Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an estimate of the proportion of Personal Independence Payment recipients who would remain eligible for support under the proposed changes to the disability benefits system.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The publication ‘Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts’ provides some information on the numbers affected by the proposed changes to the disability benefits system.
In particular, table A3 on page 8 shows the estimated impacts of the proposed changes on the working age Personal Independence Payment and Daily Living Allowance caseload, and table A4 on page 9 shows the volume of people in receipt of PIP estimated to be affected by the change, divided into the pre-implementation caseload, and people claiming from November 2026 onwards.
More information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course. A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to review the calculation of child maintenance payments, in the context of the use of gross salaries for assessments; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of adjusting those calculations to reflect (a) the disposable income of paying parents after deductions and (b) any unusual expenses.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the latest tax year available. This allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately. Any income subject to income tax, including bonuses and overtime received by an employed paying parent, is included within their gross weekly income when calculating a child maintenance liability.
Generally, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) caseload is governed by broad administrative rules and does not provide bespoke solutions for individual cases. However, there is some scope to take account of specific situations. Variations allow the Child Maintenance Service to look at some circumstances which are not covered by the basic maintenance calculation. Either parent may apply for a variation at any time during the life of their case, provided enough information for an appropriate ground can be identified. If a variation application is successful, the maintenance calculation will be adjusted accordingly.
The department is reviewing the calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This has included updating the underlying research and considering how we ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
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 the difference between the rates of the (a) basic state pension and (b) new state pension on pensioners; and whether the Department has considered the potential merits of equalising these rates.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has made a commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament which will mean spending on people’s State Pensions is forecast to rise by over £31 billion.
It is not possible to make direct, like for like comparisons between State Pension amounts under the new State Pension and the pre 2016 State Pension systems. While the headline full basic State Pension is £169.50 per week (2024/25 rates), people under the pre 2016 system may also receive Additional State Pension. If instead they had been contracted-out of the Additional State Pension, they will also have a workplace or private pension
It is also the case that not everyone under the new State Pension system will receive the full headline amount of £221.20 per week. Although the systems are different, they both reflect the National Insurance contributions an individual has made. This is reflected in the average amounts that people receive.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will commission an independent investigation into the mortality rates of paying parents using the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are currently no plans to commission an independent investigation into the mortality rates of paying parents using the Child Maintenance Service.
The Child Maintenance Service is committed to delivering a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all parents who use it. We recognise that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly during separation.
The Child Maintenance Service is well-prepared to respond quickly and effectively if it becomes aware that any customer's safety is at risk. All caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support vulnerable clients, including those at risk of suicide, self-harm, or domestic abuse. Our priority is to handle these cases sensitively and ensure vulnerable customers get the help and support they need to use the service safely. This may include signposting to support organizations or reporting to the police if necessary.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 28 of Schedule 7 of the Pensions Act 2004, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners who have accrued pensionable service before 6 April 1997 for which they do not receive annual increases in periodic compensation from the Pension Protection Fund in (a) Boston and Skegness constituency and (b) the UK.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The rules around PPF indexation are generally in line with the legal requirements for defined benefit pension schemes. I recognise this matter has been the subject of much discussion and am aware of the concerns of pensions scheme members affected by this issue. The estimate, as of 31 March 2024, for members of the Pension Protection Fund with accrued pensionable service prior to 6 April 1997, who do not receive annual increases in periodic compensation are:
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in her Department are responsible for (a) processing and (b) responding to Freedom of Information Act requests; and if she will make an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of this work.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not keep this information centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs. This is because, whilst all Freedom of Information (FOI) requests are cleared by a central team, depending on the nature of the request, any member of the Department’s staff could potentially be involved in: processing; locating information for; or drafting, a response to a FOI request.
DWP Departmental spend is published here: DWP: departmental spending over £25,000 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what private sector companies the Child Maintenance Service has contracted to implement enforcement proceedings; what the value of each contract is; whether funds paid by parents are paid to such companies; and what accountability mechanisms are in place.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP holds a number of contracts to support Child Maintenance Service enforcement proceedings.
The suppliers collect funds on behalf of the Child Maintenance Service with the exception of contract for Scottish Legal Services which is in place to enable CMS to recover debt under Scottish Law. All contracts are based on government contracting and industry good practice to support the delivery of services for DWP. This includes meeting standards and regularly reviewed performance alongside compliance against relevant legislation.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many separated families applied to the Child Maintenance Service for advice on creating a family-based arrangement from 2021 to 2024; and how many parents who approached the Service did not proceed with a (a) Direct Pay and (b)Collect and Pay agreement in each of those years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not available. However, the Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance (GHACM) service opened on 18 November 2021 and provides individuals with information about options available for paying or getting support for a child, this includes how to make a private arrangement or how to apply to the Child Maintenance Service, if they choose to do so. There were 34,796 users who accessed GHACM and elected to pursue a private family-based arrangement. This accounted for 11% of GHACM users between 18 November 2021 and 31 December 2024.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the costs to the Child Maintenance Service are of the (a) supervision and (b) processing of (i) Direct Pay and (ii) Collect and Pay arrangements.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The cost of running the Child Maintenance Service is not separated between a) supervision and (b) processing of (i) Direct Pay and (ii) Collect and Pay arrangements, therefore, the information requested is not held.
Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many former armed forces personnel have been subject to enforcement proceedings by the Child Maintenance Service since 2021.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not available, as the Child Maintenance Service do not maintain a historical record of employers for each paying parent.