Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Department is taking to reduce youth economic inactivity in Northumberland.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy.
Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning, including:
Support to find a job: through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, which over the next three years will offer nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds a dedicated session, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support with a Work Coach
Further expansion of Youth Hubs: We are expanding our network of Youth Hubs to over 360 locations so that all young people – including those not on benefits – can access opportunities and wider support in every local area of Great Britain
c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training
Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment.
In Hexham, there is a strong network of supportive employers who are providing work experience opportunities. This hands-on experience is invaluable for young people as they navigate their career paths.
There is also a well-established partnership with the Newcastle United Foundation (NUF) who is one of the biggest providers of training and skills in the area, running courses focused on employability, confidence building and teamwork.
In the North East and Northumberland, Jobcentres collaborate with local authorities, colleges, and partners to support young people through targeted programmes. These include Durham Works, helping 16–24-year-olds not in education, employment or training; the Pre-Employability Sports Programme, which builds essential skills through sports and workshops; and Club Elevate, supporting 16–25-year-olds in North Tyneside who face challenges such as poor mental health, substance misuse, or risk of anti-social behaviour.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Keep Britain Working Vanguard Taskforce will adequately factor in the challenges of living with fluctuating conditions.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are bringing together a Vanguard Taskforce to steer the Keep Britain Working Vanguard Phase and are committed to listening to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions, these voices will be reflected in the outputs of the phase.
This Taskforce will advise on the development of a Healthy Working Lifecycle Standard over the Vanguard Phase. The Standard will focus developing the best practices and approaches to drive better outcomes for all those managing health conditions or living with impairments, and as such the challenges of living with fluctuating conditions will be a key consideration.
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 list of employers who will provide the additional work experience placements and additional bespoke training opportunities announced on December 8 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We will be working closely with Youth Guarantee supporters and partners across the country to deliver jobs, apprenticeships, work experience and training places. The government will set out details of Youth Guarantee employers and partners in due course.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Department is taking to reduce youth economic inactivity in Hexham constituency.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy.
Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning, including:
Support to find a job: through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, which over the next three years will offer nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds a dedicated session, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support with a Work Coach
Further expansion of Youth Hubs: We are expanding our network of Youth Hubs to over 360 locations so that all young people – including those not on benefits – can access opportunities and wider support in every local area of Great Britain
c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training
Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment.
In Hexham, there is a strong network of supportive employers who are providing work experience opportunities. This hands-on experience is invaluable for young people as they navigate their career paths.
There is also a well-established partnership with the Newcastle United Foundation (NUF) who is one of the biggest providers of training and skills in the area, running courses focused on employability, confidence building and teamwork.
In the North East and Northumberland, Jobcentres collaborate with local authorities, colleges, and partners to support young people through targeted programmes. These include Durham Works, helping 16–24-year-olds not in education, employment or training; the Pre-Employability Sports Programme, which builds essential skills through sports and workshops; and Club Elevate, supporting 16–25-year-olds in North Tyneside who face challenges such as poor mental health, substance misuse, or risk of anti-social behaviour.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Department is taking to reduce youth economic inactivity in the North East.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy.
Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning, including:
Support to find a job: through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, which over the next three years will offer nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds a dedicated session, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support with a Work Coach
Further expansion of Youth Hubs: We are expanding our network of Youth Hubs to over 360 locations so that all young people – including those not on benefits – can access opportunities and wider support in every local area of Great Britain
c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training
Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment.
In Hexham, there is a strong network of supportive employers who are providing work experience opportunities. This hands-on experience is invaluable for young people as they navigate their career paths.
There is also a well-established partnership with the Newcastle United Foundation (NUF) who is one of the biggest providers of training and skills in the area, running courses focused on employability, confidence building and teamwork.
In the North East and Northumberland, Jobcentres collaborate with local authorities, colleges, and partners to support young people through targeted programmes. These include Durham Works, helping 16–24-year-olds not in education, employment or training; the Pre-Employability Sports Programme, which builds essential skills through sports and workshops; and Club Elevate, supporting 16–25-year-olds in North Tyneside who face challenges such as poor mental health, substance misuse, or risk of anti-social behaviour.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what weight is given to the level of (a) private rented sector rents and (b) council tax in the statistical determination of child poverty.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The UK's headline child poverty statistics are provided via the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics publication: Households below average income (HBAI) statistics - GOV.UK. Children are defined as being in income-based poverty if the net income of their household is below 60% of median household income. Household incomes are adjusted by a process called equivalisation so that different household sizes and compositions can be compared.
Council tax liability is subtracted in full from household income in a similar way to other taxes when calculating income before housing costs (BHC). Private rented sector rents are then subtracted in full from BHC income to calculate income after housing costs (AHC). The headline income-based measure of poverty is relative low income after housing costs (AHC) i.e. a child is in relative poverty AHC if the AHC income of their household is below 60% of the median for the year in question.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children whose families are subject to No Recourse to Public Funds restrictions are living in poverty.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold this data.
We recognise the distinct challenges faced by those subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition and have engaged with organisations who have made representations on behalf of children subject to NRPF and will continue to do so. As part of the Child Poverty Strategy, the Department is working with the Home Office to develop questions on NRPF for inclusion in the Family Resources Survey 2026/2027, with the data first published in March 2028. This is a household survey undertaken annually to explore living standards in the UK.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people living with (a) arthritis and (b) other musculoskeletal conditions to (i) return to and (ii) enter into work in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Just under 18 million people in England were estimated to be affected by musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in 2023 and improving their health and work outcomes will help deliver this government's mission to kickstart economic growth.
MSK problems were one of the leading causes of sickness absence in the UK in 2024. Early detection and prevention, including increasing access to employment advice, can support people with MSK conditions getting into and remaining in work.
The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including arthritis and MSK conditions, with their employment journey. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well Connect to Work and WorkWell.
In Yeovil, there are various support services available for individuals with arthritis and musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. For example, the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust provides MSK physiotherapy services, the Orthopaedic Assessment Service in Somerset offers specialist opinions for ongoing MSK problems that haven't been resolved by a GP or physiotherapist and Yeovil Hospital Rheumatology Department has a dedicated multi-disciplinary team, including doctors, specialist nurses, and physiotherapists, for the diagnosis and long-term management of inflammatory arthritis, connective tissue diseases, and osteoporosis.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to correspondence dated (a) 29 September 2025, (b) 28 October 2025 and (c) 2 December 2025 from the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge, case reference BS35015 and MC2025/93558.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has responded to the correspondence in question on Tuesday 13th January 2026.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff the Child Maintenance Service employs; and what the average caseload is per caseworker in the (a) enforcement, (b) calculation and (c) complaints teams.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) employs staff across a range of operational functions to support the effective administration of child maintenance arrangements. Staffing levels and the nature of work vary between business areas, including enforcement, calculation and complaints, reflecting the different responsibilities and complexity of activity undertaken within each team.
As of 30 November 2025, CMS employed 4,972 staff. This comprises 4,148 staff employed by the Department for Work and Pensions in Great Britain and 824 staff employed by the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.
CMS does not routinely apply, or publish, a caseload per caseworker measure. This is because such a metric can be misleading: not all cases have active work attached to them at any given time, while others may generate multiple work items and require different levels of intervention depending on their complexity. Volumes also constantly fluctuate as a case progresses and is therefore only accurate in that moment of time.
While individual caseloads are not calculated, CMS continually monitors workloads and resources across all operational areas to ensure cases are managed effectively. The service is currently resourced at a level appropriate to its operational demand, ensuring that support is directed to the teams and functions where it is most needed.