theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce child poverty in West Dorset constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In developing a Child Poverty Strategy, the Taskforce is considering all children across the United Kingdom. The UK Government is committed to tackling child poverty across the UK where progress is contingent on reserved, devolved, and local levers. The Child Poverty Strategy will be UK-wide, drawing on devolved and reserved levers and working closely with Devolved Governments, recognising the progress that has been made on their poverty strategies and policies, and in England, with mayors and other local leaders.

Local authorities are a key part of our approach to learning directly about the experience of poverty in different communities and solutions already underway. Both the Taskforce and officials in the Child Poverty Unit have engaged with local communities regularly throughout the development of the strategy. This includes through a ministerial taskforce meeting with local leaders from combined and local governments in England, who joined Ministers to discuss the experience of poverty in their local communities, and innovative solutions underway. The Child Poverty Unit also consulted local authorities across England through a virtual webinar in December 2024, allowing authorities to feed into the development of the strategy. and visits to Manchester, Ashton-Under-Lyme, Cheshire and Merseyside.   As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty including an expansion of Free School Meals and a £39 billion investment in social and affordable housing. At the 2025 Spending Review we also announced a new March 2025 £1 billion package to reform crisis support, including the first ever multi-year settlement to transform the Household Support Fund into a new Crisis and Resilience Fund. This longer-term funding approach enables local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assist people when faced with a financial crisis.
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Patrick Hurley:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of furniture provisions as a core component of the Crisis and Resilience Fund on people in receipt of Housing Benefit; and what steps he is taking to ensure that people experiencing a crisis can access essential items. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The new Crisis and Resilience Fund will be introduced from 1 April 2026. This represents the first ever multi-year settlement for locally delivered crisis support. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities – working with the voluntary and community sector – as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis

We are working closely with local authorities and external stakeholders on the detailed design of the Crisis and Resilience Fund and we will issue further information on our planned approach in due course.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what metrics his Department uses to measure the success of Jobcentre Plus services for people already in work. \p Dame Diana Johnson: As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Government is committed to building an inclusive and thriving labour market where everyone has the opportunity of good work, and the chance to get on in work.

DWP uses a combination of qualitative data, including a formal, externally commissioned evaluation and internal insights, and quantitative information including HMRC earnings data, to assess the quality of work coach interactions with claimants and claimants’ progress towards higher paid, higher quality and more productive work.  We intend to publish the externally commissioned evaluation of the in-work progression voluntary offer and research with claimants impacted by changes to the Administrative Earnings Threshold, in early 2026.
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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing single-parent specific work coaches. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Parents claiming Universal Credit have support from Work Coaches, who provide individual, tailored help to all customers across the country. This includes supporting the development of skills needed to look for and obtain sustained employment, advice to parents on childcare support and funding through Flexible Support Fund to remove immediate barriers to employment.

We are also considering how we can improve our employment support to parents as part of our Child Poverty Strategy.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of Jobcentre Plus services for people who are in work and seeking (a) alternative employment and (b) career progression. \p Dame Diana Johnson: As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Government is committed to building an inclusive and thriving labour market where everyone has the opportunity of good work, and the chance to get on in work.

Mandatory work coach support is available for UC claimants in employment with low earnings. UC claimants with employed earnings receive tailored support with their work coach every 8 weeks, which reflects their situation as employees. The work coach will support claimants with either career progression in their current employment or through taking steps to change careers to alternative employment with better prospects of long-term progression. For some claimants (England only), a work coach may also refer to a National Careers Adviser for more in-depth discussions about career information, advice, or guidance. For claimants with higher earnings, they may also seek work coach support on a voluntary basis.

The Jobs and Careers Service will support individuals including people in employment and not claiming benefits to make informed choices about their careers including helping them to boost their skills as well as helping them move into higher paid, higher quality and more productive work.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing the two-child benefit cap for residents in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.

In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action.

As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the 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, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.

In August, 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work coaches there are per (a) capita and (b) Universal Credit claimant in (i) England and (ii) each region. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The requested work coach data for England has been provided at district level. Pure English regional data is unavailable as some English regions are combined with Scotland and Wales for Universal Credit administration purposes.

Information on numbers of Universal Credit claimants by region can be obtained from DWP’s Stat Xplore tool Stat XPlore

Population estimates are published by the Office for National Statistics and can be found at Population estimates - Office for National Statistics

ENGLAND DISTRICTS

FTE

AVON, SOMERSET & GLOUCESTERSHIRE

400

BERKSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE & OXFORDSHIRE

390

BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL

710

BLACK COUNTRY & COVENTRY

620

CHESHIRE & LANCASHIRE

580

CUMBRIA & TEES

300

DEVON & CORNWALL

340

DORSET WILTSHIRE HAMPSHIRE & ISLE OF WIGHT

660

EAST LONDON

860

EAST MIDLANDS

550

ESSEX

400

GREATER MANCHESTER

960

HERTFORDSHIRE

210

KENT

420

LEICESTERSHIRE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE & RUTLAND

440

MERSEYSIDE

450

NORFOLK & SUFFOLK

320

NORTH & MID WALES AND THE MARCHES

130

NORTH EAST YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE

520

NORTH LONDON

640

NORTHUMBERLAND, DURHAM, TYNE & WEAR

500

SOUTH LONDON

900

SOUTH MIDLANDS

450

SOUTH YORKSHIRE

380

SURREY & SUSSEX

500

THE SHIRES

500

WEST LONDON

850

WEST YORKSHIRE

760

ENGLAND TOTAL

14,730

Notes:
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish a breakdown of spending on Disability Living Allowance on children with (a) neurodevelopmental and (b) mental health disorders in each of the last 3 years for which data is available. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information is in the table:

Financial Year

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Neurodevelopmental Expenditure (£ millions)

1,770

2,210

2,660

Mental Health Expenditure (£millions)

560

850

1,230

Points to note:

o Personality disorder

o PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)

o Stress reaction disorders

o GAD (generalised anxiety disorder)

o Phobia specific

o Phobia social

o Agoraphobia

o Panic disorder

o Anxiety disorders

o OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)

o Anxiety and depression

o Conversion disorder

o BDD (Body Dysmorphia Disorder)

o Dissociative disorders

o Depressive disorder

o Bipolar

o Mood disorders

o Schizophrenia

o Schizoaffective disorder

o Psychotic disorders

o Anorexia nervosa

o Bulimia nervosa

o Eating disorder not specified

o Munchausen syndrome

o Factitious disorder

o Psychiatric disorders of childhood

o Learning Disability

o Speech and Language Disorders

o Autism

o Asperger’s Syndrome

o Dyspraxia

o Hyperkinetic disorder

o ADHD/ADD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the (a) underpayment and (b) overpayment of Carer's Allowance. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Carer’s Allowance is a single rate benefit which is either fully awarded to those who meet the qualifying conditions or disallowed. Those who also receive an “overlapping benefit”, such as a State Pension, will have any award of Carer’s Allowance adjusted accordingly.

We commissioned an Independent Review of Carer’s Allowance earnings-related overpayments to see what happened and what changes can be made. The Review and our response to it will be published in due course.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will mandate the Health and Safety Executive to issue updated guidance on outdoor working and sun exposure to include the use of high factor sunscreen. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) currently provides guidance for outdoor workers and sun exposure on both its main website pages and as a short leaflet entitled Keep your top on - Health risks from working in the sun (INDG147), both of which recommend the use of high-factor sunscreen.

I have directed HSE to update its own guidance so that it aligns with the advice provided by the NHS of using sunscreen of at least SPF30.
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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help support tenants with the cost of rent in the social housing sector. \p Sir Stephen Timms: There is support through the social security system for low-income households living in the social rented sector which is paid through either the housing element of Universal Credit or through Housing Benefit. The level of housing support received is based on the full eligible rent the tenant pays, unless the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) apply.

There is further support available for people entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. They can apply to their local authority for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs).
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Amanda Hack:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the consultation by the Health and Safety Executive entitled GB Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR) - creosote assessment for renewal, closed on 24 November 2024, whether he plans to issue new guidance on the use of creosote coatings on telegraph poles. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Following the period of public consultation on creosote, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is undertaking an in-depth assessment as part of the renewal process of creosote as a biocidal active substance under the Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation. This work is still under way, and is due to complete in Spring 2026.

A final decision on the renewal will be taken by the Secretary of State in 2026.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department provides to people with migraine in employment; whether migraine is recognised as a disabling condition where appropriate; and what steps he is taking to promote migraine-friendly workplace policies. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions, such as migraines, to thrive in the workforce. All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.

Migraines may be recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, where the condition has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. The Act does not list specific conditions but applies broadly to any physical or mental impairment meeting this definition.

There are a range of existing initiatives that already provide support. The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. The scheme provides resources such as the Disability Confident Manager’s Guide, which includes guidance on flexible working and workplace adjustments. The Government also offers tailored guidance to employers on supporting disabled people and people with health conditions in the workplace, through its Support with Employee Health and Disability service. This includes guidance on disclosures and having conversations about health and disabilities, plus guidance on legal obligations and making reasonable adjustments and we continue to explore ways to increase access to occupational health services. The WorkWell pilot provides low intensity integrated work and health support for people with health-related barriers to work and is live in 15 areas across England. Participants get a holistic assessment, and a tailored support plan that can include employer liaison and advice on workplace adjustments.

In our Get Britain Working White Paper, published November 2024, we committed support for employers to recruit, retain and develop staff. As part of that, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead ‘Keep Britain Working’, an independent review to consider 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 Mayfield will deliver a final report with recommendations later in the autumn.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Support with employee health and disability, whether he plans to review the guidance. \p Andrew Western: The Support with Employee Health and Disability digital service, which provides tailored guidance for employers managing health and disability in the workplace, including guidance on disclosures, having conversations, legal obligations and making reasonable adjustments, is in national live testing and we continue to update it on an iterative basis, including in response to user research.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Service plans to pause (a) enforcement and (b) judicial review while recalculations are made. \p Andrew Western: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) enforcement powers are designed to get money flowing quickly, prevent the build-up of arrears and ensure children get the financial support they deserve.  There are already some exceptional circumstances where enforcement action may be placed on hold pending the outcome of an appeal/review. In general, whilst a case is under review the CMS continue to encourage paying parents to pay their maintenance on time, to avoid accrual of arrears. Where parents fail to take responsibility for paying for their children, the CMS can use the range of enforcement powers available. The CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

A judicial review is generally raised by a parent against CMS. Where this happens any action on the case would be reviewed and decisions made on a case-by-case basis regarding whether they should continue.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Maintenance Service cases were reviewed by the Independent Case Examiner in each of the last ten years. \p Andrew Western: There are several ways in which complaints escalated to the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) can be concluded – resolution, settlement or investigation.

This table shows the total volumes of Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases ICE concluded in each of the last ten operational years, and comprises of cases concluded by resolution, settlement and investigation.

CMS

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Total

335

370

313

328

278

355

592

807

1253

941
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Amanda Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Child Maintenance Service has received in collection fees from (a) paying and (b) receiving parents in each of the last five years. \p Andrew Western: The table below shows collection fees received in each of the last five years, for which audited figures are available.

Collection fees

2019/2020

2020/2021

2021/2022

2022/2023

2023/2024

£000

£000

£000

£000

£000

(a) Paying Parent Collection Fees Received

£34,771

£34,428

£38,527

£41,284

£48,248

(b) Receiving Parent Collection Fees Received

£6,767

£6,731

£7,494

£8,036

£9,421

(a+b) Total Collection Fees Received

£41,538

£41,159

£46,021

£49,319

£57,669
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support Universal Credit claimants to repay overpayments resulting from administrative errors in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Andrew Western: DWP strives to set affordable, and sustainable repayment plans and encourages customers to make contact if they are unable to afford the proposed repayment rate. In most cases, deductions from the UC standard allowance are capped at 15%.

When a customer makes contact due to financial hardship, the repayment rate may be reduced or, depending on the customer’s financial circumstances, a temporary suspension of repayment can be agreed. Where an individual considers that recovery is not appropriate given their circumstances, they should contact the Department. A request for a waiver can be made and we will consider a number of factors included in the department’s Benefit Overpayment Recovery Guide in line with HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money guidance.

Independent financial advice is also available from organisations such as National Debtline Free Debt Advice and Support | National Debtline and MoneyHelper https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP claimants had a registered appointee in the latest period for which data is available. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The total number of PIP claimants with an appointee in July 2025 was 251,400.

Notes:

- The value provided has been rounded to the nearest 100.

- The value provided only accounts for claimants under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales or abroad).

- The value provided reflects the caseload at the end of July 2025 – the latest available data.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total cost to the public purse was for universal credit payments to people with humanitarian leave to remain in each of the last 3 years. \p Andrew Western: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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Kirsteen Sullivan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many checks of the adequacy of the provision of personal protective equipment were carried out by the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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Kirsteen Sullivan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of injuries that occurred in the workplace and were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive involved inadequate provision of personal protective equipment the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to review the effectiveness of the Special Rules for End of Life fast-tracking benefits system. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The primary way the Department supports people nearing the end of life is through special benefit rules which are known as the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the fast-tracked access to benefits via SREL is maintained, while continuing to keep the effectiveness and efficiency of current system delivery under review.
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Kirsteen Sullivan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many fatalities occurred in the workplace in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) puts duties on employers and other people in charge of work premises to report and keep records of all work-related fatalities, work related injuries, diagnosed cases of re-portable occupational diseases, and certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm).

The table below shows the number of fatal injuries sustained in work-related accidents for both workers and members of the public in each of the last two financial years. Data for 2024/25 has not yet been finalised.

Year

Number of worker deaths

Number of member of the public deaths

2022/23

136

73

2023/24

138

86
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training his Department provides to Jobcentre Plus employees on the provision of appropriate support for disabled people. \p Dame Diana Johnson: DWP is committed to ensuring that Jobcentre Plus employees are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide appropriate support to disabled people.

All Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) undertake comprehensive learning and development to enable them to support claimants effectively which continues at point of need throughout their role and includes additional mandatory 2 day learning specifically for Mental Health.

DEAs complete full Work Coach learning, followed by additional learning designed to support their role. This learning enables DEAs to treat each claimant as an individual, understand the impact of different disabilities and health conditions, and provide tailored support to help overcome barriers to employment.

The Department continually reviews and updates the learning provided to Work Coaches and DEAs, ensuring it remains relevant and effective.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help encourage businesses to increase the employment of (a) neurodivergent people and (b) people with learning disabilities. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In its plan to Make Work Pay, the government committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace. Employers have a key role to play in helping neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities get into and thrive at work.

We are helping employers to do so through a range of initiatives. Our digital information and advice service, developed alongside employers, provides tailored advice and guidance on supporting employees in common workplace scenarios involving health and disability, including managing absences, deciding on changes to help employees, and managing complex situations.

Our Disability Confident scheme, which as of 31 August 2025 has over 19,000 members, encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. The scheme covers all disabilities, including hidden disabilities. It provides employers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace and to take positive action to address the issues employees face.

Other significant help includes Access to Work grants. These grants support workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. They can enable access to, for example, specialist equipment and assistive software.

In January this year, DWP launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel has considered the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate, and will make recommendations this autumn.

In our Get Britain Working White Paper, published November 2024, we committed support for employers to recruit, retain and develop staff. As part of that, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead ‘Keep Britain Working’, an independent review to consider 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 Mayfield will deliver a final report with recommendations later in the autumn.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support people with disabilities to meet the cost of (a) energy bills and (b) transport (i) to medical appointments and (ii) in general. \p Sir Stephen Timms: I have regular meetings with colleagues across Government on ways to support disabled people meet the additional costs that can arise from a long-term health condition or disability.

My department provides support with the additional generality of costs that can arise through provision of the extra costs disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment. This is supported by provision from other departments: the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero who provide support with energy bills through the Warm Home Discount Scheme; the Department for Transport who provide guidance on concessionary fares and free parking spaces; and the Department for Health and Social Care who provide for the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme for travel costs associated with medical appointments.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help tackle youth unemployment. \p Dame Diana Johnson: As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee to ensure young people are either learning or earning. This includes access to high-quality training, apprenticeships, and personalised support to find work.

As a first step, eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England began mobilising the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in April. These Trailblazers are testing new local approaches to identify and support young people at risk of falling out of education, employment or training and becoming NEET.

A key element of the Youth Guarantee, the Chanceller has announced a new Jobs Guarantee Scheme for young people on Universal Credit who have been unemployed for over 18 months. This will provide an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experience and prevent the damaging effects of long-term unemployment.

Already in place is our Youth Offer which provides tailored support to young people aged 16-24 who are claiming Universal Credit. This includes a range of support designed to help young people move closer to employment, such as dedicated support from Youth Employability Coaches, access to Youth Hubs, and intensive guidance from Jobcentre Work Coaches during the first 13 weeks of a Universal Credit claim.

For those with more complex needs, specialist Youth Employability Coaches provide intensive, tailored support. These coaches work closely with Disability Employment Advisors, to ensure that interventions meet the specific needs of each young person.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the number of children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance on the long-term financial sustainability of that benefit. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Assessments of the financial sustainability of public expenditure as a whole are made on an annual basis by the Office for Budget Responsibility in their Fiscal Risks and Sustainability Report. Forecasts of Disability Living Allowance caseloads and expenditure for children are published in the Benefit Expenditure and Caseload Tables, under ‘Disability Benefits’, and will be updated following the Budget on 26 November.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Antonia Bance:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households with children claiming Universal Credit contain two adults in full-time work in the latest period for which data is available. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Data on two-earner couple households in which both earners are in full-time work is not held.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is takin to support young people into employment, education and training in North East Somerset & Hanham constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee to ensure young people are either learning or earning. This includes access to high-quality training, apprenticeships, and personalised support to find work.

As a first step, eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England began mobilising the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in April. These Trailblazers are testing new local approaches to identify and support young people at risk of falling out of education, employment or training and becoming NEET.

North East Somerset and Hanham constituency are part of the West of England Trailblazer, supporting young people into employment, education and training opportunities together with transport issues around reaching available job vacancies and opportunities.

In addition to this young people claiming Universal Credit can access support through our Youth Offer. This includes a range of support designed to help young people move closer to employment, such as dedicated support from Youth Employability Coaches, access to Youth Hubs, and intensive guidance from Jobcentre Work Coaches during the first 13 weeks of a Universal Credit claim.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish a plan for improving the Access to Work Scheme. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Following the close of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation,we are considering responses to the consultation and continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Chris Webb:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people in Blackpool receiving Personal Independence Payments due to a psychiatric disorder are adequately supported. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides a contribution towards the extra costs that may arise from a long-term disability or health condition. Entitlement to PIP focuses on the functional impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life, including the impacts from mental health disorders, and is assessed on the basis of needs arising and not on the condition itself. PIP is non-contributory, non-means-tested and can be worth up to £9,747.40 a year, tax free. Individuals can choose how to use the benefit, in the light of their individual needs and preferences.

The benefit can also be paid in addition to any other financial or practical support someone may be entitled to such as Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, NHS services, free prescriptions, help with travel costs to appointments. It can also act as a passport to additional support such as premiums and additional amounts paid within certain benefits, Carer’s Allowance for an informal carer or the Blue Badge scheme. The benefit has been consistently uprated in line with inflation since it was introduced and was last increased by 1.7% from 7 April 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Kirsteen Sullivan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of injuries that occurred in the workplace were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) puts duties on employers and other people in charge of work premises to report and keep records of all work-related fatalities, work related injuries, diagnosed cases of reportable occupational diseases, and certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm).

The purpose of RIDDOR is to inform the relevant enforcing authority (Health and Safety Executive (HSE), local authorities or other enforcing authorities) that a work-related accident or event has happened to enable an appropriate regulatory response where required. This is to ensure businesses maintain compliance with their duties and responsibilities under health and safety law.

HSE does not investigate everything that is reported. When a RIDDOR report is received, each report is considered against HSE’s published Incident Selection Criteria to help determine what will be investigated. Consideration is also given to the seriousness of the incident and the level of risk, or potential risk, that exists along with any previous enforcement history of the duty holder.

The following data is for RIDDOR reports received by the HSE relating to work-related fatalities, work related injuries (workers and non-workers) and over-7-day absences.

Year

RIDDOR reports

Accidents investigated

% investigated

2022/23

59,910

1,949

3%

2023/24

61,846

1,956

3%
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to claimants of Carer’s Allowance who are self-employed on (a) the number of years of accounts they are required to submit and (b) the format in which those accounts must be provided; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of accepting electronic copies. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Carer's Allowance can be claimed online through the GOV.UK website or by post by requesting or downloading and completing a paper claim form. Eligibility criteria set out that earnings are any income from employment and self-employment after tax, National Insurance and expenses.

When claiming Carer’s Allowance, the claim form asks claimants for detail about their self-employment and for the most recent finalised accounts for their business.

DWP can accept formalised accounts or information supplied on DWP forms issued to clarify the self-employment, either details for a new business, where there has been a change likely to affect the pattern of trading, or details for an ongoing business. DWP will include a return envelope where additional information has been requested.

Where agreement has been made with the claimant, DWP can accept the requested information via electronic copy. However, DWP takes its security of claimant personal data very seriously and will not include any identifying personal information in any email responses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) bringing forward legislative proposals to charge interest on outstanding debts of child maintenance of more than a year's standing and (b) ensuring that outstanding debts are paid by his Department to the parent with care. \p Andrew Western: Where a paying parent fails to pay on time or in full, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aims to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance.

If the paying parent is employed, the CMS will request that ongoing child maintenance payments be deducted directly from their salary. The CMS also has a range of other enforcement powers that can be used against those who consistently refuse to meet their obligations to provide financial support to their children, including deducting maintenance from a wide range of bank accounts. The CMS can also use further measures, including using Enforcement Agents to take control of goods, disqualification from driving or commitment to prison, and disqualification from holding or obtaining a UK passport.

Interest is not charged to outstanding debts. However, the CMS imposes enforcement fees to incentivise paying parents to meet their obligations voluntarily. If a parent fails to pay through a voluntary arrangement (like Direct Pay), the CMS may switch the case to Collect and Pay, which includes a 20% surcharge for the paying parent.

The CMS is committed to ensuring all separated parents within the statutory scheme support their children financially and will continue to pursue unpaid child maintenance debt, including deducting payments from pensions income.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The information requested is published and available at:

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp

Guidance for users can be found at:

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

The estimated unemployment levels can be found by selecting “Query data” on the NOMIS home page and selecting “Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey” and then “annual population survey (Dec 2004 to Jun 2025)” in the lists of data sources. The Geography will need to be set for the relevant Westminster constituency from the menu, and the Variable set to “Unemployment rate - aged 16+” from the “Key variables” list.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with humanitarian leave to remain have (a) applied for and (b) received universal credit in each of the last 3 years. \p Andrew Western: The information requested for part (i) is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

The Department publishes Universal Credit (UC) immigration status and nationality statistics as part of the Universal Credit statistics publication. These statistics can be found on https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-statistics-29-april-2013-to-10-july-2025. For part (ii) the number of people on Universal Credit with a humanitarian scheme immigration status, for each month from April 2022 to June 2025, is in Table 1 of the following data tables: Universal Credit immigration status and nationality statistics to July 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-20)

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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to review the Minimum Income Floor for Universal Credit claimants. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Minimum Income Floor is designed to encourage self-employed customers to progress in work and grow their earnings to a sustainable level.

An individual’s Minimum Income Floor is set and reviewed by their work coach based on the number of hours they are expected to work multiplied by the National Living Wage.

The Department routinely keeps its policies under review. We are not currently reviewing the Minimum Income Floor for Universal Credit customers, but are always interested in views from customers and stakeholders.