theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help decarbonise schools. \p Stephen Morgan: The department is committed to supporting the UK net zero carbon targets. Since 2021, our own building standards require that all new school buildings we deliver are net zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change.

The department is providing support for all schools and colleges to start on their journey towards net zero via our new online sustainability support for education platform and our climate ambassador programme. Where schools are considering options to become more sustainable, including considering decarbonisation of their energy supply, our ‘Get help for buying’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high quality and value to the sector. More information can be found at: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.

Additionally, the department recently announced the £80 million Great British Energy Solar Accelerator Programme in partnership with GB Energy that will install solar and other technologies such as electric vehicle chargers in 200 targeted schools and colleges, prioritising those in areas of deprivation, to start in the 2025/26 financial year.

Details of other government funding available to public bodies for sustainability, prepared by the Crown Commercial Service can be found at: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/social-value/carbon-net-zero/funding-and-grants.

Capital funding allocated to the school sector each year can also be used for projects that improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of school buildings, as well as improving the condition of the estate to keep schools safe and operational.

The department has allocated £2.1 billion in condition funding for the 2025/26 financial year, which is £300 million more than the previous year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary state-funded schools, (b) secondary state-funded schools, (c) sixth-form colleges, (d) 16-18 state-funded vocational colleges and (e) state-funded nursery schools closed in the last 12 months (i) in total and (ii) by region. \p Catherine McKinnell: Information on closures of state-funded schools, sixth form colleges, vocational colleges and nursery schools is available on the Get Information about Schools (GIAS) website, which can be found here:  https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Search?SelectedTab=Establishments.

GIAS records a number of different reasons for closure, including closure as a result of amalgamation, closure where a school has been replaced by a successor institution (including academy conversions), as well as outright closure of provision.
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Ms Julie Minns:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the cost effectiveness of the different modes of delivery of SEND education. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to thrive and succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Most pupils with special educational needs (SEN), including most with an education, health and care plan, already attend mainstream state-funded schools, and the department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in these settings so that children with SEN can achieve with their peers, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

The department is providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26, bringing total high needs revenue funding to over £12 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND. We have also published local authority allocations for £740 million of high needs capital funding for 2025/26 to invest in places for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision.

The department recognises that special schools, including independent schools, play a critical role in the SEND system, providing expertise and particularly supporting pupils with low incidence or complex needs. We also want more children and young people to receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school, alongside their friends and peers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of schools whose grant offered to cover the rise in employers National Insurance contributions is not enough meet the actual cost incurred. \p Catherine McKinnell: The government has agreed that public sector employers will receive support in recognition of the increase in their National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April 2025. The department is providing schools and high needs settings with over £930 million in the 2025/26 financial year to support them with their increased NICs costs. This support is additional to the £2.3 billion increase to core school funding announced at the Autumn Budget 2024. This means that the core schools budget, which includes the core revenue funding for schools and high needs, will total over £64.8 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. The amount of public sector support is based on HM Treasury analysis of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations, and allocated between departments based on headcount and wage/salary data.

The NICs grant will allocate funding to schools according to their pupil numbers, and the numbers of pupils with additional needs, along with a lump sum component for every school regardless of pupil numbers. The department’s funding system is not designed so that every school receives funding that fully matches their precise spending as that, including the NICs costs, varies between institutions because of the decisions that each school takes on its staffing.

The department has distributed this funding in proportion to the needs of the different sectors and phases of education. The department will continue to monitor cost pressures, as it usually does.
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Claire Young:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of expanding the role of the Local Government Ombudsman to encompass academy trusts. \p Catherine McKinnell: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is the principal regulator for academies. All academies are required to have a complaints process which adheres to Part 7 of the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. This sets out that it is the academy’s responsibility to handle and resolve any complaints against them. If a complainant has concerns that an academy did not handle a complaint in line with the regulations, they can then escalate to the department, whose role it is to consider whether the academy followed the correct process.

Anyone can object to the Schools Adjudicator if they have concerns about a school’s admission arrangements. The Schools Adjudicator considers objections to the admission arrangements of all mainstream state-funded schools, including mainstream academy and free schools. The Adjudicator’s decision is binding.

The department also considers complaints about maladministration in independent appeal panels in relation to school admissions and complaints about maladministration in independent review panels in relation to permanent exclusions. Decisions taken by panels in both circumstances are legally binding and the department is unable to overturn decisions taken. However, parents can contact the department if they have concerns that the appeal or review panel was not held in compliance with relevant legislation or statutory guidance. If the department upholds a complaint, then a fresh appeal may be requested. If a complainant wishes to take their complaint further following the department’s consideration, they are advised to seek independent legal advice.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) can investigate complaints about maintained schools in certain circumstances. The department is considering the LGSCO’s Triennial Review, including their recommendations around school complaints, and will respond in due course.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for children with SEND in rural areas. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life and we will set out plans for reforming the SEND system later this year.

The mainstream schools’ national funding formula accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factors. These factors recognise that some smaller schools are remote, limiting their ability to grow or make efficiency savings. Such schools often play a significant role in the rural communities they serve, not least in their provision for pupils with SEND. Eligible primary schools attract up to £57,400, and all other schools up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in 2025/26.

The government will also take the time needed to consider changes to the funding formulae used by the department to allocate funding for schools and for children and young people with complex SEND.
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Michael Wheeler:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Preparing for Healthy Relationships toolkit developed by the Mayor of London to address violence against women and girls; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of rolling the toolkit out nationally. \p Catherine McKinnell: The government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade. Education has a crucial role to play in preventing and tackling harmful behaviour, helping children and young people to develop empathy, boundaries and respect for difference.

Through compulsory relationships education, all pupils will learn how to form positive and respectful relationships and develop an understanding of the concepts and laws around sexual harassment and sexual violence.

The department is reviewing the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum, and as part of this review we are looking at how to ensure that the guidance equips pupils, starting in primary, to form healthy and respectful relationships. We are analysing consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering relevant evidence to determine how this can fully complement our wider actions to tackle VAWG. Ministers have been clear that the RSHE guidance must support schools to tackle misogynistic attitudes and help students gain the knowledge and skills needed to develop healthy relationships.

We are currently considering how best to support teachers to deliver high-quality RSHE and are aware of many of the programmes and toolkits already in place, including the Healthy Relationships toolkit developed by Tender and launched by the Mayor of London, which we understand is free for schools to use if they wish. As with other curriculum subjects, the department does not advise schools on which resources, external speakers or organisations to use, not least because schools operate in a variety of different contexts and have both the expertise and knowledge that makes them best placed to make these decisions.  The department does not endorse or promote third-party resources to schools.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to fund the Adoption and Special Guardianship fund after 2025/26. \p Janet Daby: The department remains committed to supporting adoptive and kinship families, who play an essential role in providing stable and loving homes for children in need. On 1 April, it was announced that the adoption and special guardianship support fund would continue into 2025/26, with a budget of £50 million. This funding will enable eligible families to receive support in the coming year.

All decisions regarding the future of the fund past March 2026 will be made as part of the next spending review.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure the adequacy of support for kinship care therapists for families on the Isle of Wight. \p Janet Daby: The Autumn Budget 2024 gave an additional £22.6 billion of resource spending for the day-to-day health budget for last year and this year.

It is the responsibility of the Isle of Wight Council and Isle of Wight NHS Trust to ensure there are adequate therapeutic services to meet the needs of local kinship families.

The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) provides funding for therapies and specialist assessments for eligible kinship children. Local authorities apply for funding on behalf of these children, and source therapists in their area. The funding may cover travel costs for therapists to reach families, as well as necessary single-use materials. The department also offers therapists information designed to support them in their activity as ASGSF providers, including an ASGSF Knowledge Hub and regular updates on the fund.
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration her Department has given to including Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council in the cohort for the pilot on the kinship allowance trial scheme. \p Janet Daby: The government announced a £40 million package to trial a new kinship allowance. The pilot will begin in autumn 2025 and the department will evaluate the pilot to build an evidence base on how best to deliver financial support for kinship families. We will confirm the process for selecting local authorities taking part in the pilot in due course.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 36463, tabled on 7 March 2025. \p Stephen Morgan: A response to Question 36463 was published on 11 April 2025 and can be found here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-03-07/36463.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle period poverty for young girls in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) England. \p Stephen Morgan: No-one should have to miss out on education because of their period, which is why the department provides free period products to girls and women in all state-maintained schools and 16 to 19 education organisations in England.

Since the launch of the Period Products Scheme in January 2020, 99% of secondary schools and 87% of post-16 organisations in England have placed orders through the scheme. The department publishes statistics regarding the Scheme’s operation, including take up by local authorities, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-scheme-management-information.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential impact of the 50% Buying British ambition on school caterers. \p Stephen Morgan: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have met to discuss a range of issues and projects.

The government is committed to increasing the procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards, supporting local suppliers, and upholding ethical sourcing practices across public sector contracts. The department is considering the policy options available to deliver these aims. Any future policies will be informed by the review of the provenance of food sourced by the public sector, announced recently. Schools and caterers can additionally voluntarily follow the government buying standards.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she next plans to review her Department's guidance on school food standards. \p Stephen Morgan: It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole-school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards define the foods and drinks that must be provided, that are restricted and those which must not be provided.

We keep our approach to school food and its guidance under continued review.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what methodology her Department used to assess bid applications for the school-based nursery capital grant. \p Stephen Morgan: Bid applications for the school-based nursery capital grant were assessed on four key criteria: project overview and value for money, local need for childcare, approach to early years education and management of provision.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of five year olds were school ready in (a) Birmingham Edgbaston constituency, (b) Birmingham and (c) the West Midlands in each of the last 10 years. \p Stephen Morgan: Children’s early years are crucial to their development, health and life chances. That is why the department’s Plan for Change set out our ambition for a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn in the classroom. We will measure our progress through 75% of children reaching a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile assessment by 2028.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile was significantly revised in September 2021. It is therefore not possible to directly compare assessment outcomes since 2021/22 with earlier years.

The department has published data through the early years foundation stage teacher assessment since 2021/2022 which can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results/2023-24.

Local authority and regional data from 2013 to 2019 can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-2018-to-2019.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools support pupils experiencing childhood bereavement. \p Stephen Morgan: It is vital that when a child suffers a bereavement, they are aware of and able to access the support they need. Schools know their pupils best and do an excellent job in supporting them through a range of adverse life experiences, including bereavement. The department is always looking for ways to better support schools in this role.

The relationships, sex and health (RSHE) statutory guidance states that teachers should be aware of common ‘adverse childhood experiences’, including bereavement. The full guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

The department is reviewing the RSHE curriculum and following analysis of consultation responses and further discussion with stakeholders, we will decide on any new content on bereavement.

The government is also committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people, including those who have experienced a bereavement. To achieve this, we have committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. The department also provides a resource hub for school and college mental health leads, signposting practical tools to embed effective mental health and wellbeing practice. The hub includes resources for schools to support bereaved children.

The department has also published guidance to support pupils whose ability to attend exams has been affected by bereavement, including examples of effective practice. In addition, we have recently made updates to GOV.UK adding links to bereavement support specifically for children and their families. This support is available at: https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/bereavement-help-and-support?step-by-step-nav=4f1fe77d-f43b-4581-baf9-e2600e2a2b7a.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she next plans to review the per-meal funding rate for free school meals. \p Stephen Morgan: The department spends over £1.5 billion annually on the provision of free and nutritious meals to 2.1 million of the most disadvantaged school pupils, 90,000 low-income students in further education, and 1.3 million infant pupils. In addition to this, eligibility for free meals drives billions of additional pounds in disadvantage funding.

The government will continue to engage with schools to ensure high-quality meals are provided for children. As with all government programmes, the department keeps free school meal provision under review.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on the average cost of providing free school meals. \p Stephen Morgan: The department is providing schools and high needs settings with over £930 million in the 2025/26 financial year to support them with their increased National Insurance contributions (NICs) costs. This support is additional to the £2.3 billion increase to core school funding announced at the Autumn Budget 2024.

Schools will have flexibility in how they use funding through their NICs grant allocations to meet their overall cost increases as a result of the NICs changes.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 41472 on Childcare: Fees and Charges whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the £100k cut off for free childcare provision on (a) overall workforce productivity, (b) willingness of impacted employees to take on additional hours and responsibilities and (c) willingness of impacted NHS clinical staff to take on additional hours of work and responsibilities. \p Stephen Morgan: I refer the hon. Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 41472.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on ensuring that every school in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire has a defibrillator. \p Stephen Morgan: All state-funded schools in South Holland and the Deepings that did not already have a defibrillator received them under the department’s programme, which has now closed.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ringfence school meal funding. \p Stephen Morgan: The department spends approximately £1.5 billion annually on free lunches for 2.1 million school age pupils under benefits-based free school meals, over 90,000 disadvantaged students in further education, and around 1.3 million infant pupils under the Universal Infant Free School Meal scheme to ensure they receive a nutritious lunchtime meal.

Funding is not ring-fenced, meaning that schools have autonomy over delivery, including entering into catering contracts with suppliers and allocation of funding within their budgets.

The department regularly speaks to food industry representatives on a range of issues including sector challenges such as funding.

As with all government programmes, the department will keep our approach to free school meals, including funding, under continued review.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the sustainability of childcare in breakfast and after school clubs which rely on volunteers. \p Stephen Morgan: Schools have the discretion to identify the most appropriate workforce to deliver their breakfast and after school clubs, depending on their school’s context, existing staff contracts and arrangements and the mix of skills and experience required.

The department does not collect data on the number of breakfast and after school clubs run by volunteers, however these clubs can be led by various individuals, including teachers, teaching assistants, school catering staff, volunteers such as parents or others specifically hired to deliver the role. As such, the department has not made any specific assessment of the sustainability of breakfast and after school clubs that rely on volunteers.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to decarbonise schools in order to meet the emission reduction targets by 2035. \p Stephen Morgan: The department is committed to supporting the UK net-zero carbon targets. Since 2021, the department’s own building standards require that all new school buildings delivered by the department are net-zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change.

Additionally, the department recently announced the £80 million Great British Energy Solar Accelerator Programme, in partnership with GB Energy, that will install solar and other technologies, such as electric vehicle (EV) chargers, in 200 targeted schools and colleges, prioritising those in areas of deprivation, to start in 2025/26.

The department is providing support for all schools and colleges to start on their journey towards net zero via our new online sustainability support for education platform and our climate ambassador programme. Where schools are considering options to become more sustainable, including considering decarbonisation of their energy supply, our ‘Get help for buying’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high-quality and value to the sector. More information can be found at: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.

Details of other government funding available to public bodies for sustainability, prepared by the Crown Commercial Service can be found at: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/social-value/carbon-net-zero/funding-and-grants.

Capital funding allocated to the school sector each year can also be used for projects that improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of school buildings, as well as improving the condition of the estate to keep schools safe and operational.

The department has allocated £2.1 billion in condition funding for the 2025/26 financial year, which is £300 million more than the previous year.
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether people who started therapy funded by the Adoption and special guardianship support fund in 2024-25 will be permitted to carry over unused funds to fund therapy during the 2025-26 financial year. \p Janet Daby: The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) supports children previously in care who are under special guardianship orders, residency orders or child arrangements orders. We are not proposing wider eligibility changes at this point.

The ASGSF does not allow unused funds to be carried over from one financial year to the next. However, where applications were agreed and therapy started prior to April 2025, that therapy may continue under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.
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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department’s investigators can apply to police to have individuals suspected of committing fraud against the Department arrested. \p Andrew Western: 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.
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Steve Witherden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of not uprating local housing allowance rates on homelessness in Wales. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The causes of homelessness are multi-faceted and often complex, they interact dynamically making it very difficult to isolate the relative importance of individual factors. Responsibility for housing and homelessness is devolved to the Welsh Government, while social security is reserved to the UK Government.

At last year’s Autumn Budget, the Secretary of State’s decision to maintain Local Housing Allowance (LHA) at current levels for 2025/26 was taken after a range of factors were considered, including rental data, the impacts of LHA rates, the fact that rates were increased in April 2024, and the wider fiscal context. The April 2024 one-year LHA increase cost an additional £1.2bn in 2024/25, and approximately £7bn over 5 years.

Any future decisions on LHA policy will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, goals on housing, and the fiscal context.

For those who need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. DHPs can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will take steps to (a) update the basic rate of Universal Credit annually inline with inflation and (b) introduce an essentials guarantee to reflect the cost of living. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We will bring in a permanent, above inflation, rise to the standard allowance in Universal Credit for the first time ever by raising the standard allowance above inflation from 2026/27 until 2029/30. This is in stark contrast to a freeze between 2016/17 and 2019/20 and crucially, this is a permanent increase so we can give families certainty. To the lowest income and working families up and down the country this will be crucial.

We have also uprated benefit rates for 2025/26 in line with inflation and are introducing a new Fair Repayment Rate, allowing 1.2 million households to keep more of their Universal Credit.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of ownership of illiquid assets on Universal Credit eligibility. \p Sir Stephen Timms: No assessment has been made.

Universal Credit broadly follows the capital rules from legacy means-tested benefits, e.g. income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

The treatment of capital in any benefit that assists with living expenses is not a straightforward matter. Whilst it is important to encourage saving, it has never been thought right for substantial amounts of capital to be ignored.

Departmental guidance is available to assist our decision makers to determine the value of capital assets at the point of review. Disregards are in place for some illiquid assets that customers hold, such as personal possessions and their main home.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) people in farming and (b) other people who are unable to demonstrate consistent monthly income figures are able to apply for Universal Credit. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Universal Credit is available to eligible people who are out of work or on a low income. This includes people who are self-employed.

We recognise that some self-employed customers, including those in the farming industry, are likely to report large monthly fluctuations in their earnings. Steps have been taken to account for this, such as allowing self-employed losses to be carried forward into future assessment periods.

Wherever possible, employed earnings are received through the Real Time Information (RTI) system used by employers to report Pay As You Earn (PAYE) data to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). RTI enables a customer’s Universal Credit award to be automatically adjusted to reflect their fluctuating earnings, which eases the reporting burden on customers.

If earnings are not reported through RTI for any reason, the customer will need to self-report their earnings and provide evidence of these.

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. The review will include consideration of the support in Universal Credit for customers with fluctuating incomes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_103

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disability benefit claimants will be impacted by the disability benefit reforms in Ashfield constituency. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_104

Imran Hussain:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the number of eligible pensioners not claiming Pension Credit; and what steps her Department is taking to increase take-up, in the context of Winter Fuel Payment eligibility. \p Torsten Bell: The most recent estimate of Pension Credit take-up covers the financial year 2022/23 and is available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2023 - GOV.UK

The Government wants all pensioners to get the support to which they are rightly entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign, which included adverts on Television, radio, social media such as Facebook and Instagram, on YouTube, on advertising screens, including on GP and Post Office screens as well as in the press. Around 11 million pensioners will have also recently received a leaflet promoting Pension Credit along with their State Pension uprating letter.

The latest Pension Credit applications and awards statistics were published on 27 February and are available at: Pension Credit applications and awards: February 2025 - GOV.UK The statistics show that the Department received 235,000 Pension Credit applications in the 30 weeks since the Winter Fuel Payment announcement – an 81% increase on the comparable period in 2023/24 and made 117,800 new Pension Credit awards – a 64% increase or 45,800 extra awards on the comparable period in 2023/24.

We are now writing to all pensioners who make a new claim for Housing Benefit and who appear to be entitled to Pension Credit – directly targeting this group and encouraging them to make a claim. In the longer term, we will be bringing together the administration of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit, so that pensioners receive both Housing Benefit and any Pension Credit that they are entitled to.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_105

Imran Hussain:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed disability benefit reforms on people with (a) post-traumatic stress disorder, (b) bipolar disorder, (c) severe depression and (d) other mental health conditions; and what steps she is taking to ensure that entitlement to support will reflect the level of need. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_106

Steve Witherden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of the Daily Living Element of Personal Independence Payment do not score more than four points in any of the daily living activities, by subcategory of psychiatric disorder. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_107

Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the Third Report of the Work and Pensions Committee of Session 2023-24 on Defined benefit pension schemes, HC 144, published on 26 March 2024. \p Torsten Bell: The Government is grateful to the previous Work and Pensions Select Committee for their valuable report on defined benefit (DB) pensions schemes and to the Chair for her sustained focus on this important area.

I will respond to the Committee in the coming weeks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_108

Imran Hussain:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the proportion of Personal Independence Payment decisions that are overturned on appeal; and what recent assessment she has made of the accuracy of initial Personal Independence Payment assessments. \p Sir Stephen Timms: It is our aim to make the right decision as early as possible in the claim journey. To support this, we have made improvements to our decision-making processes to help ensure people get the support they are entitled to without needing to appeal. This includes giving Decision Makers additional time to proactively contact customers if they think additional evidence may support the claim.

We recognise that the overturn rate at appeal is high. This is why we are continuing to learn from appeal outcomes. We regularly gather feedback on appeals from Presenting Officers who attend tribunals.

We are committed to ensuring individuals receive a high standard and accurate assessment. We want every report to reflect a high-quality functional assessment that the department can use to make their benefit entitlement decisions. This is a priority for the department, and we work extensively with assessment suppliers to make improvements to guidance, training, and audit procedures to ensure a quality service.

Suppliers are monitored against a range of measures to improve the accuracy of the advice they provide. A high standard is maintained through an independent audit function that continually monitors performance and provides feedback to its suppliers.

Independent audit refers to a comprehensive check of the elements of the assessment, including the evidence collection, further evidence provided, and the assessment report completed by the health professional. The check is completed against a set of guidelines to ensure a consistent approach is taken. This ensures that assessment reports are fit for purpose, clinically justified and sound, and provide sufficient information for the department to make an informed decision on entitlement to benefit.

We outlined our commitment to improving the PIP assessment in the recently launched Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper. We will take action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes recording health assessments as standard to build greater trust in the system. The aim is to create greater transparency, using recordings as a learning opportunity to consider potential improvements to the quality of the assessment process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_109

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will produce an impact assessment of the proposals outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, published in March 2025. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.

A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_110

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of consulting on the introduction of changes to the eligibility requirement for the daily living part of the Personal Independence Payment. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Since the pandemic, the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) awards has more than doubled – up from 13,000 a month, to 34,000 a month. Action is needed now to target support better, so that we can protect this important safety net for future generations.

That is why we are introducing a new eligibility requirement in PIP so that people must score a minimum of four points in one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component. We are bringing this forward via Primary Legislation so that Parliament can fully debate and vote on these changes. The changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_111

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's Pathways to Work Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what definition her Department plans to use to identify people with severe lifelong health conditions who will be protected from reassessment. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We will ensure that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected, and that this group will face no future reassessment. We will set out further information on this in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-22 conversation_112

James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking through the Product Safety and Metrology Bill to improve safety standards in relation to the (a) use and (b) sale of lithium-ion batteries. \p Justin Madders: The UK has some of the strongest consumer product safety laws in the world, that already requires businesses to only make safe products available on the market, including lithium-ion batteries. The powers in the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill will allow us to update the regulatory framework, if we determine that is necessary to ensure the best protections for consumers.

In the meantime, the Office for Product Safety and Standards, as the national regulator, is taking action to prevent unsafe products, including lithium-ion batteries, from being sold in the UK.