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, whether his Department has used artificial intelligence to assist with drafting (a) legislation and (b) policy in the last 12 months.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Officials within the Department for Work and Pensions have access to artificial intelligence tools that may be used to support efficiency in their day‑to‑day work. However, responsibility for developing policy and legislative proposals remains with officials and all final decisions on substantive policy or legal issues continue to be taken by Ministers.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 effectiveness of the Disability Confident Scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK
The department also published the Disability Confident Employer Renewal Research that summarises the reasons why employers did not renew membership of the Disability Confident scheme in 2022, including some qualitative evidence on the scheme’s impact on attracting and recruiting staff with disabilities and/or organisational culture (but not retention) for some employers. This small scale qualitative research with employers can be accessed at Disability Confident Employer Renewal Research - GOV.UK
The Disability Confident scheme is well-established and has huge potential, but it needs reform to deliver meaningful change. My officials and I have been working with a wide range of stakeholders, including disabled people and employers, to explore potential reforms. On 15 January 2026 I announced more details about our plans to reform the scheme Disability Confident scheme overhauled to boost workplace standards for disabled people - GOV.UK.
We are planning a proportionate assessment of the different strands of the upcoming reforms: this is likely to include qualitative interviews to get insights from employers, conducting short surveys, and gathering feedback on specific processes and products to iteratively improve and adapt.
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 aged 16-24 are claiming the Universal Credit health element while in full-time non-advanced education.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 20 April 2026 to Question 125932.
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 his Department has made of the potential benefits of introducing training programmes to improve awareness and understanding of neurodiversity in the workplace.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 April to PQ 127771.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of the impact on septic tank and small sewage treatment systems of biocidal products containing Bronopol when used in motorhome or caravan toilet fluids.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Toilet fluid biocidal products containing Bronopol fall within Product Types 2 (disinfectants) and/or 6 (preservatives for products during storage) of the Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR). These uses are covered by the GB BPR active substance review programme, where they are both awaiting review. Products containing Bronopol are currently controlled under existing consumer protection legislation.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Department's Research and analysis paper entitled Removing the two-child limit on Universal Credit, whether the calculation that the removal of the two-child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty has taken in to account how many of those households will now be impacted by the benefit cap.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions’ Policy Simulation Model (PSM) was used to model the impact of the removal of the two-child limit on Universal Credit. The PSM uses household characteristics, caseload forecasts and benefit rules to estimate policy impacts for each year, currently up to and including FYE 2031.
It is estimated that there will be 450,000 fewer children in relative poverty after housing costs in the final year of parliament (FYE 2030) as a result of the removal of the two-child limit within Universal Credit, compared to baseline projections. This estimate takes full account of the benefit cap, which is modelled in both the baseline and policy projections.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department (a) collects and (b) holds data on foodbank usage; and if he will publish all such data for each of the last five years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statistics on the level of food bank use in the UK are published annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics report. The most recent publication is available here: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of foodbank usage since July 2024.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statistics on the level of food bank use in the UK are published annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics report. The most recent publication is available here: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2025 - GOV.UK
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, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of restricting young people’s eligibility for the Universal Credit health element on a) poverty and b) employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have launched The Young People and Work Report to investigate the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training, with a holistic view of the welfare, health, skills and employment system. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, it will also identify areas for reform. The report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun. The Author will produce an interim Report this May, with a full and final report in September
To ensure we can take a decision in the round we are awaiting the Young People and Work Reports conclusions before making any decisions on whether to delay access to Universal Credit Health Element to 22.
The Universal Credit Act 2025, which came into force on 6 April 2026, delivered the first sustained, above inflation rise in the basic rate of UC since it was introduced. This means a little under four million households will benefit overall from government’s decision to increase the UC standard allowance, estimated to be worth around £760 annually in cash terms for a single parent aged 25 (£250 above inflation) or over £1195 (£400 above inflation) for a couple where one is aged 25 or over with children by 2029/30.
A little under 4 million households will benefit from the sustained, above-inflation increase to the UC standard allowance - worth around £295 in 2026/27, in cash terms around £110 above inflation, for a single person aged 25 or over and around £760, around £250 above inflation, by the end of the decade. For couples, where one member is aged 25 or over, it will increase by around an additional £465 this year, around £180 more than if up-rated by inflation alone.
Claimants who declared a health condition or disability before 6 April 2026 and are subsequently found to have Limited Capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), receive the higher rate - £429.80 per month. This applies even if the decision on their LCWRA entitlement was made on or after 6 April 2026.
In our Pathways to Work Green Paper we set out our Pathways to Work offer, backed by £1 billion a year of new funding by the end of the decade. Our Pathways to Work support offer will ensure a coherent and navigable offer of support, building on and bringing together initiatives such as Connect to Work, WorkWell and local Trailblazers.
Since July 2025, there have been around 1000 (full-time equivalent) Pathways to Work Advisors in place in Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales helping disabled people and people with health conditions towards and into work. This increased deployment will help ensure that everyone impacted by the recent changes to the Universal Credit Health Element is offered support. People affected by the changes, including young people, will be able to access a conversation about their needs, goals and aspirations; offered one-to-one follow-on support, and given voluntary help to access additional work, health and skills support that can meet their needs.
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 impact assessment has been made of the proposed removal of the health element of Universal Credit for under 22s.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have launched The Young People and Work Report to investigate the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training, with a holistic view of the welfare, health, skills and employment system. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, it will also identify areas for reform. The report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun - with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability. The Author will produce an interim Report this May, with a full and final report in September.
To ensure we can take a decision in the round we are awaiting the Young People and Work Reports conclusions before making any decisions on access to Universal Credit Health Element for those under the age of 22.