Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As one of the largest government departments, our campaigns aim to give people straightforward information about policies and services that make a real difference in their daily lives. We focus on helping some of the UK’s most vulnerable households by showing them what support is available and how to access it. For example, letting pensioners know they could get extra money to help with living costs and explaining how to apply, guiding people through the steps to switch from older benefits to Universal Credit so they don’t miss out on payments, and sharing advice on how to access jobs and skills support.
Advertising is essential to reach the right people with these messages. We choose media channels that give the best value for money and have the biggest impact for taxpayer.
Total spend with our buying and planning agencies for the last three financial years is as follows: (amounts are rounded to nearest £0.1m):
Year | Spend |
2024-2025 | £8,500,000 |
2023-2024 | £8,700,000 |
2022-2023 | £5,200,000 |
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rise in the UK unemployment rate to 5.1 per cent between August and October 2025; and what steps they are taking to support employment opportunities for young people.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The UK’s unemployment rate is now 5.1%.
But since the start of 2025 363,000 more people are in employment – outweighing the increase in unemployment over the same period (280,000).
At the end of the last Government the UK was the only country with economic inactivity higher - rather than lower - than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, we have seen a significant fall in economic inactivity as people reengage with the labour market. Our economic inactivity rate (21.0%) has fallen to its joint lowest level in over five years (and was last lower in January to March 2020).
The Government’s number one mission is to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK. However, almost one million young people across the UK are currently not in education, employment, or training (NEET). That is why our manifesto set out the ambition to transform young people’s prospects by ensuring every one of them has the chance to earn or learn through a Youth Guarantee.
We have already taken the first steps towards delivering a Youth Guarantee, to ensure that all 16–24-year-olds in Great Britain can access support to find work, training, or an apprenticeship. We have launched Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, announced funding to almost double our Youth Hubs across Great Britain, and we recently launched an Independent Report into Young People and Work, to identify potential areas for reform to better support young people with health conditions and disabilities.
We are now going further through an expansion of the Youth Guarantee. This expansion is backed by a £820 million investment over the Spending Review period 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.
Taken together, these measures show the Government’s commitment to backing young people, transforming lives, driving the economy and ensuring background is no barrier to success. Delivered in partnership with local government and devolved authorities, they will ensure no young person falls through the cracks.
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, whether he has used international examples of reforms to (a) sickness and (b) disability benefits to help inform his policies.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department uses a range of evidence, including international examples, when developing policy. For instance, the Pathways to Work Green Paper included a range of international systems that were considered when developing the proposals.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussion he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, (b) trade unions and (c) employers on the Health and Safety Executive's news report entitled Offshore process isolation failures present major accident hazard risk, published on 17 December 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Energy Division within the Health and Safey Executive (HSE) leads on regulatory activity in the offshore oil and gas sector. As part of their regulatory activity they regularly engage with employers, their representatives, and other government departments. One such forum is the Offshore Major Accident Hazards Advisory Committee (OMAHAC). OMAHAC is a tripartite committee that includes HSE, members who represent regulators, operators and owners and worker representatives. The matters identified in the news report have been discussed in that forum as well as with other relevant stakeholders.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the rates of New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance in relation to living costs for a single adult.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State is required by law to undertake an annual review of benefit rates. In a statement made on 26 November 2025, the Secretary of State announced that from April 2026, Jobseeker’s Allowance will be increased by 3.8% in line with the increase in the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September 2025, subject to parliamentary approval.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2025 to Question 96708 on Access to Work Programme, what the salary bands are of people on the Access to Work scheme who are receiving payments per customer of (a) £40,000 - £49,999, (b) £50,000 - £59,999, (c) £60,000 - £69,999 and (d) above £70,000.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information on the salaries of Access to Work recipients. Access to Work eligibility is not linked to salary, so this information is not routinely collected by the Department.
Asked by: Markus Campbell-Savours (Independent - Penrith and Solway)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the current waiting times are for Access to Work applications.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
For details on the average processing time for Access to Work grant applications from April to June 2025, please refer to the answer I gave on 3 July 2025 to Question UIN 63906.
We are committed to reducing waiting times for new applications and have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims. Applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to introduce additional preventative measures to reduce unregistered gas works.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority for gas businesses and engineers (including self- employed gas engineers) who work in people's homes. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) requires engineers undertaking gas work to be competent, registered with Gas Safe Register (GSR), and to work in accordance with the appropriate standards and in a way that does not put people in danger.
HSE and Local Authorities regulate this through enforcement powers set under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Enforcement powers available to regulators include prosecution, prohibition notices and improvement notices. GSR also has a dedicated team to investigate allegations of gas work by unregistered engineers and businesses (illegal gas fitters) and provides HSE with evidence of these activities.
In addition to this, GSR publishes a range of gas safety information and guidance on its website, and regularly runs media campaigns to promote key gas safety messages to the public. This includes promoting and delivering the annual national safety campaign “Gas Safety Week” which has wide ranging coverage.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many enforcement actions have been taken (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully by local authorities participating in the Rent Repayment Order pilot since its inception.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A full breakdown of enforcement actions categorised as successful or unsuccessful is not yet available, as several cases remain ongoing and the pilot is in its early stage. However, this will be considered as part of the pilot’s planned formal evaluation.
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, will claimants who reject a placement under the Youth Guarantee scheme retain access to benefits.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Youth Guarantee is part of a new social contract with young people opportunity matched by responsibility. Young people who can work will be expected to engage with the support offered. If the support is declined without good reasons, existing benefit sanction rules will apply.