Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the speed of (a) award decisions and (b) reimbursement payments for the Access to Work scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are committed to increasing the speed of (a) award decisions and (b) reimbursement payments under the Access to Work scheme. To support this, we have increased capacity by recruiting additional staff to process applications and payments. Access to Work payments processing is currently meeting the Standard level agreement of 10 days. We also prioritise cases where customers are about to start work or require renewal of existing support.
In March 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions published the Pathways to Work Green Paper, which launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work and how the scheme can better support disabled people in employment. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are expected to be supported by the introduction of new earned income disregards for Housing Benefit claimants in supported housing.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Autumn Budget 2025 included an announcement to introduce four new earned income disregards into Housing Benefit for residents in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation.
This will remove a significant barrier to entering work or increasing hours, ensuring that work pays and residents are better able to achieve financial independence from Autumn 2026. The Department’s latest data for August 2025 shows there were around 300,000 working-age people on Housing Benefit living in either supported housing or temporary accommodation of which around 200,000 were living specifically in supported housing.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the timeline for the introduction of new earned income disregards for Housing Benefit claimants in supported housing.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Autumn Budget 2025 included an announcement to introduce four new earned income disregards into Housing Benefit for residents in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation.
This will remove a significant barrier to entering work or increasing hours, ensuring that work pays and residents are better able to achieve financial independence from Autumn 2026. The Department’s latest data for August 2025 shows there were around 300,000 working-age people on Housing Benefit living in either supported housing or temporary accommodation of which around 200,000 were living specifically in supported housing.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the number of Universal Credit households with dependent children reporting fewer than (a) 16, (b) 30 and (c) 35 hours of work per week.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claimants with dependent children are in the light touch or working conditionality groups.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to lift any other elements of the benefit cap beyond scrapping the two-child limit.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The benefit cap limits the total amount of benefits a working age household can receive and is applied through Universal Credit and Housing Benefit. The benefit cap aims to incentivise work as, where possible, it is in the best interest of children to be in working households. The Department provides a range of support for people to prepare for, move into and progress in work. We are delivering a step-change in employment and skills support for parents, enabling parents to balance work and caring responsibilities through high quality, flexible jobs, and improving access to childcare so parents are better able to work. There are no plans to change the benefit cap policy.
Alongside employment support, the Department supports families in work through an exemption from the benefit cap for households earning at least £846 each month. There is also protection for the most vulnerable as those who are caring or are severely disabled are exempt from the benefit cap.
Removing the two child limit is the fastest and most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty over this Parliament and estimated to alone lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament. It builds on major action we’ve already taken including expanding Free School Meals for over half a million children, investing £39 billion in social and affordable housing, £13.2 billion in the Warm Homes Plan, and rolling out Best Start Family Hubs backed by £500 million.
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, whether he plans to extend pre-1997 pension indexation changes for members of the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme to members of ongoing occupational pension schemes whose pre-1997 contributions remain frozen.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government tabled an amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill which provides that compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme on pensions accrued before April 1997 will now be linked to CPI-inflation (capped at 2.5%). This will apply prospectively for pensioners whose former schemes provided these increases.
In private sector defined benefit pension schemes, analysis published by the Pensions Regulator indicates that, as of March 2023, around 17 per cent of members do not receive any pre-1997 indexation on benefits. This information can be found at: thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests
The reforms in our Pension Schemes Bill give trustees more flexibility to share surplus with sponsoring employers, and negotiate benefits for members, including discretionary increases. Trustees will be in the driving seat in all decision making on surplus release and must act in the best interest of scheme beneficiaries.
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 his Department has made of the potential impact of occupational pension schemes whose pre-1997 pension rights remain unindexed on retired members of those schemes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government tabled an amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill which provides that compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme on pensions accrued before April 1997 will now be linked to CPI-inflation (capped at 2.5%). This will apply prospectively for pensioners whose former schemes provided these increases.
In private sector defined benefit pension schemes, analysis published by the Pensions Regulator indicates that, as of March 2023, around 17 per cent of members do not receive any pre-1997 indexation on benefits. This information can be found at: thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests
The reforms in our Pension Schemes Bill give trustees more flexibility to share surplus with sponsoring employers, and negotiate benefits for members, including discretionary increases. Trustees will be in the driving seat in all decision making on surplus release and must act in the best interest of scheme beneficiaries.
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 estimate he has made of the number of members of ongoing occupational pension schemes who will not receive pre-1997 indexation.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government tabled an amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill which provides that compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme on pensions accrued before April 1997 will now be linked to CPI-inflation (capped at 2.5%). This will apply prospectively for pensioners whose former schemes provided these increases.
In private sector defined benefit pension schemes, analysis published by the Pensions Regulator indicates that, as of March 2023, around 17 per cent of members do not receive any pre-1997 indexation on benefits. This information can be found at: thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests
The reforms in our Pension Schemes Bill give trustees more flexibility to share surplus with sponsoring employers, and negotiate benefits for members, including discretionary increases. Trustees will be in the driving seat in all decision making on surplus release and must act in the best interest of scheme beneficiaries.
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, if he will take steps to ensure that the State Pension Benefit will be available under the current conditions to those entering the workforce in the financial year 2025-2026.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to maintaining a fair and sustainable State Pension system that provides security in retirement. The new State Pension, introduced in April 2016, offers a clear and predictable foundation for individuals’ retirement planning.
Entitlement to the State Pension continues to be based on National Insurance contributions and credits, ensuring that those who contribute throughout their working lives are able to build qualifying years.
To ensure today’s workers and tomorrow’s pensioners have security in retirement, we have launched the Pensions Commission to consider what is needed for a stronger, fairer and more sustainable pensions framework. The Commission will examine how to improve outcomes, particularly for those on the lowest incomes and at greatest risk of poverty or under-saving.