Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 potential merits of introducing mandatory training programmes for employers and staff to improve awareness and understanding of neurodiversity in the workplace.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2025 DWP launched an Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity. Bringing together multidisciplinary experts, the Panel examined why neurodivergent people often experience poor outcomes at work and lower employment rates. We have received the Panel’s report and are carefully considering its recommendations, including those around what further actions employers can take.
Research by the Arbitration, Conciliation and Advisory Service (ACAS) highlights that managers are key to supporting neurodivergent employees but often lack the necessary training and confidence to do so effectively. Consequently, earlier this year DWP funded ACAS to deliver free of charge masterclasses to small and medium size employers on recruiting and supporting neurodivergent talent in the workplace. Over 1800 representatives of small and medium sized employers attended these masterclasses.
DWP's offer to employers also includes a digital information service, www.support-with-employee-health-and-disability.dwp.gov.uk/ which provides tailored guidance to employers to support employees to remain in work. This includes guidance on disclosures and having conversations about health and disability, plus guidance on legal obligations, including making reasonable adjustments.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average response time is for the a) Child Support Agency and b) Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Support Agency (CSA) does not publish a standalone Annual Report and Accounts. Information regarding the performance of the Child Maintenance Service can be found in the Annual Reports and Accounts 2024-25 linked here - DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 25
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff have (a) had their employment contract terminated and (b) resigned in (i) Jobcentre Plus, (ii) the Pension Service, and (iii) the Child Maintenance Service since January 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The data relates to DWP leavers within Child Maintenance Service, Retirement Services, and Universal Credit Operations. It includes both paid and unpaid leavers and covers the period from 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Directorates | Dismissal | Resignation | Grand Total |
CHILD MAINTENANCE SERVICE | 41 | 206 | 247 |
RETIREMENT SERVICES | 53 | 151 | 204 |
UC OPERATIONS | 441 | 1579 | 2020 |
Grand Total | 535 | 1936 | 2471 |
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints the Department has received in the last 12 months regarding the Access to Work scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
From April 2025 to March 2026, a total of 1,769 complaints has been received.
April 2025 - 155 received
May 2025 - 154 received
June 2025 - 149 received
July 2025 - 166 received
August 2025 - 98 received
September 2025 - 125 received
October 2025 - 149 received
November 2025 - 142 received
December 2025 - 119 received
January 2026 - 171 received
February 2026 - 154 received
March 2026 - 187 received
Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Personal Independence Payment claims were made by residents of Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the last three years; and how many of those claims were successful.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) registrations and clearances by constituency can be found on Stat Xplore.
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, with reference to the publication of Trussell’s End of Year food bank stats, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Universal Credit’s standard allowance covers essential costs.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has taken important steps to improve the support available to help people with the cost of essentials and has legislated to deliver the first sustained above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced. In April 2026, the standard allowance rose by 3.8% in line with the Consumer Prices Index to September 2025, followed by a further 2.3%, meaning a single person aged 25 or over will receive around £295 more this year - over £110 more than if uprated by inflation alone.
Additional amounts are added to provide for individual needs such as housing, disability, and childcare costs. Each household will always have different requirements depending on their circumstances.
We will continue to consider evidence and insights from a range of organisations and people with lived experiences, to ensure the social security system provides the support people need.
The Government recognises that the level of household food insecurity in the UK is unacceptable. We have announced action to expand free school meals, support parents with the cost of healthy food in the school holidays with the Holidays and Activities and Food Programme and transform our food system to ensure it delivers access to affordable, healthy food. Over £600m has been confirmed for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for the next three financial years from 2026/27.
Government has also taken further action to support low-income households including through the increase in the National Living Wage to £12.71 an hour from April 2026.
On 1 April 2026 we launched a new Crisis and Resilience Fund. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities – working with the voluntary and community sector – as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis, to support our ambition to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with a Personal Independence Payment Special Rules award reached the end of their three-year award period and had their benefits award reviewed in each of the last 12 months for which data is available.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Over the past 12 months, 30 individuals with a Personal Independence Payment Special Rules award reached the end of their three-year award period and had benefits reassessed.
Monthly breakdowns cannot be provided due to disclosure control. In the majority of months over the last 12-month period, there were fewer than 5 Special Rules for End of Life claims which reached their award period’s end and were reassessed.
Notes:
- The figure provided is rounded to the nearest 10.
- The figure is for claimants under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales and abroad) and exclude claimants where PIP has been devolved to the Scottish Government in Scotland or the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Tim Roca (Labour - Macclesfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive has been consulted by Peak Cluster Limited on the proximity of the proposed CO2 pipeline route and above-ground installation to Gawsworth Church of England Primary School.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As a statutory consultee to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) process for the Peak Cluster pipeline, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responded to the Planning Inspectorate at the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Stage confirming whether the proposed pipeline passes through the Consultation Distances of other major accident hazard pipelines, major hazard sites, or licensed explosives sites.
Under the Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996, as amended, the operator of a major hazard pipeline is required to produce a major accident prevention document prior to the design of the pipeline being completed, demonstrating that major accident hazard potential arising from the pipeline has been identified; evaluation of those risks has been carried out; and that an adequate safety management system for those risks is in place.
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, whether he has considered commissioning independent advice, including from people with direct experience of living on a low income, on the adequacy of Universal Credit’s standard allowance.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has taken important steps to improve the support available to help people with the cost of essentials and has legislated to deliver the first sustained above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced. In April 2026, the standard allowance rose by 3.8% in line with the Consumer Prices Index to September 2025, followed by a further 2.3%, meaning a single person aged 25 or over will receive around £295 more this year - over £110 more than if uprated by inflation alone.
Additional amounts are added to provide for individual needs such as housing, disability, and childcare costs. Each household will always have different requirements depending on their circumstances.
We will continue to consider evidence and insights from a range of organisations and people with lived experiences, to ensure the social security system provides the support people need.
The Government recognises that the level of household food insecurity in the UK is unacceptable. We have announced action to expand free school meals, support parents with the cost of healthy food in the school holidays with the Holidays and Activities and Food Programme and transform our food system to ensure it delivers access to affordable, healthy food. Over £600m has been confirmed for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for the next three financial years from 2026/27.
Government has also taken further action to support low-income households including through the increase in the National Living Wage to £12.71 an hour from April 2026.
On 1 April 2026 we launched a new Crisis and Resilience Fund. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities – working with the voluntary and community sector – as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis, to support our ambition to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many starts there have been on each foundation apprenticeship standard since their launch in August 2025; and what assessment he made of the adequacy of that performance before announcing the expansion of foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In August 2025 we introduced foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, such as construction and health and social care, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills.
Foundation apprenticeships are designed to support those young people who want to gain a broad grounding in a sector before they commit to progress into a more specific or more advanced occupation.
As foundation apprenticeships are a new offer we understand providers and employers will need time to incorporate them into their businesses.
In addition, other apprenticeships continue to support young people to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for a specific occupation.
Apprenticeship and foundation apprenticeship starts are published here: Apprenticeships, Academic year 2025/26 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. The latest published data shows that there have been 110 foundation apprenticeship starts so far this academic year (Aug 2025 - Jan 2026).
To create more opportunities for young people at the start of their careers, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail from April 2026. These sectors traditionally employ large numbers of young people and offer strong entry points into sustained employment with clear progression routes across England.
They will have employer payments of up to £2,000 employer payment to support with the additional costs of taking on and supporting a young person at the start of their career.