Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consultation her Department has conducted with (a) users, (b) support workers and (c) deliverers of Access to Work before implementing changes to the operational delivery of Access to Work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since the beginning of this Parliament the Department for Work and Pensions has taken steps to improve operational guidance and process to ensure Access to Work grants are awarded consistently and as quickly as possible. No significant changes have been made which would entail a consultation or impact assessment.
As part of our Plan for Change, and as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published in March, we are consulting on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the programme to help more disabled people into work and support employers, ensuring value for money for taxpayers. We will review all aspects of the Scheme following the conclusion of the consultation and carefully assess the impact of any proposed changes.
We encourage people to have their views and voices heard on how they think the programme and the welfare system could be improved.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) equality and (b) human rights impact assessments have been conducted on the proposed changes to the operational delivery of Access to Work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since the beginning of this Parliament the Department for Work and Pensions has taken steps to improve operational guidance and process to ensure Access to Work grants are awarded consistently and as quickly as possible. No significant changes have been made which would entail a consultation or impact assessment.
As part of our Plan for Change, and as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published in March, we are consulting on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the programme to help more disabled people into work and support employers, ensuring value for money for taxpayers. We will review all aspects of the Scheme following the conclusion of the consultation and carefully assess the impact of any proposed changes.
We encourage people to have their views and voices heard on how they think the programme and the welfare system could be improved.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by how much has the level of funding for the Access to Work scheme changed in the last 12 months.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Access to Work expenditure data is published in the annual Access to Work Official Statistics publication. The most recently available data available is for the financial year 2023/24: Access to Work statistics: April 2007 to March 2024 - GOV.UK.
The Department intends to publish expenditure data for the financial year 2024/25 in the next official statistics release which we expect to publish in September or October 2025. Forecast expenditure for this period, which includes some outturn data, is published in the Benefit Expenditure and Caseload Tables 2025: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to reduce wait times for Access to Work support.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work and are considering the best way to deliver that for customers. Delivery practices have been streamlined, and the number of staff processing claims increased. Since May 2024, 118 additional staff have been redeployed to support Access to Work.
We prioritise applications from customers due to start a role within four weeks.
In March 2025, the department published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, to consult on the future of Access to Work. We will review all aspects of the Scheme following the conclusion of the consultation.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the number and proportion of 2006 Attitudes to Pension Survey participants who (a) were women, (b) were born in the 1950s and (c) reported awareness of the changes to the State Pension age, broken down by those aged (i) 45-54 and (ii) 55-64 at the time of the survey.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Our response to the PHSO report on the communication of changes to State Pension age was based on evidence of awareness of the change from two key reports.
The Public Awareness of State Pension Age Equalisation, published in 2004, was conducted as part of the National Statistics Omnibus survey and interviewed a representative sample of around 2,700 working age adults. This 2004 research found that 73% of respondents aged 45-54 were aware that the State Pension age for women was increasing, with no significant gender differences in awareness levels. Both the 2004 and 2006 awareness surveys, based on independent samples, demonstrate a high level of awareness of State Pension age changes amongst 45–54-year-old women.
The Attitudes to Pensions: the 2006 Survey was a large-scale survey commissioned by DWP and carried out by the respected National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the School of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham. The authors included a mix of academics and research professionals, experienced in survey design and delivery, and the report was quality assured to Government Social Research standards. Almost 2,000 adults took part in the survey, and weightings were applied to ensure results were representative of the population.
The percentage of women who reported knowing that women’s State Pension age would increase in the future was 90% for women aged 45-54, and 86% for women aged 55-64.
Those born in the 1950s would have been 46-56 at the time of this survey. The closest age category provided by the survey is the female 45-54 subgroup, which has a sample size of 203, and makes up 10.4% of the overall sample of 1,950 individuals aged 18 to 69. With a sample of this size, we can get a reliable estimate of the percentage of women among this group who reported knowing that the women’s State Pension age would increase in the future. Using confidence intervals, we can have 95% confidence that this figure would be around 85-95%.
The 95% level is a widely accepted standard of confidence. Therefore, even at the lower estimate, the data shows the majority of 1950s women were aware.
The exact number of women born in the 1950s in the 55-64 age group is not given in the survey report. However, assuming an even spread, by far the majority of this group falls within the 45-54 subgroup of respondents in the survey. Those who are in the relevant age group but don't fall in the 45-54 subgroup would be in the 55-64 subgroup, and the rate of knowing about the increase in women’s State Pension age is 86% for this group, which corroborates that there were high levels of awareness.
There were 227 women aged 55-64 included in the survey, which represents 11.6% of the overall sample of individuals aged 18 to 69.
Further information on the design and make up of the survey is available in the survey report.
The 2006 Attitudes to Pensions Survey report is available online at https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20100208141655mp_/http:/research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep434.pdf.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the data her Department holds from the 2006 Attitudes to Pension Survey on the levels of awareness of the proposed increase in State Pension age for women born in the 1950s.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Our response to the PHSO report on the communication of changes to State Pension age was based on evidence of awareness of the change from two key reports.
The Public Awareness of State Pension Age Equalisation, published in 2004, was conducted as part of the National Statistics Omnibus survey and interviewed a representative sample of around 2,700 working age adults. This 2004 research found that 73% of respondents aged 45-54 were aware that the State Pension age for women was increasing, with no significant gender differences in awareness levels. Both the 2004 and 2006 awareness surveys, based on independent samples, demonstrate a high level of awareness of State Pension age changes amongst 45–54-year-old women.
The Attitudes to Pensions: the 2006 Survey was a large-scale survey commissioned by DWP and carried out by the respected National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the School of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham. The authors included a mix of academics and research professionals, experienced in survey design and delivery, and the report was quality assured to Government Social Research standards. Almost 2,000 adults took part in the survey, and weightings were applied to ensure results were representative of the population.
The percentage of women who reported knowing that women’s State Pension age would increase in the future was 90% for women aged 45-54, and 86% for women aged 55-64.
Those born in the 1950s would have been 46-56 at the time of this survey. The closest age category provided by the survey is the female 45-54 subgroup, which has a sample size of 203, and makes up 10.4% of the overall sample of 1,950 individuals aged 18 to 69. With a sample of this size, we can get a reliable estimate of the percentage of women among this group who reported knowing that the women’s State Pension age would increase in the future. Using confidence intervals, we can have 95% confidence that this figure would be around 85-95%.
The 95% level is a widely accepted standard of confidence. Therefore, even at the lower estimate, the data shows the majority of 1950s women were aware.
The exact number of women born in the 1950s in the 55-64 age group is not given in the survey report. However, assuming an even spread, by far the majority of this group falls within the 45-54 subgroup of respondents in the survey. Those who are in the relevant age group but don't fall in the 45-54 subgroup would be in the 55-64 subgroup, and the rate of knowing about the increase in women’s State Pension age is 86% for this group, which corroborates that there were high levels of awareness.
There were 227 women aged 55-64 included in the survey, which represents 11.6% of the overall sample of individuals aged 18 to 69.
Further information on the design and make up of the survey is available in the survey report.
The 2006 Attitudes to Pensions Survey report is available online at https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20100208141655mp_/http:/research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep434.pdf.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of the 2006 Attitudes to Pension Survey participants aged between 18 and 69 were women born in the 1950s.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Our response to the PHSO report on the communication of changes to State Pension age was based on evidence of awareness of the change from two key reports.
The Public Awareness of State Pension Age Equalisation, published in 2004, was conducted as part of the National Statistics Omnibus survey and interviewed a representative sample of around 2,700 working age adults. This 2004 research found that 73% of respondents aged 45-54 were aware that the State Pension age for women was increasing, with no significant gender differences in awareness levels. Both the 2004 and 2006 awareness surveys, based on independent samples, demonstrate a high level of awareness of State Pension age changes amongst 45–54-year-old women.
The Attitudes to Pensions: the 2006 Survey was a large-scale survey commissioned by DWP and carried out by the respected National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the School of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham. The authors included a mix of academics and research professionals, experienced in survey design and delivery, and the report was quality assured to Government Social Research standards. Almost 2,000 adults took part in the survey, and weightings were applied to ensure results were representative of the population.
The percentage of women who reported knowing that women’s State Pension age would increase in the future was 90% for women aged 45-54, and 86% for women aged 55-64.
Those born in the 1950s would have been 46-56 at the time of this survey. The closest age category provided by the survey is the female 45-54 subgroup, which has a sample size of 203, and makes up 10.4% of the overall sample of 1,950 individuals aged 18 to 69. With a sample of this size, we can get a reliable estimate of the percentage of women among this group who reported knowing that the women’s State Pension age would increase in the future. Using confidence intervals, we can have 95% confidence that this figure would be around 85-95%.
The 95% level is a widely accepted standard of confidence. Therefore, even at the lower estimate, the data shows the majority of 1950s women were aware.
The exact number of women born in the 1950s in the 55-64 age group is not given in the survey report. However, assuming an even spread, by far the majority of this group falls within the 45-54 subgroup of respondents in the survey. Those who are in the relevant age group but don't fall in the 45-54 subgroup would be in the 55-64 subgroup, and the rate of knowing about the increase in women’s State Pension age is 86% for this group, which corroborates that there were high levels of awareness.
There were 227 women aged 55-64 included in the survey, which represents 11.6% of the overall sample of individuals aged 18 to 69.
Further information on the design and make up of the survey is available in the survey report.
The 2006 Attitudes to Pensions Survey report is available online at https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20100208141655mp_/http:/research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep434.pdf.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of 2006 Attitudes to Pension Survey participants were (a) in the 55-64 age group and (b) women born in the 1950s.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Our response to the PHSO report on the communication of changes to State Pension age was based on evidence of awareness of the change from two key reports.
The Public Awareness of State Pension Age Equalisation, published in 2004, was conducted as part of the National Statistics Omnibus survey and interviewed a representative sample of around 2,700 working age adults. This 2004 research found that 73% of respondents aged 45-54 were aware that the State Pension age for women was increasing, with no significant gender differences in awareness levels. Both the 2004 and 2006 awareness surveys, based on independent samples, demonstrate a high level of awareness of State Pension age changes amongst 45–54-year-old women.
The Attitudes to Pensions: the 2006 Survey was a large-scale survey commissioned by DWP and carried out by the respected National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the School of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham. The authors included a mix of academics and research professionals, experienced in survey design and delivery, and the report was quality assured to Government Social Research standards. Almost 2,000 adults took part in the survey, and weightings were applied to ensure results were representative of the population.
The percentage of women who reported knowing that women’s State Pension age would increase in the future was 90% for women aged 45-54, and 86% for women aged 55-64.
Those born in the 1950s would have been 46-56 at the time of this survey. The closest age category provided by the survey is the female 45-54 subgroup, which has a sample size of 203, and makes up 10.4% of the overall sample of 1,950 individuals aged 18 to 69. With a sample of this size, we can get a reliable estimate of the percentage of women among this group who reported knowing that the women’s State Pension age would increase in the future. Using confidence intervals, we can have 95% confidence that this figure would be around 85-95%.
The 95% level is a widely accepted standard of confidence. Therefore, even at the lower estimate, the data shows the majority of 1950s women were aware.
The exact number of women born in the 1950s in the 55-64 age group is not given in the survey report. However, assuming an even spread, by far the majority of this group falls within the 45-54 subgroup of respondents in the survey. Those who are in the relevant age group but don't fall in the 45-54 subgroup would be in the 55-64 subgroup, and the rate of knowing about the increase in women’s State Pension age is 86% for this group, which corroborates that there were high levels of awareness.
There were 227 women aged 55-64 included in the survey, which represents 11.6% of the overall sample of individuals aged 18 to 69.
Further information on the design and make up of the survey is available in the survey report.
The 2006 Attitudes to Pensions Survey report is available online at https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20100208141655mp_/http:/research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep434.pdf.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of 2006 Attitudes to Pension Survey participants were (a) in the 45-54 age group and (b) women born in the 1950s.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Our response to the PHSO report on the communication of changes to State Pension age was based on evidence of awareness of the change from two key reports.
The Public Awareness of State Pension Age Equalisation, published in 2004, was conducted as part of the National Statistics Omnibus survey and interviewed a representative sample of around 2,700 working age adults. This 2004 research found that 73% of respondents aged 45-54 were aware that the State Pension age for women was increasing, with no significant gender differences in awareness levels. Both the 2004 and 2006 awareness surveys, based on independent samples, demonstrate a high level of awareness of State Pension age changes amongst 45–54-year-old women.
The Attitudes to Pensions: the 2006 Survey was a large-scale survey commissioned by DWP and carried out by the respected National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the School of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham. The authors included a mix of academics and research professionals, experienced in survey design and delivery, and the report was quality assured to Government Social Research standards. Almost 2,000 adults took part in the survey, and weightings were applied to ensure results were representative of the population.
The percentage of women who reported knowing that women’s State Pension age would increase in the future was 90% for women aged 45-54, and 86% for women aged 55-64.
Those born in the 1950s would have been 46-56 at the time of this survey. The closest age category provided by the survey is the female 45-54 subgroup, which has a sample size of 203, and makes up 10.4% of the overall sample of 1,950 individuals aged 18 to 69. With a sample of this size, we can get a reliable estimate of the percentage of women among this group who reported knowing that the women’s State Pension age would increase in the future. Using confidence intervals, we can have 95% confidence that this figure would be around 85-95%.
The 95% level is a widely accepted standard of confidence. Therefore, even at the lower estimate, the data shows the majority of 1950s women were aware.
The exact number of women born in the 1950s in the 55-64 age group is not given in the survey report. However, assuming an even spread, by far the majority of this group falls within the 45-54 subgroup of respondents in the survey. Those who are in the relevant age group but don't fall in the 45-54 subgroup would be in the 55-64 subgroup, and the rate of knowing about the increase in women’s State Pension age is 86% for this group, which corroborates that there were high levels of awareness.
There were 227 women aged 55-64 included in the survey, which represents 11.6% of the overall sample of individuals aged 18 to 69.
Further information on the design and make up of the survey is available in the survey report.
The 2006 Attitudes to Pensions Survey report is available online at https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20100208141655mp_/http:/research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep434.pdf.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending bereavement support payments to widowers who were unmarried and living with their partner but who were not pregnant or eligible for child benefit.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Bereavement Support Payment is currently only available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. A marriage or civil partnership is a legal contract associated with certain rights. including entitlement to benefits derived from another person's National Insurance contributions such as Bereavement Support Payment. In February 2023, the Government extended bereavement benefits to cohabitees with children in response to two court judgments. However, for families without children, the basic principle for only paying BSP where there was a legal union remains. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.