Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with (a) Fibromyalgia and (b) other complex and lifelong conditions are not asked to complete a number of reassessments for Personal Independence Payments following an award.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Individuals can be affected in different ways by the same condition and so the outcome of a PIP claim depends very much on individual circumstances.
Award reviews are an important feature of PIP to ensure people receive the correct level of benefit, both for those whose needs will increase and those whose needs may decrease.
Award durations are based on an individual’s circumstances and advice received from the independent health professional who carries out the assessment. Awards can vary from nine months to an on-going award, with a light touch review at the ten-year point for those with needs which are unlikely to change.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to bring forward proposals to improve the Access to Work scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2025 to question 92688, what progress he has made on reducing regulation by 25% by 2029.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working within the framework set out in the ‘New Approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’ (also known as the Regulators Action Plan – RAP) to identify potential administrative burden reductions. As part of the RAP, HSE committed to look at three areas: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR); Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR) and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and reforms to aspects of chemicals regulation for which HSE holds the policy lead. These three areas are in the process of consultation and/or call for evidence. The analysis of the responses will be used to inform the next steps in supporting the 25% administrative burden reduction target.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children were in poverty in Telford constituency for each year that data is available.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty by parliamentary constituency are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication.
These are available at: Children in low income families: local area statistics - GOV.UK
Statistics are available from FYE 2015 to FYE 2024.
The latest available data can also be found on Stat-Xplore: Stat-Xplore - Home
The Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published shortly, sets out the steps we are taking to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks we need to change the course we’re on and create long-term change.
The removal of the two child limit, announced at Autumn Budget, will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.
The removal of the two child limit could benefit around 4,800 children in Telford living in households affected by this policy.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households currently subject to the Household Benefit Cap are living in (a) council housing and (b) housing association accommodation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the vehicles available within the Motability scheme on the cost of wheelchair accessible and adapted vehicles.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for disabled people in the UK, leasing cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs in exchange for part or all of their qualifying mobility allowance. The Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and the Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme. The changes announced at Budget about VAT relief do not apply to wheelchair adapted vehicles.
Motability Operations, an independent commercial company which delivers the Scheme, will continue to prioritise customer needs, ensuring vehicles remain affordable and that support for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) and specialist adaptations remain at the heart of the Scheme.
Eligibility for enhanced mobility Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which provides the main gateway to the Scheme, assesses the mobility needs arising from a health condition or disability rather than the disability or health condition itself.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changing the vehicles eligible for Motability on people with Multiple Sclerosis.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for disabled people in the UK, leasing cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs in exchange for part or all of their qualifying mobility allowance. The Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and the Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme. The changes announced at Budget about VAT relief do not apply to wheelchair adapted vehicles.
Motability Operations, an independent commercial company which delivers the Scheme, will continue to prioritise customer needs, ensuring vehicles remain affordable and that support for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) and specialist adaptations remain at the heart of the Scheme.
Eligibility for enhanced mobility Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which provides the main gateway to the Scheme, assesses the mobility needs arising from a health condition or disability rather than the disability or health condition itself.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to Motability on the availability of wheelchair accessible and adapted vehicles.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for disabled people in the UK, leasing cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs in exchange for part or all of their qualifying mobility allowance. The Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and the Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme. The changes announced at Budget about VAT relief do not apply to wheelchair adapted vehicles.
Motability Operations, an independent commercial company which delivers the Scheme, will continue to prioritise customer needs, ensuring vehicles remain affordable and that support for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) and specialist adaptations remain at the heart of the Scheme.
Eligibility for enhanced mobility Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which provides the main gateway to the Scheme, assesses the mobility needs arising from a health condition or disability rather than the disability or health condition itself.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in their Department have been on mental health leave for six months or more; and for what reason.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on sickness absence, including mental ill-health, is available in the Civil Service Sickness Absence Reports, which provide statistics by organisation and sickness reason. These reports can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence. The Cabinet Office collates Sickness Absence data from DWP on a quarterly basis. On an annual basis this management information is published.
The next release of these statistics is expected to be around 18 December.
Correspondence Dec. 03 2025
Committee: Work and Pensions Committee (Department: Department for Work and Pensions)