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, how many professionally qualified Level 6 and 7 careers advisers the National Careers Service employs; and how this number will change under the planned new Jobs and Careers Service.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Accurate information on the number of level 6 and 7 qualified careers advisers employed by the National Careers Service is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Following a Written Ministerial Statement made on 16th September 2025 (HCWS930), responsibility for adult skills in England transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The current National Careers Service contracts with the Department for Education (DfE) are due to expire on 30th September 2026 and adult careers advice will be brought in house to DWP from 1st October 2026.
The implications of this change in service arrangements will be worked through carefully with the relevant organisations, and where the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) TUPE Regulations apply, they will be followed.
Consequently, we will not know the number of level 6 and 7 advisers under the new Jobs and Careers Service until the process is complete and the new service starts.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of PwC’s Youth Employment Index, particularly the finding that the United Kingdom has fallen four places to rank 27th out of 38 for youth employment outcomes among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has reviewed the PWC Youth Employment Index report. With 1 in 8 young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), the number of young people who are NEET has been rising too long. At Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820m 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. The details of that support are:
Support to find a job: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we are introducing 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. This new support will identify specific work, training, or learning opportunities locally for each young person and ensure they are supported to take those up.
Further Expanding Youth Hubs: We are establishing Youth Hubs in 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. Youth Hubs will bring together partners from health, skills and the voluntary sector, working closely with Mayors and local authorities to deliver joined-up community-based support.
Creating c300,000 opportunities for workplace experience and training: We will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers, including the number of our Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.
Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment. This will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years
Preventing young people from becoming NEET: We are making it easier to identify young people who need support, by investing in better NEETs data sharing, further education attendance monitoring, and new risk of NEET data tools giving local areas more accurate insights to target support where it's needed most. We are also investing in work experience opportunities for young people at particular risk of becoming NEET, focused on pupils in state-funded Alternative Provision settings, (education provided outside mainstream or special schools for children who cannot attend a regular school—often due to exclusion, health needs, or other circumstances).
This builds on measures announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper earlier this autumn. To make sure young people move smoothly from school into post-16 education or training, we are working with schools to improve support for transitions and piloting automatic enrolment at Further Education providers for those without a confirmed place. This will make it easier for young people to stay on in education and succeed later in life.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in PwC’s Youth Employment Index that the youth-to-adult unemployment ratio in the United Kingdom is now the highest on record across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has reviewed the PWC Youth Employment Index report. With 1 in 8 young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), the number of young people who are NEET has been rising too long. At Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820m 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. The details of that support are:
Support to find a job: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we are introducing 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. This new support will identify specific work, training, or learning opportunities locally for each young person and ensure they are supported to take those up.
Further Expanding Youth Hubs: We are establishing Youth Hubs in 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. Youth Hubs will bring together partners from health, skills and the voluntary sector, working closely with Mayors and local authorities to deliver joined-up community-based support.
Creating c300,000 opportunities for workplace experience and training: We will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers, including the number of our Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.
Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment. This will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years
Preventing young people from becoming NEET: We are making it easier to identify young people who need support, by investing in better NEETs data sharing, further education attendance monitoring, and new risk of NEET data tools giving local areas more accurate insights to target support where it's needed most. We are also investing in work experience opportunities for young people at particular risk of becoming NEET, focused on pupils in state-funded Alternative Provision settings, (education provided outside mainstream or special schools for children who cannot attend a regular school—often due to exclusion, health needs, or other circumstances).
This builds on measures announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper earlier this autumn. To make sure young people move smoothly from school into post-16 education or training, we are working with schools to improve support for transitions and piloting automatic enrolment at Further Education providers for those without a confirmed place. This will make it easier for young people to stay on in education and succeed later in life.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the findings of PwC’s Youth Employment Index to strengthen school-to-work and university-to-work transitions for young people.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has reviewed the PWC Youth Employment Index report. With 1 in 8 young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), the number of young people who are NEET has been rising too long. At Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820m 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. The details of that support are:
Support to find a job: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we are introducing 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. This new support will identify specific work, training, or learning opportunities locally for each young person and ensure they are supported to take those up.
Further Expanding Youth Hubs: We are establishing Youth Hubs in 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. Youth Hubs will bring together partners from health, skills and the voluntary sector, working closely with Mayors and local authorities to deliver joined-up community-based support.
Creating c300,000 opportunities for workplace experience and training: We will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers, including the number of our Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.
Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment. This will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years
Preventing young people from becoming NEET: We are making it easier to identify young people who need support, by investing in better NEETs data sharing, further education attendance monitoring, and new risk of NEET data tools giving local areas more accurate insights to target support where it's needed most. We are also investing in work experience opportunities for young people at particular risk of becoming NEET, focused on pupils in state-funded Alternative Provision settings, (education provided outside mainstream or special schools for children who cannot attend a regular school—often due to exclusion, health needs, or other circumstances).
This builds on measures announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper earlier this autumn. To make sure young people move smoothly from school into post-16 education or training, we are working with schools to improve support for transitions and piloting automatic enrolment at Further Education providers for those without a confirmed place. This will make it easier for young people to stay on in education and succeed later in life.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times and improve contact accessibility for Child Maintenance Service users in Winchester constituency.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to improving accessibility and customer experience for all users, including those in the Winchester constituency. The Department recognises that call waiting times and contact routes have not always met expected standards and has taken steps to address this.
CMS has implemented the Digital Assist Telephony Service to support customers to use online services and reduce avoidable call demand.
CMS has invested in enhanced telephony routing to prioritise vulnerable customers and direct callers to the right support quickly, with additional operational capacity deployed when required to maintain service levels. CMS has extended weekday telephony hours to 6pm to meet demand.
CMS has expanded digital self-service, including Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance (GHACM) and My Child Maintenance Case (online account), which provide 24/7 access for parents to manage their case without needing to call, improving accessibility and offering greater flexibility on how and when customers make contact. Communication has been further improved through the introduction of online messaging for specific processes, with further expansion planned.
By promoting self-service options online and efficient call routing, we have freed up valuable resources to deliver a more responsive service and allow caseworkers more time to better assist customers who need to reach out to us via telephone. These measures are delivering progresses.
The Department will continue to monitor performance and invest in further improvements to ensure customers receive timely, high-quality support through the channels that best meet their needs and remains committed to providing a reliable, fair and responsive service for all parents across the country.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 79779 on the Timms Review, when he will provide more details on the membership of the steering group overseeing the review and planned next steps in the process.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 18 December, the Timms Review’s co-chairs provided an update on the work of the Review, including recruitment of the steering group and next steps. You can find this update on GOV.UK via the following link: The Timms Review: Co-Chair Update, December 2025 - GOV.UK.
We will continue to publish updates on GOV.UK as the Review progresses.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December to Question 96308 on State Retirement Pensions, if he will publish a timeline for the Pensions Commission's work.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Pensions Commission is expected to publish its final report in the first half of 2027.
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 assessment he has made of the potential disparity in treatment between members of private sector defined benefit pension schemes and members of the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme following the introduction of indexation for pre-1997 service.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has brought forward legislation to introduce increases on compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme that relate to pensions built up before 6 April 1997. These will be CPI-linked (capped at 2.5%) and apply prospectively (i.e. to payments going forward). This will only apply for members whose former schemes provided for these increases and will therefore create greater equality between private sector defined benefit pension schemes who provide pre-97 indexation and members of the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme who had this feature in their original pension.
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, what assessment has been made as to the (a) merits of and (b) funding for retrospective indexation arrangements for all pre 1997 pensions scheme members.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Most defined benefit schemes pay some indexation on pensions earned before 1997. The Government recognises that the absence of indexation on pre-1997 rights in pension schemes can erode the value of pensions over time and affect members who rely on these benefits in retirement.
Reforms in our Pension Schemes Bill will enable more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus with employers, deliver better outcomes for members, and benefit the wider economy. As part of any agreement to release surplus funds to the employer, trustees will be better placed to negotiate additional benefits for members, including discretionary indexation.
Asked by: Baroness Maclean of Redditch (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in the number of young people who are on incapacity benefits due to mental health, categorised by mental health condition, in each of the past five years.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
For Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC), the specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Information on the volume of 18- to 24-year-old ESA claimants with main disabling condition ‘mental and behavioural’ disorders is held and is provided below. Note that Income-related ESA has not been available to new claimants since January 2021 as this benefit is being replaced by UC.
ESA 18 -24-year-old caseload with main disabling condition ‘mental and behavioural disorders’ by year:
| May-21 | May-22 | May-23 | May-24 | May-25 |
New Style ESA only | 1,300 | 1,100 | 900 | 900 | 900 |
Both New style ESA and Income-related ESA | 100 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Income-related ESA only | 30,800 | 18,000 | 9,000 | 3,700 | 1,100 |