Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to improve access to Disability Living Allowance for children with achondroplasia.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is available to children under the age of 16 who, due to a disability or health condition, have mobility issues and/or have care needs which are substantially in excess of a child the same age without the disability or health condition.
Entitlement to DLA depends on the extent to which a child needs help with personal care, needs supervision or has difficulties with walking. It is the effects of the condition and the needs arising from those effects that are important, rather than the child’s particular diagnosis.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 potential merits of uprating temporary accommodation subsidy rates to 90 per cent of 2024 Local Housing Allowance rates.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions pays local authorities a Housing Benefit subsidy for Temporary Accommodation cases. There are restrictions on the amount paid, including a subsidy cap which is the lowest of £500 per week in certain areas of London or £375 elsewhere, 90% of 2011 LHA rates, or the claimant’s Housing Benefit entitlement. This incentivises local authorities to ensure Temporary Accommodation is good value for money.
We recognise the financial pressures which local authorities are experiencing. This Government has invested £1bn in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year (2025/26), a £233m increase on the previous year.
We want to encourage better investment into Temporary Accommodation stock up-front to minimise costs to local authorities and £950m was announced in the latest round of the Local Authority Housing Fund. This coupled with measures to strengthen local authorities’ financial position such as a new £39 billion Affordable Homes Programme and a 10-year rental settlement at Consumer Price Index + 1, will support local authorities in England to increase the supply of good quality Temporary Accommodation and drive down the use of costly bed and breakfasts and hotels.
We continue to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Inter Ministerial Group.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 potential impact of the freeze in temporary accommodation subsidy rates since 2011 on (a) local authority budgets and (b) the financial sustainability of homelessness services.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions pays local authorities a Housing Benefit subsidy for Temporary Accommodation cases. There are restrictions on the amount paid, including a subsidy cap which is the lowest of £500 per week in certain areas of London or £375 elsewhere, 90% of 2011 LHA rates, or the claimant’s Housing Benefit entitlement. This incentivises local authorities to ensure Temporary Accommodation is good value for money.
We recognise the financial pressures which local authorities are experiencing. This Government has invested £1bn in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year (2025/26), a £233m increase on the previous year.
We want to encourage better investment into Temporary Accommodation stock up-front to minimise costs to local authorities and £950m was announced in the latest round of the Local Authority Housing Fund. This coupled with measures to strengthen local authorities’ financial position such as a new £39 billion Affordable Homes Programme and a 10-year rental settlement at Consumer Price Index + 1, will support local authorities in England to increase the supply of good quality Temporary Accommodation and drive down the use of costly bed and breakfasts and hotels.
We continue to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Inter Ministerial Group.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 potential merits of allowing recipients of universal credit to receive performance based bonuses without penalty.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made.
A Universal Credit award is calculated on the basis of the set benefit rate against money coming in to ensure fairness of treatment for all customers against the money that they have earned. This means as earnings increase Universal Credit is gradually reduced. This is a long-standing principle of means-tested benefits.
Bonuses are usually treated as earnings and are treated in the same way as any other earnings. This is already true for tax and other purposes, regardless of whether or not an individual is claiming a benefit. All earnings, above any applicable work allowance, are subject to the 55% taper and the Universal Credit award is calculated on that basis.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of expanding Jobcentre access to people not in receipt of benefits.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. The new Jobs and Careers Service will offer employment and careers support for all - not just those on benefits - who want support to find or progress in work.
Supporting our 'Get Britian Working' agenda, we have funded several measures to help unemployed people not in receipt of benefits to find employment:
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support unemployed people not in receipt of benefits to find employment.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. The new Jobs and Careers Service will offer employment and careers support for all – not just those on benefits - who want support to find or progress in work.
Supporting our ‘Get Britian Working’ agenda, we have funded several measures to help unemployed people not in receipt of benefits to find employment:
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve pension replacement rates.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Our system of state, private and workplace pensions provide the basis for security in retirement. The State Pension provides a foundation to support people’s individual savings for retirement. The Government has made a commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament which means annual spending on people’s State Pensions is forecast to rise by over £31 billion over this Parliament. This will see pensioners’ yearly incomes being up to £1,900 higher.
Automatic Enrolment (AE) has succeeded in transforming workplace retirement saving. Over 11 million employees have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension since 2012. However, we know we need to do more to build on the success of AE.
The government will soon be launching the next phase of the Pensions Review, which will focus on improving pensions outcomes.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment she has made of the adequacy of pension replacement rates in (a) the UK and (b) other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government committed to carry out a landmark Pensions Review to deliver better outcomes for savers and the UK economy. Our focus is on building a system that supports people to save effectively throughout their working lives and provides a strong foundation for income in retirement.
Automatic Enrolment (AE) has helped over 11 million workers start saving into a pension since 2012, but we know some people still are not saving enough. In March 2023, DWP published new analysis into future pensioner incomes, showing that 38% of working age people (equivalent to 12.5 million people) are under saving for retirement when measured against Target Replacement Rates before housing costs and 12% are not saving enough to meet the Pension and Lifetime Savings Association’s minimum living standard. That is why the second phase of our Pensions Review will in the coming months look at further steps to improve pension outcomes.
OECD rankings show that the UK’s pensions system of the new State Pension and Automatic Enrolment will provide future workers with income replacement rates which are comparable to the OECD average, alongside countries such as Germany and Norway.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 help jobseekers manage their mental health while looking for employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with mental health conditions, with their employment journey. Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. The Government announced an 80% employment rate ambition in the Getting Britain Working White Paper.
Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. My department therefore is investing in a range of support for individuals to help them stay in work and get back into work, including several that join up employment and health systems.
Additional Work Coach Support, delivered through our Jobcentres, provides disabled people and people with health conditions, including mental health conditions, with increased one-to-one personalised support from their work coach to help them move towards, and into, work. Support is now available in all Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales. This rollout has been informed by trialling in Jobcentres. This personalised support from Work Coaches aims to enable disabled people and people with health conditions, to access employment, wider support including our employment programmes earlier.
Work coaches receive specialist support from Disability Employment Advisers on how to tailor their support to help disabled customers move closer or into the labour market. Disability Employment Advisers can also offer “direct support” to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions, including mental health conditions, where additional bespoke support would benefit the customer. We will continue to ensure that every Work Coach has access to support from a Disability Employment Adviser.
The Access to Work Scheme provides grant funding to disabled people, as well as those with a health condition. The grant supports workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. The Scheme also includes the Mental Health Support Service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their wellbeing while in employment. In 2023/24, 49,920 people were in receipt of a payment for an Access to Work element. Of those, 14,310 (29%) received one or more payments for the Mental Health Support Service element in the same period.
Work in partnership between the DWP and health systems, currently includes Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) a Supported Employment programme (using the place, train and maintain model) delivered in primary care settings and is aimed at people with physical or common mental health disabilities, both out of work who need help into work, and those needing support with their health issues to stay in work. IPSPC is integrated with an individual’s normal health treatment encouraging recognition of employment as an important driver of an individual’s health and wellbeing. We will be bringing this approach to all areas of England and Wales through the roll out of the Connect to Work Programme which will support 100,000 people a year from 2026/27. This complements the delivery of Individual Placement and Support for Severe Mental Illness which is delivered in secondary mental health services by the NHS in England.
The Employment Advice in Talking Therapies programme combines the expertise of therapists and employment advisers to give those with mental health conditions the support they need to find work tailored to them. Employment Advisors support patients in NHS Talking Therapies irrespective of their employment or benefit status. People who are looking for work will be supported to improve the quality of their CVs, complete application forms and improve the quality of their performance in interviews. If the client wishes, Employment Advisors can also work with NHS Talking Therapies clients and their employers to support returns to work following mental health-related absences. This could include suggesting coping mechanisms empowering clients to have better conversations with their colleagues or manager, or through suggesting workplace reasonable adjustments or a graduated return to work.
WorkWell sites went live in 15 areas across England from October 2024, providing low intensity holistic support for health-related barriers to employment, and a single joined up gateway to existing local work and health service provision. Each area designs and delivers an integrated work and health support offer, that brings together partnerships between Integrated Care Boards, local government, Jobcentres and community partners, including mental health services. People can be referred via their GP, Jobcentre, via other local services or can self-refer. By Spring 2026, WorkWell is expected to support up to 56,000 disabled people and people with health conditions, including mental health conditions, to get into work or get on at work.
Furthermore, in March we announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work, backed up by £1 billion of new funding.
As the Green Paper notes, we are keen to engage widely on the design of this guarantee and the components needed to deliver it. To get this right, we will be seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders including devolved governments, local health systems, local government and Mayoral Strategic Authorities, private and voluntary sector providers, employers and potential users. We will confirm further details in due course after we have completed our consultation process.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure mental health services are integrated into employment support programmes.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with mental health conditions, with their employment journey. Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. The Government announced an 80% employment rate ambition in the Getting Britain Working White Paper.
Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. My department therefore is investing in a range of support for individuals to help them stay in work and get back into work, including several that join up employment and health systems.
Additional Work Coach Support, delivered through our Jobcentres, provides disabled people and people with health conditions, including mental health conditions, with increased one-to-one personalised support from their work coach to help them move towards, and into, work. Support is now available in all Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales. This rollout has been informed by trialling in Jobcentres. This personalised support from Work Coaches aims to enable disabled people and people with health conditions, to access employment, wider support including our employment programmes earlier.
Work coaches receive specialist support from Disability Employment Advisers on how to tailor their support to help disabled customers move closer or into the labour market. Disability Employment Advisers can also offer “direct support” to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions, including mental health conditions, where additional bespoke support would benefit the customer. We will continue to ensure that every Work Coach has access to support from a Disability Employment Adviser.
The Access to Work Scheme provides grant funding to disabled people, as well as those with a health condition. The grant supports workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. The Scheme also includes the Mental Health Support Service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their wellbeing while in employment. In 2023/24, 49,920 people were in receipt of a payment for an Access to Work element. Of those, 14,310 (29%) received one or more payments for the Mental Health Support Service element in the same period.
Work in partnership between the DWP and health systems, currently includes Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) a Supported Employment programme (using the place, train and maintain model) delivered in primary care settings and is aimed at people with physical or common mental health disabilities, both out of work who need help into work, and those needing support with their health issues to stay in work. IPSPC is integrated with an individual’s normal health treatment encouraging recognition of employment as an important driver of an individual’s health and wellbeing. We will be bringing this approach to all areas of England and Wales through the roll out of the Connect to Work Programme which will support 100,000 people a year from 2026/27. This complements the delivery of Individual Placement and Support for Severe Mental Illness which is delivered in secondary mental health services by the NHS in England.
The Employment Advice in Talking Therapies programme combines the expertise of therapists and employment advisers to give those with mental health conditions the support they need to find work tailored to them. Employment Advisors support patients in NHS Talking Therapies irrespective of their employment or benefit status. People who are looking for work will be supported to improve the quality of their CVs, complete application forms and improve the quality of their performance in interviews. If the client wishes, Employment Advisors can also work with NHS Talking Therapies clients and their employers to support returns to work following mental health-related absences. This could include suggesting coping mechanisms empowering clients to have better conversations with their colleagues or manager, or through suggesting workplace reasonable adjustments or a graduated return to work.
WorkWell sites went live in 15 areas across England from October 2024, providing low intensity holistic support for health-related barriers to employment, and a single joined up gateway to existing local work and health service provision. Each area designs and delivers an integrated work and health support offer, that brings together partnerships between Integrated Care Boards, local government, Jobcentres and community partners, including mental health services. People can be referred via their GP, Jobcentre, via other local services or can self-refer. By Spring 2026, WorkWell is expected to support up to 56,000 disabled people and people with health conditions, including mental health conditions, to get into work or get on at work.
Furthermore, in March we announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work, backed up by £1 billion of new funding.
As the Green Paper notes, we are keen to engage widely on the design of this guarantee and the components needed to deliver it. To get this right, we will be seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders including devolved governments, local health systems, local government and Mayoral Strategic Authorities, private and voluntary sector providers, employers and potential users. We will confirm further details in due course after we have completed our consultation process.