Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what correspondence he has received from the WASPI Campaign since 1 September 2025.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department for Work and Pensions receive a very large volume of correspondence on a range of issues including the PHSO’s investigation into the communication of State Pension age rises. We attach great importance to providing prompt and accurate replies.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leicester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they have in place to ensure that the trial of new interventions within the Youth Trailblazers programme does not affect participation levels in existing employment programmes run by the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector which they have evaluated as effective.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The 8 Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, led by Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) in 7 areas across England, are testing innovative approaches to identify, engage and deliver localised support to young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET. To do this effectively, they are working with a range of local partners including third sector organisations, education and training providers and employers to provide a more seamless offer that provides young people with a clear pathway into training or employment opportunities.
As the Trailblazers are locally led, MSAs have tailored their offer to meet the needs and address the barriers of young people in their area. This includes addressing gaps in provision or opportunities where these are identified as well as reducing any duplication of support.
The Department has also commissioned an evaluation to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the Trailblazers in improving employment outcomes. This will be combined with the Trailblazers own local evaluation and management information, to inform the future design of the Youth Guarantee and clarify the role of local areas in supporting young people.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to recognise the principles of (a) legitimate expectation, (b) adequate notice and (c) procedural fairness in its response to women born in the 1950s affected by delayed notification of state pension age changes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Secretary of State announced in his oral statement of 11 November 2025 that we will retake the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on State Pension age. Retaking the decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress.
The process to retake the decision is underway and it is important that we give this full and proper consideration. We will update Parliament on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached and on 2 December 2025 we committed to re-take the decision within three months.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her department collects data on (a) race and (b) ethnicity and c) religion from benefit claimants.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The purpose of collecting race and ethnicity data is because it they are protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
All public bodies have a requirement under the Public Sector Equality Duty to pay due regard to the impacts of policies to those who share protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act.
To do so requires that meaningful data be collected in a harmonised form, as set out by the Cabinet Office. Claimant declarations of their protected characteristics are optional, and not mandatory.
Data collected on protected characteristics is solely used for analytical and statistical purposes in aggregate form and has no part in decisions relating to benefit claims.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the Report Stage of the Pension Schemes Bill on 3 December 2025, whether the guidance on fiduciary duties will cover the (a) ability to consider system-level risks, (b) ability to consider the impacts of investments and the organisations in which schemes invest, including on members' standard of living, (c) ability to consider members' views and (d) duty to cover matters when they are financially material.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that private pension trustees have a clear, range of guidance, with the objective of supporting consideration of wider factors within their existing legal obligations. This will include clarification and practical support on their ability to take account of system level risks, such as climate related risks, and the impacts of investments where these affect members’ long-term outcomes, including their standard of living.
The guidance will also explore how trustees may consider members’ views, provided this remains consistent with investing in members’ best interests, and will reaffirm that trustees should take account of all financially material matters, where appropriate in their investment decision making.
Our objective is for guidance to be delivered in partnership with the pension sector and other interested parties. Work will commence shortly beginning with an industry roundtable to gather views and technical expertise to ensure the guidance meets the identified need.
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, with reference to the Written Statement UIN HCWS1044 on Pensions Update of 11 November 2025, what estimate his Department has made of the potential costs of delivering compensation in line with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report on Women’s State Pension age communications; and what mechanisms for delivering that compensation he is considering.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
As the Secretary of State set out on 11 November 2025, we are retaking the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on State Pension age. The process to retake the decision is underway and it is important that the government give this full and proper consideration.
Retaking this decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that they should award financial redress.
We will update the House on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
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 UK’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in relation to women born in the 1950s affected by changes to the state pension age.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK is fully compliant with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, including in relation to women born in the 1950s affected by changes to the State Pension age.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps has he taken to help tackle fraud in the welfare system.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since Autumn Budget 2024, the Government has committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in Great Britain, which includes savings from the new powers contained within the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act.
The Act has been published on the Parliament website and is available here: Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 Child Maintenance Service enforcement action is proportionate in cases involving (a) small and (b) short-term arrears.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In cases where arrears are outstanding, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) proactively seek to negotiate with the paying parent a feasible and affordable repayment plan, taking into account the individual circumstances of each case. For small arrears payments can be spread over an appropriate timescale negating the need for enforcement action.
Each enforcement decision and action taken by CMS considers the welfare of all parties, potential financial hardship of paying parents, to ensure any associated charges for the customer are commensurate and not seen as punitive to give the greatest chance of securing money for children. CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has undertaken comparative analysis of maternity and paternity pay provisions for (a) teachers and (b) other (i) public and (ii) private sector professions; and what steps he is taking to help reduce disparities in parental leave entitlements across sectors.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government has committed to review the parental leave and pay system. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements are in scope of the Parental Leave and Pay Review.