Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what service standards on timeliness are in place for making decisions on Work Capability Assessments; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce these waiting times.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is one part of the process for making a UC or ESA benefit entitlement decision. Health Care Practitioners undertake the Work Capability Assessment and following this functional assessment make a recommendation to the department. Thereafter, a DWP Decision Maker reviews this recommendation and makes the decision on benefit entitlement.
We monitor customer journey times for WCAs, deploying additional staff if required, prioritising urgent cases and addressing backlogs. We consistently prioritise assessments for new claims to minimise waiting times.
Due to unforeseen high levels of WCAs required in late 2024, a backlog of reassessment cases built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We are working with suppliers to increase capacity for clearing this backlog, including the acceleration of the recruitment of assessors. There are no backlogs within the DWP Decision Making stage.
The UC WCA statistics remain under development with Phase 2 having been completed in September 2024. WCA clearance times will be introduced during phase 4 (there are no timelines). Details of this strategy can be found on gov.uk at the below link. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-wca-statistics-release-strategy/universal-credit-work-capability-assessment-statistics-release-strategy.
Asked by: Richard Baker (Labour - Glenrothes and Mid Fife)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to address the 25.9% of working age people who are dying in poverty in Fife every year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A Scottish person at end of life can make a fast-tracked claim to the following reserved benefits (if they are eligible): Universal Credit (UC) and New Style Employment Support Allowance (NS ESA).
Disability Benefits are devolved in Scotland and policy responsibility sits with the Scottish Government.
The UK Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age
For those nearing the end of their life, the UK Government’s priority is to provide people with financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way this is applied is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable Scottish people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to UC and NS ESA. The Universal Credit Act 2025, also ensures that all SREL claimants will receive the higher LCWRA rate, no matter when they make their claim.
Asked by: Richard Baker (Labour - Glenrothes and Mid Fife)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to address the 15% of people who are dying in poverty in Mid Fife and Glenrothes every year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A Scottish person at end of life can make a fast-tracked claim to the following reserved benefits (if they are eligible): Universal Credit (UC) and New Style Employment Support Allowance (NS ESA).
Disability Benefits are devolved in Scotland and policy responsibility sits with the Scottish Government.
The UK Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age
For those nearing the end of their life, the UK Government’s priority is to provide people with financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way this is applied is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable Scottish people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to UC and NS ESA. The Universal Credit Act 2025, also ensures that all SREL claimants will receive the higher LCWRA rate, no matter when they make their claim.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Universal Credit starts in each of the last 5 years were (a) new benefit claimants and (b) claimants transitioning from legacy benefits through managed migration.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This information is not readily available. However, as detailed in the DWP Statistical Work Programme and the Universal Credit statistics release strategy, the Department is developing a method to denote UC claimants given a migration notice from the Move to Universal Credit programme, and updates on this will be shared in the DWP Statistical Work Programme.
As we continue the Move to Universal Credit (UC) programme, the department is moving people from legacy benefits to UC, leading to an expected rise in the UC caseload.
Latest Official Statistics show that, up to end of September 2025, almost 1.9 million individuals have made a claim to UC following receipt of a migration notice.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to address the 18% of people who are dying annually in poverty in Bristol Central, as identified in Marie Curie's Dying in Poverty 2025 report.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the social security system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability, but are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age.
For those nearing the end of their life, the Government’s priority is to provide financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way this is applied 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 certain welfare benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods, and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.
The Universal Credit Act 2025, ensures that all SREL claimants will receive the higher LCWRA rate, no matter when they make their claim.
Asked by: Richard Baker (Labour - Glenrothes and Mid Fife)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of financial insecurity of people at the end of life.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The UK Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age.
For those nearing the end of their life, the UK Government’s priority is to provide financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way this is applied is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enables people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Universal Credit (UC) and New Style Employment and Support Allowance. The Universal Credit Act 2025, also ensures that all SREL claimants will receive the higher UC Health rate, no matter when they make their claim.
Disability Benefits are devolved in Scotland and policy responsibility sits with the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households who flowed off the household benefit cap because of an exempting benefit had the off-flow outcome due to receiving (a) Employment Support Allowance support group, (b) Disability Living Allowance, (c) Industrial Injuries and (d) Personal Independence Payment in the quarter to May 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department publishes Official Statistics on the number of households in Great Britain on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit that have flowed off the benefit cap, including outcome at off-flow, which are published quarterly on Stat-Xplore and are currently available up to the quarter to May 2025.
Statistics on the exempting benefit outcomes above are grouped in the ‘Other outcome’ category above. The Department does not produce statistics breaking down this category into individual exempting benefits and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access general guidance on how to extract the information required.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, of the households who flowed off the household benefit cap in the quarter to May 2025, how many had the off-flow outcome due to the (a) household’s benefit income being reduced to under the cap levels, (b) the household being in receipt of an exempting benefit, and (c) household no longer claiming Universal Credit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department publishes Official Statistics on the number of households in Great Britain on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit that have flowed off the benefit cap, including outcome at off-flow, which are published quarterly on Stat-Xplore and are currently available up to the quarter to May 2025.
Statistics on the exempting benefit outcomes above are grouped in the ‘Other outcome’ category above. The Department does not produce statistics breaking down this category into individual exempting benefits and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access general guidance on how to extract the information required.
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 Budget 2025, what measures his Department will take to reduce error and fraud in the welfare system by £4.6 billion by 2030-31.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since Autumn Budget 2024, including the new announcements at Autumn Budget 2025, the Government has committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in GB. These activities include:
Figures may not sum due to rounding.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
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 impact of the Autumn Budget 2025 on the number of NEET young people.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Budget made more than £1.5bn available over the next three years for investment inemployment and skills support. This funds £820m for the Youth Guarantee and provides£725m for the Growth and Skills Levy, ensuring young people have the support they need toearn or learn. The Youth Guarantee will include the Jobs Guarantee, which is guaranteeing six-months of paid work for every eligible 18-21 year old who has been on Universal Credit andlooking for work for 18 months. Under the Jobs Guarantee we will fund 100% of the wages forthe six months (up to 25hrs/week at the relevant minimum wage), as well as the additionalemployment costs.
An independent investigation has also been launched to identify how we can go further totackle the root causes of youth activity. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, the probewill examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or educationbefore their careers have begun, with a particular focus on the impact of mental healthconditions and disability.