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, what was the a) mean and b) median amount of housing support claimed by people in each local authority who were on i) Housing Benefit ii) the Housing Element of UC and iii) either Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of UC.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I) The information requested for Housing Benefit (HB) mean amounts are available on Stat-Xplore (link below).
II) Universal Credit (UC) is a single integrated benefit made up of different elements, such as Housing. Benefit units receive one combined monthly payment, and any deductions apply to the total award, not individual elements. Breakdowns of the UC Housing Element are available at national level in the Benefit Expenditure Tables (link below). However, the underlying data is not sufficient to produce these breakdowns at a sub-national level, such as local authorities. As a result, it is not possible to robustly estimate mean or median element of UC at a local authority level.
III) Due to data quality limitations that prevent calculation of (ii), it is not possible to estimate the population receiving either HB or the housing element of UC.
Benefit Expenditure and Caseload Tables: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants are employed through Skilled Worker visas in (1) the Department of Work and Pensions, and (2) Skills England.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an estimate of how many claimants have incurred overpayments as a result of moving into or between temporary accommodation.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We cannot provide any figures for this request as DWP does not record “moving into/ between temporary accommodation” as an overpayment reason.
Further information on published statistics for overpayments can be found here:
Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leicester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that cash payments received through the Crisis and Resilience Fund do not lead to a deduction in a person's Universal Credit payment.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Support from the Crisis and Resilience Fund is classed as local welfare provision. As a result, payments received from the Fund will be disregarded as capital when calculating a person’s entitlement to Universal Credit. Given the nature of the provision, it is expected this will be spent within the 12 months of receipt. Any monies from the fund unspent within this timeframe will be classed as capital in the usual way.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many LinkedIn Learning licences were provided to Department for Work and Pensions staff; and what the total cost of those licences was, in each calendar quarter from Q1 2023 to the most recent quarter for which data is available.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The table below shows the number of licenses purchased and costs associated since Q1 2023.
These are annual subscriptions and have not been renewed since 2024.
| Q1 2023 | Q1 2024 |
Learning Licenses | 10 | 10 |
Costs | £3,264 | £3,600 |
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the Department will provide a projection of how many people will gain (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment after their placement on the Youth Guarantee scheme.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of the Youth Guarantee we are breaking the cycle of unemployment by guaranteeing paid work for every eligible 18-21 year old who has been on Universal Credit, looking for work, for 18 months. This will give young people their first step on the ladder, with wraparound support to develop skills and gain experience needed for the move in to sustained jobs.
Wherever possible we want the young person to be able to secure a sustained job and continue in employment, either with the same employer or a new employer. That’s why we are providing funding for wraparound support to ensure that young people are supported into work, in their job and as they transition off the scheme.
Young people will also benefit from the c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training we’re funding through the Youth Guarantee. We will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers, known as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.
The Department has commissioned an evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers to build evidence on how the program improves employment outcomes, economic inactivity, participation in education and training, and systems integration. The Department will continue to monitor the outcomes of young people participating in the Youth Guarantee nationally, and a full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee is planned.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has been made of the potential impact of the (a) the Youth Guarantee and (b) the Government’s new scheme for under-25s on the workload of employers.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 – around one in eight - are currently Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET). To tackle this crisis of opportunity, the government has expanded the Youth Guarantee.
The Government is investing £820 million over the Spending Review period in the Youth Guarantee, to reach almost 900,000 young people, including through Youth Hubs in every area in Great Britain and a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, offering a dedicated session and follow-up support to 16-24 –year-olds on Universal Credit. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training and provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21.
The Department has commissioned an evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers to build evidence on how the program improves employment outcomes, economic inactivity, participation in education and training, and systems integration.
The Department will continue to monitor the outcomes of young people participating in the Youth Guarantee nationally, and a full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee is planned.
Employers are integral to the success of the Youth Guarantee, and we will be working closely with Youth Guarantee supporters and partners who choose to access DWP’s employer commitment. Employers will benefit from a tailored support service to help fill vacancies with Jobcentre candidates, including job description support, faster recruitment, vacancy promotion, use of Jobcentre space for interviews, access to the free Find a Job site, and expert advice from a dedicated Recruitment Manager.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support small businesses with their provision of (a) barbering and (b) hairdressing apprenticeships.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 21 January 2026 to Question 105881.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 December 2025 on Support for Young People, HCWS1137, what steps he is taking to ensure that expanded Sector-based Work Academy Programmes in West Midlands growth sectors such as logistics, automotive, retail and health lead to genuine employment progression; and if he will publish West Midlands-specific data on completion rates and subsequent job offers.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP’s Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) – which offer training, work experience and a job interview to DWP customers seeking work – help employers with immediate and future employment needs by upskilling benefit claimants to fill local job vacancies. Jobcentres work with local employers and training providers to establish SWAPs in a wide range of sectors including logistics, automotive, retail and health.
As evidenced by the SWAP Impact Assessment (Sector-based Work Academy Programme: A Quantitative Impact Assessment - GOV.UK), SWAPs have been proven to increase the time participants spend in employment. The positive impact of SWAPs on employment outcomes is consistent across all regions including West Midlands.
From April 2026, the Youth Guarantee will increase the number of SWAPs available so that more jobseekers, particularly young people, can take advantage of the employment support offered.
We publish data on SWAP starts and outcomes on a quarterly basis. This includes the number of starts broken down by Local Authority, by Region and by Sector. Outcomes data was published for the first time this year and shows the proportion of SWAP starts with earnings at 6 and 9 months, by month of start, and the average monthly earnings at 6 and 9 months for those with earnings in that period, by month of start. The latest publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sector-based-work-academy-programmes-swaps-management-information-april-2021-to-september-2025. The next release is due to be published in January 2026.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce flexibility in the Apprenticeship Levy to allow NHS staff who are made redundant to (a) continue, (b) pause, and (c) re-enter levy-funded leadership apprenticeships, particularly where redundancy occurs immediately prior to the start of a programme.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
If an apprentice is made redundant and their training provider can continue to deliver their government funded apprenticeship training, we will continue to fund the apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy. This is to give the individual time to find alternative employment in order to continue with the apprenticeship.
If the apprentice is unable to secure a new employer, they may still be able to finish their apprenticeship training and assessment if they have less than 6 months of training left to complete or have finished 75% or more of their training.
If an individual has been made redundant prior to the commencement of the apprenticeship, then they are not eligible for funding.