independence Payment assessment guidance in relation to Functional Neurological Disorder to ensure that claimants are not being refused the daily living component on the basis that they do not have a diagnosed mental health condition.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is based on the impact of a health condition or impairment on a person's ability to carry out the daily living and mobility activities prescribed in legislation, rather than on a particular diagnosis.
All PIP claimants are assessed to determine their entitlement. As part of the assessment process, a health professional (HP) considers a claimant's ability to carry out a range of everyday activities and advises which assessment criteria they believe apply. DWP will then consider all available evidence before making a decision on entitlement.
All assessment suppliers are required to ensure that HPs have appropriate training and knowledge of the clinical aspects and likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments, including Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). All HPs undertaking assessments on behalf of the department must be registered practitioners and receive comprehensive training in disability analysis, including how to assess the impact of health conditions on day-to-day activities, alongside awareness training covering a range of conditions, symptoms and disabilities.
From 9 September 2024, the educational material for all Health Assessment Advisory Service HPs has been provided by DWP, ensuring HPs have the skills and knowledge to deliver safe, informed and compassionate assessments. In addition, HPs have access to a wide range of Core Training and Guidance Materials. These resources provide clinical and functional information on a broad range of conditions, including FND.
Following the transfer of responsibilities to DWP, all training and guidance materials are undergoing a comprehensive review and update. A dedicated team is leading this work to ensure materials remain aligned with national best practice standards, supported by independent clinical experts who provide external quality assurance of content.
The department keeps its guidance under review to ensure it remains accurate, reflects current clinical understanding and supports fair and consistent decision making.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has (a) made an assessment of the underlying causes of the gender pension gap and (b) considered developing a cross-government strategy to address those causes and reduce the gap.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that the gender pensions gap reflects a range of factors, including differences in earnings, working patterns, labour market participation and the accumulation of private pension savings over working lives.
The Department for Work and Pensions has assessed differences in pension outcomes between men and women through its published analysis of the Gender Pensions Gap in Private Pensions: 2020 to 2022, which found that the Gender Pensions Gap for those approaching retirement (aged between 55 and 59) between 2020 and 2022 stood at 48%. This publication also highlights underlying causes of the gender pension gap and that the differences in pension outcomes between men and women become most apparent once women reach their 30’s, a trend driven by childcare responsibilities.
A range of activity is already underway across Government that could help improve pension outcomes for women. This includes a Government review of the parental leave and pay system and the appointment of Mariella Frostrup as Women’s Employment Ambassador in April 2026. The Ministry of Justice has also consulted on proposals to support greater use of pension sharing on divorce, where appropriate.
The Pensions Commission is exploring how to improve retirement outcomes, especially for those on the lowest incomes and at the greatest risk of poverty or under saving, including women. The Government will consider their recommendations carefully on publication of the Pension Commission’s final report in early 2027.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 the impact of career breaks and periods out of paid employment on women’s pension savings and retirement outcomes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that the gender pensions gap reflects a range of factors, including differences in earnings, working patterns, labour market participation and the accumulation of private pension savings over working lives.
The Department for Work and Pensions has assessed differences in pension outcomes between men and women through its published analysis of the Gender Pensions Gap in Private Pensions: 2020 to 2022, which found that the Gender Pensions Gap for those approaching retirement (aged between 55 and 59) between 2020 and 2022 stood at 48%. This publication also highlights underlying causes of the gender pension gap and that the differences in pension outcomes between men and women become most apparent once women reach their 30’s, a trend driven by childcare responsibilities.
A range of activity is already underway across Government that could help improve pension outcomes for women. This includes a Government review of the parental leave and pay system and the appointment of Mariella Frostrup as Women’s Employment Ambassador in April 2026. The Ministry of Justice has also consulted on proposals to support greater use of pension sharing on divorce, where appropriate.
The Pensions Commission is exploring how to improve retirement outcomes, especially for those on the lowest incomes and at the greatest risk of poverty or under saving, including women. The Government will consider their recommendations carefully on publication of the Pension Commission’s final report in early 2027.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 barriers for unemployed people aged 50 to State Pension age with extensive work histories but limited formal qualifications, who have developed health conditions which restrict their employment options and face challenges navigating digital recruitment processes; and what targeted support his Department provides to help such people return to work.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department recognises the challenges that people aged 50 and over with health conditions can face when seeking to access employment. We value the wealth of skills and experience that people aged 50 and over bring to the workplace and the economy and are committed to supporting them to find work through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes inclusion, flexibility and progression.
We provide additional, dedicated support in jobcentres for those who are aged 50 and over and in receipt of benefits. This includes 50PLUS Champions, who ensure that the specific needs of midlife workers are recognised and met. This can include IT training to help people to engage with digital services. Our Midlife MOT and local Employer and Partnership Teams also provide tailored guidance and connect people with health, skills, and financial support, and with employers.
We also have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals with health conditions to stay in work and get back into work. These include support from work coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in jobcentres, Access to Work grants and the Connect to Work programme, as well as initiatives joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, and WorkWell.
As part of our plans to Get Britain Working, we are creating a Jobs and Careers Service, with an enhanced focus on skills and careers, available to all. Support will be more inclusive and tailored to individual needs, regardless of their barriers to work, to help them find secure, meaningful work, develop new skills and progress in their careers.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 the potential impact of pension contributions being reduced during maternity leave on women's retirement savings.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Automatic Enrolment has delivered substantial progress in increasing workplace pension participation among women, in addition to the reforms delivered through the new State Pension which have reduced historic inequalities. However, for the significant gaps between men and women remain, both in terms of pension participation and wealth, reflecting wider structural inequalities in the labour market. Periods of reduced pay during maternity leave may also contribute to reduced retirement savings for women.
The Pensions Commission will consider steps to improve pension outcomes for all, especially those groups we have identified at greater risk of under saving for retirement, including women. The Commission's final report will be published in early 2027 and the Government will consider their recommendations carefully.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 impact of frozen state pensions on UK state pensioners residing overseas.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one.
The UK State Pension is payable worldwide without regard to nationality and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so.
This approach has been supported by successive governments, over many years with priority given to those living in the UK when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Access to Work Scheme supports people with multiple sclerosis in employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The support that a customer will receive from Access to Work is dependent upon their needs and circumstances at the time they make an application. Case managers will use the current guidance to ensure Access to Work principles are considered when making a decision on support. All assessments are done on an individual basis with all conditions, including Multiple Sclerosis where applicable, considered as part of an individual’s application.
We continue to engage disabled people’s organisations and individuals with lived experience, drawing on their insights alongside the National Audit Office’s recommendations as we take forward improvements to the scheme.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 State Pension age changes for 1950s-born women on woman in Tiverton and Minehead constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age.
Estimates can be made using ONS 2021 Census Data on how many women born in the 1950s resided in each constituency in that year.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 adequacy of (a) Health and Safety Executive regulations on the interaction between walkers and cattle and (b) how those regulations are communicated to (i) farmers and (ii) the public.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Health and safety legislation places a duty on farmers to manage the risk to the public from cattle as far as it is reasonable to do so.
The nature of modern health and safety legislation is largely goalsetting, rather than prescriptive. This is important for workplaces such as farms where measures that may be reasonable to control risk from cattle on one farm, may not be reasonable on another farm for a variety of reasons.
The legal duty on the farmer under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) is to manage their cattle herd so the animals within it present a low level of risk to members of the public using fields with public access. Farmers should take all measures that are reasonably practicable to control or reduce risk.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides free published guidance to assist farmers in their duties. Guidance sheets AIS17EW (and AIS17S in Scotland) set out the hierarchy of control measures that farmers are expected to consider and, where possible implement.
HSE works closely with key industry stakeholders such as Britain’s Farm Safety Partnerships in a variety of ways to raise awareness within the farming community of their legal duties when considering keeping cattle in fields with public access.
As part of its work to communicate the legal requirements on farmers to members of the public, it has in a number of its media communications and press releases regarding cattle, also drawn attention to The Countryside Code - GOV.UK. This guidance produced by Natural England is aimed at members of the public and provides them with information on how to stay safe in the countryside.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners have lost entitlement to Pension Credit as a result of their calculated entitlement being short by 50p or less.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department does not hold information about the total income and circumstances of all pensioners.
That is why we ask people to apply for pension credit rather than being able to make awards automatically.