theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Tom Gordon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the 10 year health plan on health outcomes for people with type 1 diabetes. \p Ashley Dalton: The 10-Year Health Plan aims enhance the care of patients living with type 1 diabetes through shifts in how care is delivered. Hospital to community will enable those living with diabetes to manage their care in the best way for them through the Neighbourhood Health Service, while analogue to digital will make it easier for those living with diabetes to access tailored advice and manage their appointments at a time that suits them.

By 2028, patients will be able to manage all their care through the NHS App. People with diabetes will be able to book appointments, manage their medication and prescriptions and view their single-patient record so they can become better advocates for themselves.

Patients will be able to access tailored advice through the NHS App on how to manage their diabetes. The App will give patients a doctor in their pocket, and artificial intelligence functionality will enable patients to check their symptoms and find out where to go for further advice or screening as appropriate.

Patient care will be personalised through the comprehensive single patient record. When patients attend appointments, clinicians will be able to see all their medical information and history, helping them to make informed diagnoses against co-morbidities and advise patients of their individual risk factor.

By 2035, all patients will have access to wearables. Wearables will enable patients and their carers to better manage their care by having access to their health data such as blood pressure and glucose levels. They will also enable remote monitoring to alert a patient’s care team to any issues so that appropriate interventions can be made quickly before they progress.

The MyHealth tool will enable remote monitoring, giving patients piece of mind that their condition is being monitored and healthcare professionals will step in if needed.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will give those living with diabetes more choice and control of their care. Patients will receive seamless care across services through high-quality care plans. The plan proposes that by 2027, 95% of people with complex needs, including long-term conditions, will have an agreed care plan.

More people will be able to access Personal Health Budgets. Patients will be told how much money is available to them and will be supported by their National Health Service team to decide how to spend that money to meet their needs.

By 2028 the Diagnosis Connect service will support better self-care. In partnership with the Richmond Group, this service will bring together the NHS and the voluntary sector to help people with new diagnoses manage their care.
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to improve early diagnosis of bowel cancer in patients under 50. \p Ashley Dalton: The latest available data, from 2022, showed that there were 2,648 diagnoses of bowel cancer in people under the age of 50 years old. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including bowel cancer at all ages, as early as possible.

Beginning this year, the NHS expanded its bowel cancer screening program by lowering the eligibility age to 50 years old to ensure earlier diagnosis for those at risk. NHS England also runs the Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptom and to address barriers to acting on them, encouraging people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The bowel cancer campaign urged people to take up the offer of bowel screening when invited.

Furthermore, an NHS testing programme is helping to diagnose thousands of people with a genetic condition, Lynch Syndrome, that increases the chance of developing certain cancers, including bowel cancer. The national programme ensures that all people diagnosed with bowel cancer are offered genomic testing, along with their relatives, to help detect any cancers early and start timely treatment as needed.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on what will be done to improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, including for bowel cancer patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to reduce waiting times for sarcoma diagnosis. \p Ashley Dalton: NHS England has published a national service specification, covering both bone and soft tissue sarcomas. The specification requires close working between sarcoma services and other National Health Service partners, co-ordinated by Sarcoma Advisory Groups, to improve care pathways.

Work is underway across both bone and soft tissue sarcoma provision to ensure that cancer care providers meet national service standards and improve care to patients.

The Government welcomes the recent publication of Sarcoma UK’s Sarcoma State of the Nation report as it highlights the importance of early diagnosis, care co-ordination across complex pathways, research into new treatments, and survivorship. Our forthcoming National Cancer Plan will set out how we will improve outcomes for all cancers, including sarcoma.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Mrs Sharon Hodgson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with industry stakeholders on the pricing strategies of (a) alcohol-free drinks and (b) alcoholic beverages. \p Ashley Dalton: In Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, the Government has committed to tackling harmful levels of alcohol consumption through exploring options to encourage consumers to reduce their alcohol intake by substituting standard strength drinks with no- and low-alcohol alternatives. One of the first steps will be to explore raising the upper alcohol limit for drinks labelled as alcohol-free to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) from 0.05% ABV, aligning with international standards, to support the growth of the sector and provide clarity to consumers and producers.

At the same time, we will explore measures to regulate access to no- and low-alcohol products in line with other alcoholic beverages, including prohibiting sales to individuals under the age of 18 years old.

Manufacturers, retailers, and industry stakeholders have a key role to play in working with the Government to improve the health of the nation. Ministers and officials regularly engage with these groups when developing policy.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of centrally coordinating stoma services. \p Ashley Dalton: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are legally responsible for commissioning the majority of health services, including stoma services, in accordance with their populations’ health needs. There are currently no plans for centrally coordinating stoma services and we expect ICBs to continue commissioning stoma services for their local populations.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Health Minister on the importance of early detection of testicular cancer in young people. \p Ashley Dalton: Policy for cancer care is a devolved matter in Scotland, and is therefore the responsibility of the Scottish administration.

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier in England so that more patients survive, including young people. To achieve this, the NHS in England has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.

To support timely and effective referrals, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has set out detailed guidance for general practitioners in England on the symptoms of cancer in children and young people aged zero to 24 years old, which recommends referral within 48 hours for those presenting with a range of potential cancer symptoms. Since its relaunch on 4 February 2025, the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce for England has worked to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people aged zero to 24 years old with cancer in England. The taskforce is exploring opportunities for improvement across genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, patient experience, and early detection and diagnosis. Although the taskforce is England-only, and no formal discussions have taken place with Scotland or other countries, once the taskforce finalises its work, any recommendations for cross-border collaboration will be considered where appropriate.

The forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England will include further details on improving outcomes for cancer patients, including young people with cancer, and will highlight how the Department will support the NHS to improve diagnosis rates for people in all parts of England.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for which financial year will the updated Carr-Hill formula be applied from. \p Stephen Kinnock: The review of the Carr-Hill formula will draw on a range of evidence and advice from experts. Decisions about implementation will need to be taken following consideration of the recommendations of the Carr-Hill review and cannot be pre-empted. Further detail on the review will be confirmed in due course.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the average waiting times were for discharge pathways (a) 0, (b) 1, (c) 2 and (d) 3 in (i) England, (ii) Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ICB area and (iii) Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust in the most recent year for which data is available. \p Stephen Kinnock: Information on the average wait times for individual discharge pathways is not held centrally.

Data on the number of adult patients in acute hospital beds who are medically ready for discharge but not discharged, is published monthly by NHS England. For patients with a length of stay of at least 14 days, the average number of patients experiencing delayed discharge is broken down by reason for delay, some of which relate to specific discharge pathways. The publication also reports the number of people discharged onto each discharge pathway each month. This data is available at an England, integrated care board, and National Health Service trust level, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/discharge-delays/acute-discharge-situation-report/
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Oliver Ryan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to expand the Supervised Toothbrushing Scheme beyond early years settings to include older school-aged children; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of supporting school nurses and public health teams to provide (a) toothbrushes and (b) fluoride toothpaste during individual health assessments in areas with high levels of dental health inequality. \p Stephen Kinnock: There are no plans to change the focus of the national supervised toothbrushing programme from three to five-year-old children living in the 20% most deprived areas of England. However, there is flexibility for local authorities to consider additional provision if the needs of this population have been met. This might include older or younger children, children with special educational needs and disabilities, or other vulnerable groups. This should be based on local oral health needs assessments and decision making.

School nurses and public health teams, working with other professionals, have an essential role in promoting children’s oral health with population and individual level interventions. This can include the provision of toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste packs based on local decision making.
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Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a statutory duty on local authorities to provide meals to local authority funded clients of adult social care. \p Stephen Kinnock: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are responsible for assessing individuals’ care and support needs and, where eligible, for meeting those needs. Where individuals do not meet the eligibility threshold, they can get support from local authorities in making their own arrangements for care services. Eligibility is determined with reference to specified outcomes, such as managing and maintaining nutrition, personal hygiene, managing toilet needs, being appropriately clothed, and maintaining a habitable home environment.

For people receiving support in their own home, local authorities may consider a range of options. This could include arranging or signposting to a meals service depending on the most suitable way of meeting the person’s needs. Where someone’s needs are best met in a care home setting, meals will ordinarily be included as part of the care package.

A thriving social care system extends beyond statutory services. Families and friends, communities, and the voluntary and charitable sector provide vital support to meet individuals’ needs and help people remain independent.

Any changes to legislation would be subject to the usual Parliamentary process which would include a public consultation, and thus an opportunity to consider the merits of introducing such a duty on local authorities.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for (a) Admiral Nurses and (b) other dementia specialist nurses in the delivery of the proposed neighbourhood health service. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Neighbourhood Health Service will bring together teams of professionals closer to people’s homes to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community. We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations, and so they could include dementia specialist nurses. While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, services may look different in rural communities, coastal towns, or deprived inner cities.

Provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). We would expect ICBs to commission services, which may include dementia specialist nurses/admiral nurses, based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines. NICE recommends providing people living with dementia with a single named health or social care professional who is responsible for coordinating their care.

Under the 10-year plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.  We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.
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Tom Gordon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of national primary care data on Young Onset Dementia. \p Stephen Kinnock: Young onset dementia is defined as dementia diagnosed under the age of 65.

The dementia diagnosis rate is not calculated for patients aged under 65 years old. This is because the numbers of patients known to have dementia in the sample population age groups comprising those aged between zero and 64 years old are not large enough for reliable estimates to be made.

The dementia diagnosis rate for patients aged 65 years old and over is calculated and published monthly via the Primary Care Dementia Data publication, which is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/primary-care-dementia-data

This publication does include a monthly count of the number of patients aged 65 years old and under who do have a dementia diagnosis on their patient record. This is expressed as a raw count and as a percentage of registered patients aged between zero and 64 years old.
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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the concerns raised by the Dental Defence Union in their British Dental Journal article, published on 16 May 2025 in relation to the delays in fitness to practise proceedings. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government is committed to modernising the regulatory frameworks for all healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom.

In the first instance, we plan to consult on secondary legislation to modernise the General Medical Council’s regulatory framework in late 2025, and to deliver reformed legislation for the Health and Care Professions Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council within the current Parliamentary period.

The Department will continue to work with all regulators, the devolved administrations, and other key partners as we develop more consistent, efficient, and effective regulatory frameworks.
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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to help ensure that health professionals are able to refer patients directly to a mental health unit. \p Stephen Kinnock: The intensive support provided by an inpatient admission is an important part of the mental health pathway. However, a decision to admit a patient needs to be made by mental health professionals who can assess the needs and preferences of an individual alongside their knowledge of which local provision, either within community or within hospital, will best meet them.

Substantial progress has been achieved in building more robust crisis care pathways across all ages, and more people are accessing community mental health services than ever before. We are committed to building on this, so that people can access timely, high-quality community support, closer to home. This also aligns with our commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to shift more care into the community.

NHS England is currently piloting new models of neighbourhood mental health care through six neighbourhood mental health centres. These are designed to enhance continuity of care by providing accessible, round-the-clock mental health support in local communities.

Access to inpatient services will remain available for those who require more intensive support. When a health professional thinks that an individual needs urgent admission as they are posing a risk to themselves or others, they can refer them for an assessment under the Mental Health Act.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will extend the Children's Hospice Grant. \p Stephen Kinnock: Funding arrangements for children and young people’s hospices for 2026/27 will be confirmed in due course. The Government wants a society where every child receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.

Whilst most palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the important contribution that children and young people’s hospices make to care and support for babies, children and young people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions, as well as to their families.

NHS England has provided £26 million in revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26, through what was, until recently, known as the Children and Young people’s Hospice Grant. Additionally, we are also supporting both the child and adult hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for 2024/25 and 2025/26, to ensure that eligible hospices throughout England have the best physical environment for care.

I have tasked officials to look at how to improve the access, quality and sustainability of all- age palliative and end of life care, including services provided at, or closer to, home, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan. It is our intention to work together with stakeholders to ensure that everyone has access to the care they need, in the right place, at the right time, at the end of life.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the role of short-term, unplanned adult social care services in preventing hospital admissions for working-aged adults with (a) learning disabilities and (b) complex needs. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government and the National Health Service are working with local authorities and adult social care providers to help keep people well and independent for as long as possible, and to provide alternatives to hospital and care home admissions.

We have set out priorities for the NHS and local authorities to begin to move to a neighbourhood health service that delivers more care closer to home and that better supports people with complex needs. We are asking local systems to systematically implement six core components of neighbourhood health, which will help people stay healthy and independent for longer and reduce unnecessary time spent in hospital. This includes integrated intermediate care services to prevent an avoidable hospital admission or as part of hospital discharge planning.

NHS Operational Planning Guidance for 2025/26 sets an objective to deliver a minimum 10% reduction in the use of mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. There is funding in NHS integrated care board baselines this financial year to improve community support provision and reduce reliance on inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people, in line with the NHS Operational Planning Guidance.

The Mental Health Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 6 November 2024. Through our proposed reforms to the Mental Health Act, we want to ensure that people with a learning disability and autistic people get the support they need in the community, improve care, and prevent admission to hospitals.
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Rachel Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to reduce the pension age for ambulance workers to meet the pension age for (a) police and (b) fire service employees. \p Karin Smyth: There are no plans at present to equalise the normal pension ages (NPAs) of all emergency services workforces.

NHS Pension Scheme members do not have to work to the scheme’s NPA to claim their retirement benefits. Flexible retirement options enable members to choose when to retire. Voluntary Early Retirement allows staff to fully retire up to 10 years earlier than the NPA, with an actuarially reduced pension due to the pension being in payment for longer. Alternatively, partial retirement allows members to draw down some or all of their pension while continuing to work and build up further pension benefits. Even when taken before normal pension age, NHS Pension Scheme benefits give exceptional value to staff and can provide for a comfortable living in retirement.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure patients receive timely updates about the status of their NHS operations through (a) the NHS App, (b) other digital platforms and (c) other means. \p Karin Smyth: The National Health Service continues to invest heavily in the NHS App, and in the past two years we have been implementing digital integration between acute hospitals and the NHS App, meaning that patients can now view their clinical pathway and appointments via the NHS App. We continue to work with hospital trusts to maximise the opportunities available to update patients via the NHS App, which is a key part of the 10-year plan to reform the NHS.

The NHS App has now been adopted by 88% of acute trusts, up nearly 20% since July 2024, which enables patients to view and manage their hospital appointments.

Analysis shows that hospitals that make the changes to plug their systems and processes into the NHS App key app features have improved elective care waiting times.
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Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2025 to Question 67788 on Prescriptions: Terminal Illnesses, what the procedure is if a person is issued with an enquiry letter and a Penalty Charge Notice but were eligible for a Medical Exemption Certificate in relation to their liability to pay the Penalty Charge Notice. \p Karin Smyth: If a patient receives an Enquiry Letter or Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and is eligible for a Medical Exemption Certificate, they are advised to apply for the certificate and pay the prescription charge. Once the application has been received and processed, the penalty charge is removed. It should be noted that the prescription charge can only be paid once a PCN has been issued, as payments cannot be accepted at the Enquiry Letter stage.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's policy is on levying VAT on (a) private health insurance and (b) private health care. \p Karin Smyth: Both private health insurance and private health care are currently exempt from VAT. However, the responsibility for any future amendments to the VAT regime would not fall to the Department of Health and Social Care, but to HM Treasury.
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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure continuity of community equipment services following the insolvency and receivership of NRS Healthcare; and what plans are in place to minimise disruption to patients reliant on (a) wheelchairs, (b) mobility aids, (c) hospital beds and (d) other essential medical equipment to prevent impact on (i) hospital discharge and (ii) independent living. \p Karin Smyth: We recognise and share your concerns around ensuring the continuity of community equipment services following the insolvency of NRS Healthcare.

Community equipment services are vital. The Partners in Care and Health programme, funded by the Government, has been working closely with local authorities to support continued service provision following the insolvency of NRS Healthcare.

Local authorities have a statutory duty under various pieces of legislation, including the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014, to ensure the provision of disability aids and community equipment, to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, how many ordinations to (a) the diaconate and (b) the priesthood there have been in each year since 1993. \p Marsha De Cordova: The National Church Institutions only hold limited central data on the number of ordinations of deacons and priests. Diocesan bishops, together with some area bishops and Diocesan Directors of Ordinands, are responsible for assessing the vocations of candidates for the priesthood and deciding locally which are ready for deaconing and priesting. What information is available centrally is regularly published as part of ministry statistics on the Church of England website (under ‘About’, then ‘Data Services’)

The initial formation period for candidates is part of a discernment process, and not every candidate who begins training will complete it within a fixed timeframe or be considered ready for ordination as a deacon or priest at the end. Because vocations and ordinations are personal, comparing data year-on-year is usually less helpful than examining longer-term trends.  The trend seen in the centrally available data shows that since 1997, the number of deacons ordained has roughly doubled, and since 2007, it has stayed relatively steady. Efforts are already underway to address the recent decrease in the number of candidates for deacon.  Level of Ordination by year (Deacons)

1997: 262

2001: 295

2002: 313

2003: 333

2007: 552

2008: 574

2009: 564

2010: 563

2011: 504

2012: 494

2013: 484

2014: 500

2015: 498

2016: 484

2017: 488

2018: 503

2019: 580

2020: 580

2021: 610

2022: 540

Level of Ordination by year (Deacons and Priests)

2023: 513 Deacons, 519 Priests

2024: 462 Deacons, 508 Priests
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what funds the Commissioners allocate to parish churches for the enabling of online church services. \p Marsha De Cordova: Since 2018 the Church of England has provided specialist training and resources for parishes on how to use digital channels to grow their worshipping communities, through a programme called Digital Labs. With weekly blogs, regular webinars, and on-demand videos, this content has been seen more than 90,000 times a year. Bespoke in-person training and Digital Labs Clinics, where churches receive one-to-one advice and support, are also available.  Building capacity and expertise through the work of Digital Labs has helped parishes across the country to share their services online. In 2024, our church-finder site www.AChurchNearYou.com listed 2,444 online services for the public to watch.  The National Church Institutions also provide a weekly national online church service. This service airs every Sunday at 9 a.m. on the Church of England’s Facebook page, YouTube channel, and website. It is an essential resource for housebound individuals, those with caring responsibilities, and shift workers. It continues to be viewed over 150,000 times a week. The Church also offers services and prayer resources available through the Daily Prayer app, smart speakers and the free Daily Hope telephone line.
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Sir Mel Stride:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of levels of annually managed expenditure savings due to planned increases in the proportion of face to face (a) PIP and (b) Work Capability Assessments in each of the next five financial years. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The department has not yet made an estimate of the impact on Annually Managed Expenditure of the planned increases in the proportion of face-to-face assessments for PIP and Work Capability Assessments.
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Christine Jardine:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that the correct accessibility equipment is available at all Job Centres. \p Andrew Western: As part of its ongoing commitment to service accessibility, the Department provides Customer Computers in all Jobcentres. These devices feature operating systems equipped with integrated assistive technologies—such as screen readers and screen magnifiers—and are managed independently from the broader DWP IT infrastructure.

In addition to accessible software and operating systems, physical peripherals including specialised keyboards, headphones, and tracker-ball mice are available to meet reasonable adjustment needs.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is presently enhancing its customer equipment portfolio. The current range of customer computers will be upgraded to a new operating system that offers improved accessibility and enhanced adherence to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Each device is configured so that the browser and operating system deliver comprehensive support for a wide variety of web accessibility tools, including but not limited to:
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the estimated cost of (a) fraud and (b) error in Universal Credit claims was in each of the last five years. \p Andrew Western: Estimates of the overpayment cost of fraud and error in the benefit system for the past five financial years can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the levels of (a) fraud and (b) error in the welfare system in the North East. \p Andrew Western: Estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system for the financial year 2024-25 can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK

We do not provide sub-national estimates of fraud and error as we are unable to break the statistics down to this level.
wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_180
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_180

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures are in place to ensure that claimants can effectively challenge Universal Credit Reviews. \p Andrew Western: Universal Credit Claim Reviews (UCR) primary purpose is to identify any incorrectness in a Universal Credit (UC) claim and correct retrospectively. This includes both over and under payments and helps ensure the claimant is paid the right entitlement, that they keep their claim up to date and avoid falling into or accumulating further debt.

The claimant can contact their review agent via their online journal if they have any questions or concerns regarding and during the review.

If the claimant is unhappy with the service they have received during their review, they can make a formal complaint by following the DWP’s complaint process available on GOV.UK: Make a complaint about JSA or UC - DWP

Where the outcome of the review has led to a change in entitlement, a claimant can request a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) to look at the decision again if they:

Following the MR, the claimant can appeal the decision regarding their entitlement to benefits to HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Appeals are decided by the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal (SSCS). The tribunal is impartial and independent of government.
wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_181
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_181

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help support Universal Credit claimants during the review process. \p Andrew Western: Universal Credit Claim Reviews (UCR) primary purpose is to identify any incorrectness in a Universal Credit (UC) claim and correct retrospectively. This includes both over and under payments and helps ensure the claimant is paid the right entitlement, that they keep their claim up to date and avoid falling into or accumulating further debt.

Whilst a standard review process is followed, agents tailor their approach to the review on a case-by-case basis and decide the correct course of action, including provision of additional support.

This can include, but is not limited to, offering a call to discuss the process and understand any support required, advising the claimant on how to upload the requested information, giving the claimant further time to provide the requested information, and organising a home visit.

Customers are also signposted to contact their agent if they have any questions or concerns about the review.
wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_182
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_182

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit overpayments have been recovered since 2020, broken down by (a) year, (b) value, and (c) benefit type. \p Andrew Western: Estimates of the overpayment cost of fraud and error in the benefit system for the past five financial years can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK

Recovery of benefit overpayments can be found in the attached annex.
wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_183
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_183

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill on financially vulnerable people in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency. \p Andrew Western: The Bill includes new and important safeguards, including new reporting mechanisms and independent oversight on the face of the Bill, to ensure we are being transparent about how the powers will be used proportionately and effectively. This Bill is estimated to deliver benefits of £1.5bn over the next five years, as certified by the Independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

The Bill’s Impact Assessment, which was rated ‘green’ by the Regulatory Policy Committee, can be found at the following link: ImpactAssessment.pdf
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_184

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps she has taken to reduce the number of children living in poverty in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire. \p Alison McGovern: Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. It is unacceptable that in 2023/24 there were 5,866 children in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and 39,655 children in Staffordshire in relative poverty (before housing costs). The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in autumn that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.

The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

As a significant downpayment ahead of Strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament. We are also establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact), investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. We also announced the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation and £13.2 billion including Barnett impact across the Parliament for the Warm Homes Plan.

We’ve also committed to rolling out Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority by April 2026 and creating up to 1,000 hubs across the country by the end of 2028. Backed by £500m funding, this vital support will relieve pressure on parents and give half a million more children the very best start in life. And last month, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.

These commitments come on top of the existing action we have taken which includes expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.
wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_185
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_185

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on tackling in-work poverty. \p Alison McGovern: We know that working full-time substantially reduces the risk of being in poverty. Working age adults living in households where no adults are in work were around 6 times more likely to be in relative poverty after housing costs than working age adults in households where all adults work. This is why supporting people into good work will always be the foundation of our approach to delivering lasting change.

Ministers and officials have regular discussions with Local Authorities, including quarterly meetings with both Mayors and Local Government Association representatives to discuss progress with our Get Britain Working initiatives. These proposals, backed by an initial £240 million investment in 25/26, will deliver the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation to help more people to access good, meaningful work, and support them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.

Alongside this, our plan to Make Work will help more people to stay in work, improve job security and boost living standards including by increasing the National Living Wage by 6.7 per cent to £12.21 an hour, boosting the pay of 3 million workers.

We have also commenced reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to do, to make work pay and tackle poverty. We have begun this work by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit and announcing the first sustained above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced.
wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_186
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-04)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-04 conversation_186

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of parental employment on levels of child poverty. \p Alison McGovern: Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We are exploring all available levers to drive forward short and long-term action across government to reduce child poverty, and we will publish a Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.

Good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. Children living in households where no adults work are around 4 times more likely to be in relative poverty after housing costs, than those where all adults work. Our Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by an initial £240 million investment in 25/26, will deliver the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation to help more people into work and to progress.

We are already taking steps to support parents into work. From this month, eligible working parents of children aged 9 months and above can access 30 hours a week (over 38 weeks a year) from the term following their child turning 9 months to when they start school. Parents claiming Universal Credit also have access to individual tailored help from their work coaches and funding through the Flexible Support Fund to address immediate barriers to employment.