Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost of migraines to the UK economy.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The economic impact of migraines is recognised to arise from a range of factors, including working days lost and labour market participation. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that 3.1 million days were lost due to headaches and migraines in 2024. No information is available on the potential impact of migraine on labour market participation as no data is available from the Labour Force Survey - the primary source for such data.
We have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.
Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants. 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. Already, our Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work, is supporting disabled people, people with health conditions and people with complex barriers to employment across England and Wales.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their planned welfare reforms will take account of people experiencing frequent short-term absences from work due to chronic conditions such as migraines.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The impact of fluctuating conditions are already considered within Work Capability Assessments in Universal Credit (UC) and New Style Employment and Support Allowance, and within Personal Independence Payment assessments and in applications to Access to Work. Changes introduced through the UC Act 2025 do not affect how fluctuating conditions are considered.
At the heart of reforms such as this year’s Universal Credit Act and the Right to Try Guarantee is the principle that those who can work should work, but if you need help into work the government should support you, and those who can’t work should be supported to live with dignity.
Through the upcoming reviews of the welfare system led by Alan Milburn and Stephen Timms, we will ensure that our approach to support is fit and fair for the future, promotes independence, and enables full participation in society as possible.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost to the economy of frequent short-term sickness absences.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information on the number of short-term sickness absences and therefore cannot estimate the cost to the economy of these absences. Whilst employers may record employer sickness absence, there is no reporting requirement to share administrative data when an employee takes a sickness absence.
In November 2025, Sir Charlie Mayfield published the Keep Britain Working Report, setting out recommendations to reshape how government works with employers to improve work and health outcomes through creating healthier, more inclusive workplaces. We are now working with over 150 volunteer employers, providers and regions through a Vanguard Phase to test and refine approaches to help disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions receive the support they need to remain and thrive in employment. These include developing effective stay in work and return to work practices, strengthening prevention, and building the evidence needed to spread good practice.
Any long-term system reform is expected to combine both employer and state-led provision, and in May 2026, the Government announced that it would test reform of the fit note, beginning with pilots in 4 Integrated Care Boards across England. With over 11 million fit notes issued each year, the pilots aim to shift from a system of administrative sickness certification to one focussed on getting people the support they need to stay in work and sustainably return.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce workplace absences caused by migraines; and what steps they are taking to support people living with chronic migraines to remain in or return to work.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We know that good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Disabled people and people with health conditions, including people living with chronic migraines, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key.
We have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals, including people with migraines, to stay in work and get back into work. These include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres, Access to Work grants and Connect to Work, as well as initiatives joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, and WorkWell.
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. We are building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits, building on existing initiatives.
Additionally, we have developed a digital information service for employers and continue to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme.
In November 2025, Sir Charlie Mayfield published the Keep Britain Working Report, setting out recommendations to reshape how government works with employers to improve work and health outcomes through creating healthier, more inclusive workplaces. We are now working with volunteer employers, providers and regions through a Vanguard Phase to test and refine approaches to help disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions, including workers living with chronic migraines, receive the support they need to remain and thrive in employment. These include developing effective stay in work and return to work practices, strengthening prevention, and building the evidence needed to spread good practice.
The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration. The Plan outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work and deliver holistic care that leads to better employment outcomes for all.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report Destitution in the UK 2023, published on 24 October, which found that "approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including around one million children".
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie
This government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. We are providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023-24 to help households and individuals with the rising bills.
Furthermore, government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting low-income families and has overseen significant falls in absolute poverty since 2009/10.
In 2021/22 there were 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty after housing costs than in 2009/10, including 400,000 fewer children, 1 million fewer working age adults and 200,000 fewer pensioners. Rates of absolute poverty after housing costs for individuals in families in receipt of Universal Credit have also fallen by 12ppt since 2019/20.
With almost one million job vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on supporting people, including parents, to move into and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. The latest statistics show that in 2021/22 children living in workless households were 5 times more likely to be in absolute poverty, after housing costs, than those where all adults work.
To help people into work, our core Jobcentre offer provides a range of options, including face-to-face time with work coaches and interview assistance. In addition, there is specific support targeted towards young people, people aged 50 plus and job seekers with disabilities or health issues.
To support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) increased by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW. In addition, the voluntary in-work progression offer started to roll-out in April 2022. It is now available in all Jobcentres across Great Britain. We estimate that around 1.4m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work.
To further support parents into work, on 28th June 2023, the maximum monthly amounts that a parent can be reimbursed for their childcare increased by 47%, from £646.35 for one child and £1,108.04 for two or more children to £950.92 and £1,630.15 respectively. Importantly, we can now also provide even more help with upfront childcare costs when parents move into work or increase their hours. This means that a parent who needs this additional financial help can now be provided with funding towards both their first and second set of costs (or increased costs), upfront, thereby easing them into the UC childcare costs cycle.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why those with Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder are required to re-apply for (1) Personal Independence Payment, and (2) Disability Living Allowance, given that the condition is lifelong and does not present changing symptoms.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Award rates and their durations are set on an individual basis, based on the claimant’s needs and the likelihood of those needs changing, including where childhood developmental milestones are reached. Award reviews allow for the correct rate of DLA or PIP to remain in payment, including where needs have increased as a consequence of a congenital, degenerative or progressive condition.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) value, and (2) use, of the Condition Insight Report for Valproate in enabling (a) Personal Independence Payment, and (b) Disability Living Allowance, assessors to understand Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
Both Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment providers have a Condition Insight Report (CIR) on Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder. CIR provide condition-based information which Health Professionals (HPs) have access to during the course of the PIP assessment process. CIRs are often developed with input from stakeholder groups that advocate for those with the relevant condition. While it is not possible to objectively assess the specific impact of a CIR on HPs’ knowledge, the CIR on Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder is a welcome addition to the information available to HPs.
Claims to DLA are dealt with by DWP case managers. Case managers refer to Departmental guidance The Children’s A-Z of Medical Conditions which sets out the main care and mobility needs likely to arise from different disabling conditions. If necessary, further information is gathered from health professionals, or in the case of a child, from their school.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people with Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder have been refused the award of (1) Personal Independence Payment, or (2) Disability Living Allowance, over the last 12 months.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in England received the Carer's Allowance in (1) April 2019, and (2) April 2021.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
DWP statistics on the number of Carer’s Allowance claims in payment are publicly available online via StatXplore. These statistics are released on a quarterly basis, for the following months: February, May, August and November. The most recent available statistics are for February 2021.
The figures requested are therefore not available for April 2021. The figure from the most recent release of these statistics is included in the response instead. For an annual comparison, the figure for February 2019 is also included in this response.
The number of people in England who received Carer’s Allowance in February 2019 was 736,624.
The number of people in England who received Carer’s Allowance in February 2021 was 794,816.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the standards of gas safety in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Buscombe
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require that anyone employed to work on domestic gas systems is competent. An individual is deemed competent following successful completion of an industry-recognised training course and an assessment of their skills.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) working with the gas industry’s Standards Setting Body has supported the implementation of the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) standard IGEM/IG/1 Standards of training in gas work (attached). IGEM/IG/1 sets out the requirements for training in gas work, and will ensure that only those engineers who have completed an approved industry recognised training course will have access to the Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) assessment of competence. Passing such assessment, or an Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (OFQUAL) regulated National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), enables an engineer to be considered as competent and apply for Gas Safe registration.
HSE assesses standards of gas safety through published figures on gas-related incidents in Great Britain (attached). These are reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations (RIDDOR). This and further information can also be found in the Cross-Government Group on Gas Safety and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Awareness’ annual report for 2016/2017 (attached). The Group ensures a joined-up approach across departments, the devolved administrations and other governmental bodies to improve gas safety and tackle CO risks from all fuels.