Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish data on the number of carers that have been convicted of fraud since 2015 due to Carer’s Allowance overpayments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Hon. member to the answer given on 22 December to PQ 99553.
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 funding has been allocated to programmes relating to the UKs relationship with Europe in the (a) 2026-7, (b) 2028-9 and (c) 2029-30 financial years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (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: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what has been the estimated change in the numbers of those in receipt of Pension Credit between (a) November 2023 and (b) November 2025.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Caseload statistics for Pension Credit are available via DWP Stat-Xplore. Data for November 2025 is not yet available. The latest available data is for the quarter ending May 2025.
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, what steps he is taking to ensure that enhanced focus on skills results in long-term employment outcomes for claimants.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government’s ‘Post 16 Education and Skills White Paper’, published in October last year at Post-16 education and skills white paper - GOV.UK, set out the plan to give people the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, support growth across the country, and drive national renewal.
My Department recognises the importance of essential skills, (such as training in English, Mathematics and Digital skills) which are particularly relevant for unemployed claimants, for seeking and staying in work. The White Paper indicates the intention to review our adult essential skills offers to ensure it includes the skills most relevant to support progression into employment, education and training. In addition, we have developed foundation apprenticeships, offering a structured, supported route into skilled employment for young people who might otherwise be left behind. Also, through Local Get Britain Working plans we will support the development of a thriving labour market where everyone has the opportunity for good work, to get on in work and where we increase the current employment rate.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
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 young people into employment, education or training in a) Oxford East constituency, b) Oxfordshire, and c) England.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is committed to reducing the number of young people who are not in Education, Training or Employment.
We have already taken the first steps towards delivering the Youth Guarantee, to ensure that all 16–24-year-olds in Great Britain can access support to find work, training, or an apprenticeship. This includes launching Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, announcing funding to almost double our Youth Hubs across Great Britain, and commissioning 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, backed by a £820 million investment over the next three years. This will reach almost 900,000 young people, including through the expansion of Youth Hubs to every area in Great Britain and the introduction of 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 additional opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. In addition, it will provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21.
Young people in Oxford East are already supported through the Rose Hill Youth Hub, which offers job clubs, employability advice, mental health links, and employer-led events in partnership with Oxford City Council and Jobcentre Plus.
Across Oxfordshire, Jobcentre Plus works with partners such as Abingdon and Witney College, Activate Learning, The Ethnic Minority Business Service, and Ruskin College to deliver tailored employability and sector-specific skills programmes aligned to local employer needs. This work is supported by the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership through initiatives like employer engagement days.
As per our ambition to expand Youth Hubs to every area of Great Britain over the next three years, we will work with partners in West and South Oxfordshire to explore new opportunities.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
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 help ensure adequate workforce capability to deliver (i) infrastructure and (ii) construction projects, in the context of recent cuts announced by the Construction Industry and Training Board to the availability of funding for skills development and training in the built environment sector.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 23 March 2025, the Government announced a construction support package worth £625 million to address the shortage of skilled workers in the construction sector. This investment forms a key part of our broader strategy to advance national infrastructure projects, achieve ambitious housing targets, and facilitate the transition to a clean energy economy.
The changes announced by the Construction Industry and Training Board to its funding and grant system are intended to maximise the value for industry of the levy funding it receives from employers, in response to a significant increase in demand for its services over recent years. The changes prioritise training with the greatest level of impact on skills gaps, including maintaining support for apprenticeships.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2025, whether his policy to fully fund SME apprenticeships for under 25s will include level 7 apprenticeships.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of I gave on 10 December 2025 to Question UIN 95355.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in receipt of high rate mobility PIP.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested information is available on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml). An account is not required to use Stat-Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore is also available here: Personal Independence Payment data on Stat-Xplore: user guide - GOV.UK.
The relevant information can be found in the ‘PIP Cases with Entitlement from 2019’ dataset. Under ‘Geography’, select ‘National – Regional – LA – OAs’, and then choose ‘DWP policy ownership’. For claimants with an enhanced rate of Mobility award, expand ‘Mobility Award Status’ and select ‘Mobility Award – Enhanced’. You may also use the ‘Month’ filter to select any periods of interest; by default, it is set to the most recently available month.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Personal Independence Payment applicants where the main disabling condition was Anaemia - Sickle cell a) lodged an appeal after a completed Mandatory Reconsideration, b) had their appeal lapse prior to reaching tribunal and c) had their initial decision overturned at tribunal between April 2020 and March 2025.
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: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 his Departments policies relating to Maternity Allowance on women in rural and coastal labour markets in the context of the prevalence of seasonal, part-time or based on short-term contracts in those areas.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (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.