Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of Approved Document M on Access to and Use of Buildings under the Building Regulations 2010, last updated on 1 October 2024, in meeting the needs of (a) disabled and (b) older residents.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the Building Safety Regulator to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review; Building Regulations or Approved Documents, including Approved Document M can then be updated as needed. Housing is one of this Government’s top priorities; everyone deserves to live in a decent home that is suitable for them and meets their needs. The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, requires local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those of older and disabled people, and to reflect this in planning policies. Where an identified need exists, plans are expected to help bring forward an adequate supply of accessible housing. The government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to ensure that a proportion of all new build homes are disability-ready.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Housing is one of this Government’s top priorities. Everyone deserves to live in a decent home that is suitable for them and meets their needs. The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, requires local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those of older and disabled people, and to reflect this in planning policies. Where an identified need exists, plans are expected to help bring forward an adequate supply of accessible housing. The Government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.
Asked by: Fred Thomas (Labour - Plymouth Moor View)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that essential home adaptations required for hospital discharge are (a) supported and (b) delivered in a timely manner.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The statutory ‘Hospital discharge and community support guidance’ outlines that health and care systems and providers should collaborate to share information early to support a safe and timely discharge, minimise issues that may disrupt care provision, and ensure necessary home adaptations and equipment are considered, while also requiring local authorities to engage housing services to provide support and advice where needed.
In January, we published a new policy framework for the Better Care Fund, which requires local areas to agree joint plans, developed in collaboration with local housing authorities, that achieve more timely and effective hospital discharge.
Housing adaptations, including those delivered through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) play a key role in supporting these objectives by funding changes that help people remain well, safe, and independent at home for longer. We have provided an additional £172 million across this and the last financial year to uplift the DFG, which could provide around 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes. This brings the total funding for the DFG to £711 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Alongside this, local authorities have a statutory duty under various legislations, including the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014, to ensure provision of community equipment and disability aids in order to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area, which help support independent living at home. This facilitates safe discharge into the community from hospital and prevents avoidable admissions into acute services, such as hospitals or care homes.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is available for women born in the 1950s impacted by State Pension age changes in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.
The State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. In 2025-26 we will spend £174.9 billion on benefits for pensioners in Great Britain, 5.8% of GDP. This includes spending on the State Pension which is forecast to be £145.6 billion in 2025-26
Through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock both the basic and new State Pensions increased by 4.1% in April, benefitting over 12 million pensioners by up to £470. That’s up to £275 more than if pensions had been uprated by inflation.
From the end of this Parliament, spending on the State Pension as a result of our commitment to protect the Triple Lock is forecast to be around £31 billion more a year, compared with 2024/25. This will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rising by up to £1,900.
Pension Credit provides vital financial support for pensioners, with 66% of those receiving support being women. It tops up state and private pensions to a guaranteed weekly minimum - the Standard Minimum Guarantee. This also increased by 4.1% in April and is now £227.10 pw for a single person and £346.60 pw for couples. Additional amounts can be paid in respect of disability, caring responsibilities and certain housing costs.
The Government wants all pensioners to get the support to which they are rightly entitled. That is why we ran the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign, which included adverts on television, radio, social media, on YouTube, on advertising screens in post offices and GP surgeries as well as in the press. The next stage of the campaign starts this month and will run through to the end of the financial year.
The Government offers further direct financial help to low-income pensioners through the Warm Home Discount, providing eligible households across Great Britain with £150 off their winter energy bill. We have also extended the Household Support Fund for an additional year until 31 March 2026.
For those people who are unable to work but who are not yet eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age, financial support is available through the welfare system.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to use the NHS 10 Year Health Plan to adapt housing policy to better support the needs of (a) disabled and (b) older people.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We recognise how important the right housing arrangements are in supporting people to live independently, and the need to support disabled and older people to live behind their own front door wherever possible.
We are working across Government to tackle the wider determinants of health, including poor housing and fuel poverty, providing advice on the health impacts for the new Fuel Poverty Strategy, and supporting the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government with the implementation of Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard in the social housing sector.
In the 10-Year Health Plan, we have committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered locally to create healthier communities, spot problems earlier, and support people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer. Over the next three years, we will roll out the neighbourhood health approach to the groups most failed by the current system, improving people’s quality of life and easing pressures on both hospitals and the adult social care system.
We have provided an additional £172 million across this and the last financial year to uplift the Disabled Facilities Grant, which could provide approximately 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the financial security of older women in (a) Vale of Glamorgan constituency and (b) the UK; and what steps she is taking to end discrimination due to (i) age and (ii) gender.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As announced in the recent Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new Jobs and Careers service that will enable everyone, regardless of age or gender, to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them progress in work or increase their earnings.
For those above state pension age, the new State Pension addresses historically poorer outcomes for women, low earners and self-employed people. This means, on average, women on the new State pension are receiving around 98% of the amount received by men.
The government have made a commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament which will mean spending on State Pensions is forecast to rise by over £31 billion and will see pensioners’ yearly incomes being up to £1,900 higher.
Pension Credit provides a safety net for low-income pensioners and those with additional needs, such as those with a severe disability, caring responsibility, responsibility for a child or certain housing costs. Around 1.4 million pensioners are in receipt of the invaluable help that Pension Credit provides.
For those below State Pension age, support is also available through the working age welfare system. In addition, further help is available to eligible over 50s on Universal Credit, through Midlife-life MOTs delivered in Jobcentres and online, which provide an opportunity to review health, finances and skills and signpost to suitable support. There are also over 70 dedicated 50PLUS champions, working across all 37 Jobcentre Districts.
In Vale of Glamorgan, Employer and Partnership Teams in Jobcentres work with a range of employers and partners to enhance the skills and employment support available locally for customers, including women of all ages. The Department for Work and Pensions is also working across government, and through regular engagement with employers, to encourage positive attitudes towards older workers and to advocate for a more diverse, inclusive, and multigenerational workforce.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will increase the funding available to local authorities to provide living services for people with learning disabilities.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
High quality, safe, and suitable homes can help people stay independent and healthy for longer and reduce the need to draw on health and social care provision.
We are giving disabled people, including those with learning disabilities, more independence in their own homes through an immediate in-year uplift to the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) of £86 million in 2024/25. This increase will provide approximately 7,800 additional home adaptations. This is on top of the £625 million paid to local authorities in May 2024. The Government also announced an £86 million additional investment in the DFG for the 2025/26 financial year at the Budget, bringing total funding for 2025/26 to £711 million.
We also incentivise the supply of supported housing for older people and adults with a physical or learning disability, autistic people, or adults with mental ill-health.
Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Government response to the Concluding observations on the initial report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in October 2017, what steps they are taking to deinstitutionalise persons with disabilities, and develop community-based independent living schemes, in collaboration with organisations of persons with disabilities.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Through our proposed reforms to the Mental Health Act, we want to ensure people get the support they need in the community, improve care and prevent admission to hospitals. We recognise that strong community support must be in place to improve care and reduce reliance on mental health hospitals for people with a learning disability and autistic people. We will engage with expert stakeholders to inform implementation planning, including in respect of the development of strong community services.
The National Health Service’s 2024/25 priorities and operational planning guidance sets out the objective of reducing reliance on mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. In 2024/2025, NHS England has allocated £124 million of transformation funding for learning disability and autism services which includes funding to reduce reliance on mental health inpatient settings.
We recognise how important the right housing arrangements are in supporting people to live independently, and the need to support people to live behind their own front door wherever possible. We incentivise the supply of supported housing in England for older people and adults with a physical or learning disability, autistic people, or adults with mental ill-health. The Government will bring forward details of future investment in affordable housing at the multi-year Spending Review next year.
The Government is required to provide an annual update outlining the progress the United Kingdom has made on the Committee’s recommendations following the 2016 inquiry and most recently gave evidence to the Committee at a dialogue in Geneva in March 2024.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will expand eligibility for Winter Fuel Allowance to older people ineligible for Pension Credit who receive (a) Housing Benefit, (b) Local Housing Allowance, (c) Council Tax Support, (d) any benefits related to having a disability, (e) Attendance Allowance and (f) Carer's Allowance.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits: Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over. This means that the Winter Fuel Payment will be better targeted to low-income pensioners who need it most. The Government has no plans to change the eligibility conditions.
The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to, including their Winter Fuel Payment. As part of this, we have started a new drive to increase take-up of Pension Credit. We know there are low-income pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply.
We will shortly be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioners who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We will be inviting these pensioners to claim Pension Credit ahead of 21st December so that they may also be entitled to this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
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 impact of extending eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment to older people in receipt of (a) Housing Benefit, (b) Council Tax support, (c) Attendance Allowance, (d) Disability Living Allowance, (e) Personal Independence Payment and (f) Carer's Allowance on the number of pensioners living in poverty.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
This Government is committed to pensioners. Everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement. We will do this through protecting the triple lock, keeping energy bills low through our Warm Homes Plan, and bringing real stability to people’s lives.
However, given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control.
Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over.
In November we will also be writing to approximately 120,000 pensioners who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We will be inviting these pensioners to claim Pension Credit by the 21 December, which is the latest date for making a successful backdated Pension Credit claim and still qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment.
For those with long-term health conditions or disabilities, the “extra costs” disability benefits, including those provided for by the Scottish Government, provide a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs people with a long-term health condition can face, such as additional heating costs. They are paid in addition to any other benefits received
For example, Attendance Allowance can be worth around £5,600 a year. Further, receipt of AA can provide a passport to additional amounts in means-tested benefits for those on low incomes providing they meet the other eligibility criteria.
These benefits also give rise to a disability addition in Pension Credit, meaning that disabled pensioners are more likely to be entitled to Pension Credit, and at a higher amount, than those without disabilities.
Carers over State Pension age on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Pension Credit. This can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the additional amount for carers. The additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week, around £2,400 a year, and around 125,000 carers receive it as a part of their Pension Credit award.
We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them.