Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assumptions about the starting point, earnings measure, and uprating calculation, underpin their estimate of the fiscal effects of the proposed State Pension uprating reforms; and which assumptions have been supplied to the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
From April 2030, pensioners will be protected by an adjusted Triple Lock. The State Pension will rise each year by at least Consumer Prices Index inflation or 2.5 per cent, whichever is higher, and by more where needed to retain its protected value relative to average earnings. The target share will be set by reference to the value of the full rate of new State Pension relative to average earnings as of 2029/30.
The Department’s published estimates use the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Spring Statement 2026 economic assumptions accounting for historical volatility in earnings growth and CPI inflation.
The Triple Lock has protected pensioner incomes and brought the State Pension to a record-high value relative to earnings. However, the current mechanism means increases in the State Pension outstrip earnings growth over time, which is unsustainable in the longer term. The adjustment will lock in the gains already made while putting the State Pension on a sustainable footing.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish worked examples showing how increases resulting from inflation or the 2.5 per cent minimum increase will be taken into account when calculating subsequent earnings-related increases under their proposed State Pension uprating arrangements.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Triple Lock reform factsheet was published on 6th October 2026 and provides further information on how the adjusted Triple Lock will operate.
From April 2030, the basic and new State Pensions will be uprated by the highest of 2.5%, annual CPI inflation, or the increase needed to return or maintain the State Pension at its target share of average earnings reached in 2029/30.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what base year or other reference point they propose to use when calculating the increases required to maintain the value of (1) the basic State Pension, and (2) the full rate of the new State Pension, relative to earnings from April 2030.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
From April 2030, the basic and new State Pensions will be uprated by the highest of 2.5%, annual CPI inflation, or the increase needed to return or maintain the State Pension at its share of average earnings as of 2029/30.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government which measure of average earnings they propose to use for State Pension uprating from April 2030; and over what reference period earnings growth will be measured.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Earnings growth will be measured in reference to the value of the full rate of new State Pension relative to average earnings as of 2029/30. Further details will be set out when legislation is brought before Parliament.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the same uprating calculation will apply to the basic State Pension and the full rate of the new State Pension from April 2030; and whether both will receive the same percentage increase each year.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
From April 2030, the adjusted Triple Lock will apply to the core contributory basic and new State Pensions. The value of the basic State Pension and the new State Pension will be increased by the highest of 2.5 per cent, Consumer Price Index inflation, or the increase needed to return or maintain the State Pension at the protected earnings level.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they account for the projected reduction in expenditure on apprenticeships between 2026–27 and 2027–28 as set out on page 285 of the Department for Work and Pensions' Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26, published in July.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Budgets for the 2027-28 financial year and subsequent years, as published in the 2025-26 Annual Report and Accounts this July, reflect the budget position at time of publication. Final funding allocations can and will be affected by future fiscal events and departmental budget allocation processes.
This government is investing an additional £1 billion to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, give employers greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need, and support the industrial strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many additional full-time equivalent staff they estimate will be required to (1) operate, (2) maintain, and (3) further develop, their Work Hub.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As with most digital services, the level of resource required during the design and build phase is not expected to be representative of the level required for ongoing operation and maintenance. Future staffing requirements will be kept under review as the service develops. The use of digital services enables support to be delivered efficiently and at scale, helping to maximise value for money while reaching large numbers of users.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what functions the Department for Work and Pensions’ Work Hub provides that are not already provided by Jobcentre Plus; and how the Work Hub will complement rather than duplicate existing Jobcentre services.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Work Hub complements rather than duplicates the services provided through Jobcentre Plus. Jobcentre Plus provides personalised support through Work Coaches and employment services, primarily for benefit claimants. Work Hub is a digital service available to all working-age adults, whether or not they claim benefits, as well as employers. It enables users to search for jobs, build a CV, create action plans and access employment support online. Employers can advertise vacancies and access recruitment support.
The Government's approach is to provide digital support where possible and human support when needed. Work Hub extends access to employment support through digital channels, allowing people to access help at a time and place that suits them, while Jobcentre Plus continues to provide personalised support through Work Coaches and other employment specialists.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what expenditure they have incurred to date on the development and implementation of the Work Hub, and what they estimate the annual running cost of the Work Hub to be.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Expenditure on the development and implementation of Work Hub forms part of the Department's wider investment in the Jobs and Careers Service and related digital employment services. Resources are deployed flexibly across multiple products and capabilities to support delivery priorities, and costs are not routinely attributed to individual service components. The Department therefore does not hold a standalone figure for expenditure incurred specifically on Work Hub to date. Digital services such as Work Hub enable the Department to provide employment and careers support to large numbers of people efficiently and at scale, representing a cost-effective component of the wider service offer.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what specific objectives and measurable outcomes they have set for the Work Hub; and by what criteria they will assess whether the service has been successful.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Work Hub supports the Government’s ambitions set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper to help more people into work, support progression in work and improve access to personalised employment support. The new service is being developed incrementally using a test-and-learn approach, enabling the Department to understand what works best for different users and employers before scaling successful interventions. As a result, the Department is collecting a range of metrics which will help inform the success measures for the service.