Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of frozen state pensions on pensioners from West Dorset residing in countries without uprating agreements.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating.
This approach has been supported by successive governments over many years with priority given to those living in the UK when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.
People move abroad for many reasons, and it is for individuals to weigh up the factors involved. Information regarding the effect of living abroad on State Pension entitlement is available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps his Department to uprate frozen UK state pensions for pensioners from West Dorset living overseas.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for uprating.
This approach has been supported by successive governments over many years with priority given to those living in the UK when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.
People move abroad for many reasons, and it is for individuals to weigh up the factors involved. Information regarding the effect of living abroad on State Pension entitlement is available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the level of industry demand for welding specialists.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is a strong and persistent demand for welding specialists, driven by major infrastructure programmes, advanced manufacturing, defence requirements and clean energy investment. This demand is compounded by a significant proportion of the current welding workforce approaching retirement, with a large proportion due to retire by 2027(RapidWelding).
This accelerates turnover in skilled roles and magnifies the urgency for faster training throughput and progression pathways.
DWP/Skills England has proactively responded to the anticipated shortage of welders by introducing a new apprenticeship unit in mechanised welding. This initiative is designed to reskill the existing workforce and re‑engage experienced individuals who may have previously been forced into early retirement.
Furthermore, DWP has fast‑tracked the introduction of a new apprenticeship unit in metal fabrication, with the intention that it will enter delivery from May.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 disabled people into work in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, we have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants. Our Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work is being delivered by Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), and is supporting disabled people, people with health conditions and people with complex barriers to employment.
DEAs in the Jobcentres supporting the constituency hold in-depth Work Ability conversations that focus on strengths, suitable work options, workplace adjustments and confidence building. There is a Weekly Wednesday Job Club for Berkhamsted customers. As part of the Pathways to Work initiative, DEAs work in collaboration with HCC to deliver joined-up services for residents by supporting disabled people into employment through our Connect to Work programme and referrals to Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies.
DWP is also working with the NHS and HCC as part of the Get Hertfordshire Working strategic plan. Representatives from DWP and the NHS co-chair the Work and Health subgroup of the plan. This group is working with local employers and key partners from the statutory, education and voluntary sectors to support residents with health conditions to both stay in and return to work through a range of activities such as employment and skills training and through providing support in managing their health conditions. The group is also developing employment pathways such as work experience, internships and apprenticeships with partner agencies.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the Crisis and Resilience Fund for off-gas grid households using heating oil will be allocated to Lincolnshire.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 April 2026 to Question UIN 122640.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 jobseekers with professional experience are supported to secure employment reflecting their skills and experience.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is committed to delivering an employment support system that is personalised to individual needs. All jobseekers are entitled to tailored and flexible support through Jobcentre Plus. Work Coaches offer personalised advice to help individuals secure roles which reflect their skills, qualifications and prior experience, alongside targeted job‑search support. The Department for Work and Pensions provides job‑seeking support through a range of channels that can benefit those already with professional experience, including the Find a Job website and financial assistance, for interviews or starting work, through the Flexible Support Fund. Furthermore, the reformed Jobs and Careers Service will place greater focus on career advice and progression and better matching of people’s experience with employer’s needs.
Where appropriate, Work Coaches also identify any skills gaps and signpost jobseekers to relevant training and provision, including Skills Bootcamps, apprenticeships, sector‑based work academy programmes (SWAPs), and free courses for jobs, as well as essential English, maths and digital skills. This flexible offer allows experienced jobseekers to update, adapt or build on existing skills to meet current labour market demand. Programmes such as SWAPs can be set up for any sector, allowing them to be responsive to local labour market needs and tailored to priority and emerging sectors across Districts in England and Scotland.
The Restart Scheme provides 12 months of personalised and tailored support targeted at those who have been on Universal Credit for 6 months or more and in the Intensive Work Search regime. Providers support participants to break down their employment barriers by developing a bespoke action plan built on understanding their employment history, skills and needs.
Additionally, many providers offer a dedicated pathway, providing participants with professional or executive experience access to specialist advisors and tailored support.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether support is available to rural households and businesses reliant on LPG in addition to the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) is available in England to support low-income households reliant on LPG who are facing a crisis and need immediate financial support. It is for local authorities to determine individual need and the most appropriate form of support, using a person centred, needs based approach in line with the Fund’s guidance. The CRF does not offer business support.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help increase the number of welding apprenticeship starts in England.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are a number of apprenticeship standards relevant to welding, including the Level 2 Welder standard and the Level 3 Plate Welder standard.
To support employers, including those in welding and associated occupations, to take on apprentices, the government provides a range of financial support. We are introducing a new hiring grant of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. It will apply to apprenticeship starts from October, as long as the apprentice has joined their employer within the past three months. Employers hiring apprentices aged 18-24 who have been on Universal Credit for over six months will also be eligible for the new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant from June 2026.
Additionally, from August 2026 we will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers, including those in welding occupations, for eligible people aged 16-24. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care.
The government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).
To give employers greater flexibility and help them respond quickly to emerging skills gaps, we have also launched the first apprenticeship units, funded from the Growth and Skills Levy, and one of these is on mechanised welding.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on aligning skills training provision for welding specialists with the workforce requirements set out in the industrial strategy.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is working with industry to develop sector Jobs Plans for all growth-driving sectors identified by the Industrial Strategy, and for construction. These plans will build on the Industrial Strategy Sector Plans and provide a clear direction of travel for government and industry to develop the domestic workforce together.
Jobs Plans set out ambitious action addressing the workforce needs in each sector over the next three years. We aim to publish jobs plans in the summer (clean energy have already published a jobs plan). Welding is likely to feature in several plans as it cuts across different industries including clean energy, construction and advanced manufacturing.
Skills England and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) work closely together to make sure the UK’s jobs, growth and industrial plans are matched by the right skills supply - nationally and locally.
DWP/Skills England is addressing anticipated shortages of welders by introducing a new mechanised welding apprenticeship unit. This will reskill the existing workforce and help re‑engage experienced workers who may have left the sector early.
In addition, DWP has fast‑tracked a new metal fabrication apprenticeship unit, due to begin delivery from May.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 improve engagement with pension planning among individuals before they reach their 50s.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government ensures everyone has access to free, impartial pensions guidance through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS). MaPS’ MoneyHelper guidance is available to individuals at any age and covers all areas of UK pensions.
For those that wish to make decisions about their pension savings, we are transforming the advice and guidance landscape through targeted support, which went live earlier this month. This will enable FCA-authorised firms to proactively suggest appropriate products or courses of action to customers of any age, using limited information about the customer and their circumstances.
MaPS is also making good progress in delivering pensions dashboards. Enabling individuals of any age to view their pensions picture securely in one place online will remove a significant barrier to engagement and support better retirement planning. Users will be signposted to further guidance and information within MoneyHelper to assist their decision making, and we are working closely with MaPS to develop this.