Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
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 level of spending as a proportion of GDP on the state pension (a) other European nations, (b) other developed economies and (c) the UK.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
It is difficult to make comprehensive direct comparisons between different countries’ spending on State Pensions as a proportion of GDP because there are many fundamental differences in the types of system and the wider social and economic contexts. There are many factors to take into account such as different tax systems, cost of living, access to occupational pensions and their taxation treatment plus the availability of healthcare free at the point of use, other social security benefits and the provision of services and goods free to pensioners or at concessionary rates.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 adequacy of the level of statutory sick pay.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is bringing in changes to Statutory Sick Pay through the Employment Rights Bill which will mean up to 1.3 million low-paid employees will now be entitled to SSP, and all eligible employees will be paid from the first day of sickness absence, benefitting millions of employees.
Removing the waiting period means that all employees will receive at least £60 extra at the start of their sickness absence, rising to £150 if they work two days per week, compared to the current system.
With these changes, we believe the current rate is fair and achieves the right balance between providing support for employees who are unable to work due to sickness or ill-health whilst limiting the cost to employers. We also know that many employees are eligible for more than the statutory minimum through contractual or occupational sick pay arrangements with their employer.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62940 on Occupational Money Purchase Schemes, what steps she is taking to encourage awareness of collective defined contribution schemes by (a) employers and (b) employees.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
My officials and I have been engaging extensively with a range of stakeholders to produce the legislative framework needed to accommodate whole-life CDC schemes with multiple unconnected employers, including with numerous employers. Regulations to implement this will be brought forward in the autumn.
We have ensured that the Money and Pensions Service’s MoneyHelper guidance, which is available to any member of the public, provides information on CDC schemes.
The Government has also published ‘Workplace pensions: a roadmap’ which sets out plans to support the growth of CDC provision.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that people with multiple sclerosis are supported to remain in employment through (a) flexible working arrangements and (b) effective symptom management closer to home.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good 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. Disabled people and people with health conditions, including multiple sclerosis, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.
Building on our WorkWell, Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies and Connect to Work programmes, we will ensure people with a health condition have access to the holistic support they need. In the Government’s Pathways to Work Green Paper, we further committed to developing a support guarantee, so that disabled people and those with a health condition get the work, health and skills support they need to access and thrive in employment.
And we are delivering the biggest investment in support for disabled people and people with health conditions in at least a generation. Our support guarantee announced as part of the Green Paper is backed up by £2.2bn over four years, including £200m in 2026/27 when our benefit changes begin to take effect and, as announced in the statement on Welfare Reform (30 June) by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, an additional £300m over the next 3 years. This brings our total investment in employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions to £3.8 billion over this Parliament.
We will further pilot the integration of employment advisers and work coaches into the neighbourhood health service, so that working age people with long term health conditions have an integrated public service offer. A patient’s employment goals will be part of care plans, to support more joined up service provision. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care have worked together on the 10 Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Health Plan will ensure a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people.
Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024, will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. In recognition of the key role employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review, considering how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy workplaces, and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence. Sir Charlie will deliver his final report in the autumn. Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme. Guidance for businesses on supporting employee work-life balance through measures such as flexible working and parental leave can be found on gov.uk and the Help to Grow website.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking through the Get Britain Working White Paper to support people with multiple sclerosis (a) into and (b) to stay in work.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good 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. Disabled people and people with health conditions, including multiple sclerosis, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.
Building on our WorkWell, Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies and Connect to Work programmes, we will ensure people with a health condition have access to the holistic support they need. In the Government’s Pathways to Work Green Paper, we further committed to developing a support guarantee, so that disabled people and those with a health condition get the work, health and skills support they need to access and thrive in employment.
And we are delivering the biggest investment in support for disabled people and people with health conditions in at least a generation. Our support guarantee announced as part of the Green Paper is backed up by £2.2bn over four years, including £200m in 2026/27 when our benefit changes begin to take effect and, as announced in the statement on Welfare Reform (30 June) by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, an additional £300m over the next 3 years. This brings our total investment in employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions to £3.8 billion over this Parliament.
We will further pilot the integration of employment advisers and work coaches into the neighbourhood health service, so that working age people with long term health conditions have an integrated public service offer. A patient’s employment goals will be part of care plans, to support more joined up service provision. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care have worked together on the 10 Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Health Plan will ensure a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people.
Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024, will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. In recognition of the key role employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review, considering how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy workplaces, and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence. Sir Charlie will deliver his final report in the autumn. Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme. Guidance for businesses on supporting employee work-life balance through measures such as flexible working and parental leave can be found on gov.uk and the Help to Grow website.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department has provided to help people with arthritis to (a) remain in and (b) return to work.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good 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. Disabled people and people with health conditions, including arthritis, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual including through Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.
Building on our WorkWell, Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies and Connect to Work programmes, we will ensure people with a health condition have access to the holistic support they need. In the Government’s Pathways to Work Green Paper, we further committed to developing a support guarantee, so that disabled people and those with a health condition get the work, health and skills support they need to access and thrive in employment.
And we are delivering the biggest investment in support for disabled people and people with health conditions in at least a generation. Our support guarantee announced as part of the Green Paper is backed up by £2.2bn over four years, including £200m in 2026/27 when our benefit changes begin to take effect and, as announced in the statement on Welfare Reform (30 June) by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, an additional £300m over the next 3 years. This brings our total investment in employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions to £3.8 billion over this Parliament.
We will further pilot the integration of employment advisers and work coaches into the neighbourhood health service, so that working age people with long term health conditions have an integrated public service offer. A patient’s employment goals will be part of care plans, to support more joined up service provision The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care have worked together on the 10 Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Health Plan will ensure a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people.
Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024, will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. In recognition of the key role employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review, considering how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy workplaces, and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence. Sir Charlie will deliver his final report in the autumn. Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.
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, whether she plans to extend the full disregard of military compensation payments applied in Universal Credit to the assessment of Pension Credit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The receipt of War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards is already fully ignored when calculating eligibility for Universal Credit (UC).
The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and Income Support – which are being replaced by UC – as well as in Pension Credit. Armed Forces Independence Payments are also fully disregarded in these benefits and can allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.
By default, the first £10 of a War Pension or AFCS award is also disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to fully disregard them if they so wish.
Additionally, War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016.
The treatment of military compensation payments contrasts with other schemes with a disablement element. For example, the Firefighters Compensation Scheme and the Police Pension Scheme have no income disregards applied at all, as any disablement elements form part of their occupational pension and so these are taken fully into account.
The treatment of military compensation payments also contrasts with Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit where there is no weekly disregard.
The £10 weekly disregard for War Pension or AFCS awards in legacy income-related benefits was introduced in recognition of the sacrifices made by service personnel in active service for the country.
There are no plans to change the ways in which War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with means tested benefits.
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 she has made of the potential impact of different approaches to the treatment of military compensation payments across welfare benefits means tests on claimants.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The receipt of War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards is already fully ignored when calculating eligibility for Universal Credit (UC).
The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and Income Support – which are being replaced by UC – as well as in Pension Credit. Armed Forces Independence Payments are also fully disregarded in these benefits and can allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.
By default, the first £10 of a War Pension or AFCS award is also disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to fully disregard them if they so wish.
Additionally, War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016.
The treatment of military compensation payments contrasts with other schemes with a disablement element. For example, the Firefighters Compensation Scheme and the Police Pension Scheme have no income disregards applied at all, as any disablement elements form part of their occupational pension and so these are taken fully into account.
The treatment of military compensation payments also contrasts with Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit where there is no weekly disregard.
The £10 weekly disregard for War Pension or AFCS awards in legacy income-related benefits was introduced in recognition of the sacrifices made by service personnel in active service for the country.
There are no plans to change the ways in which War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with means tested benefits.
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, for what reason the disregard of (a) War Pensions and (b) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments is limited to £10 per week when calculating Pension Credit awards.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The receipt of War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards is already fully ignored when calculating eligibility for Universal Credit (UC).
The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and Income Support – which are being replaced by UC – as well as in Pension Credit. Armed Forces Independence Payments are also fully disregarded in these benefits and can allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.
By default, the first £10 of a War Pension or AFCS award is also disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to fully disregard them if they so wish.
Additionally, War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016.
The treatment of military compensation payments contrasts with other schemes with a disablement element. For example, the Firefighters Compensation Scheme and the Police Pension Scheme have no income disregards applied at all, as any disablement elements form part of their occupational pension and so these are taken fully into account.
The treatment of military compensation payments also contrasts with Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit where there is no weekly disregard.
The £10 weekly disregard for War Pension or AFCS awards in legacy income-related benefits was introduced in recognition of the sacrifices made by service personnel in active service for the country.
There are no plans to change the ways in which War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with means tested benefits.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 of state pension integration practices on (a) lower-paid and (b) female pensioners; and if she will take steps to review (i) guidance and (ii) legislation to help ensure (A) fairness and (B) transparency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The aim of “integrated” pension schemes is to provide a more predictable and stable pension income over time where a person’s occupational pension comes into payment before their State Pension. This is achieved by paying a higher pension before the person reaches State Pension age, which is subsequently reduced when their State Pension comes into payment. The Government is aware of the concerns raised by members of these schemes, especially in terms of the possible disproportionate impact on women.
The reduction applied to lower-paid and female pensioners in an integrated scheme may be a greater proportion of the overall entitlement than it is for higher-paid and male pensioners. This is due to societal and labour market issues during their working lives, which has resulted in these groups having, on average, lower earnings and therefore receiving a lower pension from the scheme.
It is extremely important that people have good, clear information about their occupational pension scheme, so that they can make informed decisions about their retirement. Trustees are required to provide relevant information to members of a pension scheme, including information about how integration will affect their pension benefits. If someone does not think that their scheme has been sufficiently clear about the way integration will affect their pension, they should use the scheme’s internal dispute resolution service, which every scheme is required to have. If they are not satisfied with the outcome, they can take the matter to the Pensions Ombudsman.
The precise design of pension benefits is a matter for employers and trustees and is not covered in Department for Work and Pensions legislation. Pension scheme rules on the calculation of benefits are many and varied and are a matter for employers and scheme trustees to decide.; however, these pensions have been paid in accordance with the scheme rules and within the law.