Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation entitled Guarantee our Essentials: reforming Universal Credit to ensure we can all afford the essentials in hard time, published on 4 March 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an essentials guarantee for welfare recipients.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as of 31 October 2025 how many new claimants awaiting Work Capability Assessments have had a) at least one scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus b) at least two scheduled assessments cancelled by Maximus and c) more than two scheduled assessments cancelled by Maximus.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of 31 October 2025, there were approximately 74,000 new claimants and 40,000 existing claimants awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with Maximus. These figures include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claims currently held. These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.
Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day. However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day. Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed.
If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.
The number of new and existing claimants awaiting a WCA which have had their scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus from the start of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts on 9 September 2024 up to the 31 October 2025 can be found in the table below.
Number of WCAs cancelled by Maximus | New Claimants | Existing Claimants |
Once | 640 | 250 |
Twice | 60 | 20 |
More than twice | 10 | 5 (identifies as 5 or less) |
Please note
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as of 31 October 2025 how many a) new claimants and b) existing claimants were awaiting Work Capability Assessments provided by Maximus.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of 31 October 2025, there were approximately 74,000 new claimants and 40,000 existing claimants awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with Maximus. These figures include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claims currently held. These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.
Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day. However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day. Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed.
If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.
The number of new and existing claimants awaiting a WCA which have had their scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus from the start of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts on 9 September 2024 up to the 31 October 2025 can be found in the table below.
Number of WCAs cancelled by Maximus | New Claimants | Existing Claimants |
Once | 640 | 250 |
Twice | 60 | 20 |
More than twice | 10 | 5 (identifies as 5 or less) |
Please note
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as of 31 October 2025 how many existing claimants awaiting Work Capability Assessments have had a) at least one scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus b) at least two scheduled assessments cancelled by Maximus and c) more than two scheduled assessments cancelled by Maximus.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of 31 October 2025, there were approximately 74,000 new claimants and 40,000 existing claimants awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with Maximus. These figures include all Universal Credit, Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claims currently held. These totals also encompass all claimants currently within Maximus’ caseload, including those at the questionnaire stage and those for whom further medical evidence is being gathered.
Very few people who are booked in for an assessment are not seen on the appointed day. However, on occasion unforeseen circumstances do arise, such as a claimant’s file has not been received, the health professional is unavailable due to illness, or there is a significant waiting time on the day. Maximus is required to make every possible effort to ensure the appointment can still go ahead before a cancellation is processed.
If it is anticipated that a claimant cannot be seen on the day of their appointment, or the assessment is delayed, Maximus is required to make every effort to contact the claimant by telephone to apologise and explain the action that will be taken to rearrange the appointment.
The number of new and existing claimants awaiting a WCA which have had their scheduled assessment cancelled by Maximus from the start of the Functional Assessment Services (FAS) contracts on 9 September 2024 up to the 31 October 2025 can be found in the table below.
Number of WCAs cancelled by Maximus | New Claimants | Existing Claimants |
Once | 640 | 250 |
Twice | 60 | 20 |
More than twice | 10 | 5 (identifies as 5 or less) |
Please note
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions DWP staff have failed to call Universal Credit customers or their appointees at the agreed appointment time in each month of the last 12 months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold the requested information centrally, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 potential merits of expanding the eligibility for the Severe Conditions Criteria in Universal Credit to include someone with a life-limiting, progressive condition who currently meets the criteria for Limited Capability for Work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Severe Conditions Criteria (SCC) have been in place since September 2017 to protect those who we do not expect will ever be able to work, due to a severe lifelong health condition or disability that is not expected to improve, from having to undergo reassessment which is unlikely to lead to a change in outcome.
To meet the SCC, a person must demonstrate that their level of functional impairment will always meet the threshold of limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA). Their condition must be a recognised medical diagnosis that is lifelong without any realistic prospect of recovery of function.
When the Universal Credit Act 2025 comes into force on 6 April 2026, Universal Credit (UC) claimants who already meet SCC and those who meet SCC in the future (along with existing LCWRA claimants) will receive the higher rate of LCWRA, and will see their combined UC standard allowance and LCWRA element increase at least in line with inflation every year for the next four years. Those who meet SCC will also be exempt from reassessment.
An individual who meets the Limited Capability for Work criteria, but not LCWRA, whilst not able to work currently, is considered able to take steps to prepare themselves for work in the future. It would not be appropriate for someone with SCC to be placed in this group as people with SCC are not expected to be able to work again. We believe that the SCC capture those who we want to protect, and there is no intention to widen the criteria any further.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to guarantee working-age people with a terminal illness a State Pension-level of income.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have no such policy. Supporting people nearing the end of their life is important to the Government. The main way the Department does this is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Attendance Allowance.
The Department is committed to ensure that eligible claimants at the end of life have their claims processed as quickly as possible. Latest figures show that in Great Britain, new claims to PIP under the Special Rules are being cleared in 3 working days on average.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) clothes banks and (b) clothes bank users in each year since 2015.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold official statistics on the number of registered food banks. Food banks are independent organisations, often run by charities, faith groups, or community organisations, and are not regulated or registered centrally by the Government.
Statistics on food bank use are published annually in the Households below average income statistics report and are only available from 2021/22 onwards. The most recent publication is available here: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK
The Government is committed to tackling poverty. We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of families falling into poverty. Our Get Britain Working White Paper sets out our reforms to the system to enable greater participation, progression and productivity in the labour market.
We are committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to, to make work pay and tackle poverty. We have already introduced the Fair Repayment Rate, reducing the Universal Credit overall deductions cap from 25% to 15% of a customer’s standard allowance, giving 1.2m households an average of £420 per year. In addition, we will increase the Universal Credit Standard Allowance from April 2026, estimated to be worth £725 annually by 2029/30 in cash terms.
To further support struggling families, we provided £742 million to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England until 31 March 2026. Enabling local authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food. The Devolved Governments receive consequential funding through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) food banks and (b) food bank users in each year since 2015.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold official statistics on the number of registered food banks. Food banks are independent organisations, often run by charities, faith groups, or community organisations, and are not regulated or registered centrally by the Government.
Statistics on food bank use are published annually in the Households below average income statistics report and are only available from 2021/22 onwards. The most recent publication is available here: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK
The Government is committed to tackling poverty. We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of families falling into poverty. Our Get Britain Working White Paper sets out our reforms to the system to enable greater participation, progression and productivity in the labour market.
We are committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to, to make work pay and tackle poverty. We have already introduced the Fair Repayment Rate, reducing the Universal Credit overall deductions cap from 25% to 15% of a customer’s standard allowance, giving 1.2m households an average of £420 per year. In addition, we will increase the Universal Credit Standard Allowance from April 2026, estimated to be worth £725 annually by 2029/30 in cash terms.
To further support struggling families, we provided £742 million to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England until 31 March 2026. Enabling local authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food. The Devolved Governments receive consequential funding through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that individuals whose immigration status no longer entitles them to public funds are automatically removed from benefit systems; and how many such removals have taken place in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Universal Credit systems carry out daily automatic checks against Home Office data to identify any changes in immigration status, and subsequently, DWP caseworkers stop claims where the individual no longer has an immigration status that permits recourse to public funds.
However, the department does not hold data on the number of benefit claims disallowed after a review.