Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many and what percentage of the new style Employment and Support Allowance applications were for the primary condition of poor mental health in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Initial ESA Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) by date of decision:
| January 2023 - December 2023 | January 2024 - December 2024 | January 2025 - September 2025 | |||
| Volume | Percentage | Volume | Percentage | Volume | Percentage |
ESA WCAs with main disabling condition 'mental and behavioural disorders' | 19,260 | 23% | 18,210 | 24% | 11,040 | 23% |
ESA WCAs with main disabling condition other than 'mental and behavioural disorders' | 63,350 | 77% | 57,850 | 76% | 37,320 | 77% |
Total | 82,610 | 100% | 76,060 | 100% | 48,360 | 100% |
* Data is taken from Stat-Xplore. Volumes have been rounded to the nearest ten. Totals may not sum due to rounding and the disclosure control applied.
* The latest available data is for September 2025. Therefore, the 2025 volumes do not cover the entire year and are not comparable to the 2023 or 2024 volumes.
* New Style ESA applications and Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) are distinct processes, and condition is centrally collated only once a WCA has been completed. Not all applications proceed to a WCA, and the primary health condition as per the International Classification of Diseases (2010) classification (ICD10) used in official statistics is captured at the WCA stage rather than on the application form. As a result, the only robust data source for health condition is WCA data. The figures include WCAs for means-tested ESA as well as new style, contributory ESA, but the great majority will be for new style ESA
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many presenting officers they employ in the Department for Work and Pensions.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions employs a total of 177.6 (FTE) Presenting Officers.
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, who is responsible for registering liability orders with Registry Trust Limited.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) does not require a justice of the peace to issue a summons before making an application for a liability order.
When seeking a liability order, the CMS writes directly to the paying parent to inform them of the intention to apply. This communication includes the outstanding debt amount, along with the court location and the date of the hearing.
Use of such powers may have an impact on a parent’s future ability to pay. These powers are therefore only used in circumstances where the CMS believes the parent can pay but is refusing to do so. In such circumstances these powers will have a deterrent effect and as such the numbers are expected to be low.
The CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026 on trends in the level of social mobility for people from low-income households.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member for North Durham to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57823.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026 on regional inequality (a) in County Durham and (b) England.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member for North Durham to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57823.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence his Department used to inform its decision to amend eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026; and if she will publish that evidence.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member for North Durham to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57823.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what alternative progression routes he plans to put in place for experienced staff affected by the cut to Level 7 apprenticeship funding who cannot afford postgraduate study but are expected to operate at senior professional or leadership level.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and is determined to tackle the 40% fall in apprenticeship starts by young people aged under 25 that we’ve seen over the last decade.
Since January 2026, the government no longer funds level 7 apprenticeships, equivalent to master’s degree level, except for young apprentices under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan. This will enable apprenticeships opportunities to be rebalanced towards young people and create more opportunities for those entering the labour market, who need skills and training to get on in their careers. Level 7 apprentices that started before 1 January 2026 will continue to be funded through to completion.
The government is encouraging more employers to invest in upskilling their staff aged over 22 to level 7 where it delivers a benefit to the business and the individual. It will be for employers to determine the most appropriate training. The department has published guidance on privately funded apprenticeships, which will enable employers to privately fund level 7 apprenticeships for staff aged over 22: Privately funded apprenticeships: rules and guidance - GOV.UK. There are also alternative training options available to employers at level 7 including non-apprenticeship routes.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to provide bereavement support to families grieving loved ones that passed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Bereavement Support Payment provides support during the acute period following a bereavement by way of an initial lump sum followed by up to 18 monthly instalments. It supports families though the immediate period of grief, including those who sadly lost loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic. Where longer-term financial support is needed, benefits such as Universal Credit have been specifically designed to provide assistance with ongoing living costs. The Government keeps eligibility of all benefits under review.
Asked by: Luke Akehurst (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with employers on the level of support for retention, succession planning and productivity for jobs affected by the potential impact of changes to eligibility to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships from 1 January 2026.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member for North Durham to the answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 88252.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) average and (b) longest recorded wait time was on his Department's bereavement line in each year between 2021 and 2026.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The below table shows the Average Time to Answer and Maximum Time to Answer for all calls to Bereavement Services in an hours, minutes and seconds format (hh:mm:ss), itemised by each of the requested Reporting Years.
Please note, that the current *2025 – 2026 reporting year, shows data up to and including 22/02/2026 only.
Reporting Year | Product Line | Average Time to Answer (hh:mm:ss) | Maximum Time to Answer (hh:mm:ss) |
2021-2022 | Bereavement Services | 00:06:36 | 01:26:43 |
2022-2023 | Bereavement Services | 00:07:32 | 01:33:00 |
2023-2024 | Bereavement Services | 00:06:32 | 01:04:58 |
2024-2025 | Bereavement Services | 00:07:53 | 01:55:07 |
2025-2026* | Bereavement Services | 00:06:02 | 00:50:59 |