Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
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 adequacy of the weekly State Pension rate for people in (a) rural communities and (b) Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to ensuring that the State Pension provides a foundation for income in retirement. From the end of this Parliament, spending on the State Pension is forecast to be around £31 billion more a year, compared with 2024/25 as a result of our commitment to protect the Triple Lock. This will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rising by up to £1,900.
Several benefits provide supplementary support for those on low incomes. This includes direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, the Warm Home Discount and (in England & Wales) Cold Weather Payments. The Household Support Fund in England also provides discretionary support towards the cost of essentials.
All pensioners also continue to benefit from free eye tests, free NHS prescriptions and free bus passes.
The Department continues to monitor pensioner outcomes and benefit take-up to ensure support reaches those who need it most.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to address the barriers faced by pension holders in Yeovil constituency seeking to access their financial data from private pension providers.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is developing pensions dashboards which will allow people to view their pensions picture, including State Pension, securely and in one place online.
Relevant occupational, personal and stakeholder pension schemes are legally required to connect to pensions dashboards and provide pensions information upon request. This will help people to reconnect with their pension pots and better plan for retirement.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase transparency in the private pension sector.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is developing pensions dashboards which will allow people to view their pensions picture, including State Pension, securely and in one place online.
Relevant occupational, personal and stakeholder pension schemes are legally required to connect to pensions dashboards and provide pensions information upon request. This will help people to reconnect with their pension pots and better plan for retirement.
The Value for Money measures in the Pension Schemes Bill will also drive transparency across the Defined Contributions pensions sector by requiring schemes to provide standardised metrics across three core pillars of value: costs and charges; investments; and quality of service. DWP are working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority and The Pensions Regulator to ensure we design a framework and regulatory regime that increases comparability, transparency and competition across DC pension schemes, delivering better outcomes for pension savers.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure pension holders in Yeovil constituency receive (a) up-to-date and (b) easily accessible online valuations from their pension providers.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is developing pensions dashboards which will allow people to view their pensions picture, including State Pension, securely and in one place online.
Relevant occupational, personal and stakeholder pension schemes are legally required to connect to pensions dashboards and provide pensions information upon request. This includes information about the value of their pensions. This will help people to reconnect with their pension pots and better plan for retirement.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome impacted by changes to Personal Independence Payments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have committed in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill to introduce a new requirement that claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. This will target PIP at people who have a higher level of functional need in at least one area. Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
We are mindful of the impact this change to PIP eligibility could have on people. That is why we have committed that existing claimants who lose eligibility as a result of these changes will continue to receive PIP and its associated benefits and entitlements for 13 weeks following their award review. This protection is non-negotiable and is included on the face of the Bill. This transitional cover is one of the most generous ever and more than three times the length of protection provided for the transition from DLA to PIP.
Meanwhile, in the Green Paper we are consulting on what else is needed to support those who lose entitlement due to the reforms, including how to make sure that health and eligible care needs are met.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people with arthritis who may be impacted by changes to Personal Independence Payments in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have committed in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill to introduce a new requirement that claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. This will target PIP at people who have a higher level of functional need in at least one area. Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
We are mindful of the impact this change to PIP eligibility could have on people. That is why we have committed that existing claimants who lose eligibility as a result of these changes will continue to receive PIP and its associated benefits and entitlements for 13 weeks following their award review. This protection is non-negotiable and is included on the face of the Bill. This transitional cover is one of the most generous ever and more than three times the length of protection provided for the transition from DLA to PIP.
Meanwhile, in the Green Paper we are consulting on what else is needed to support those who lose entitlement due to the reforms, including how to make sure that health and eligible care needs are met.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with (a) young people with severe mental illness and (b) organisations representing them on the potential impact of her Department's proposed changes to the eligibility criteria for Personal Independent Payments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have committed to introduce a new requirement that, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria, people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. Our intention is that – subject to parliamentary approval – the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026.
In the Green Paper, we are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by this change and what this support could look like. We are keen to hear views from a wide group of people, in particular people with disabilities and health conditions and organisations that represent them.
We also announced plans to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment led by myself, and we will bring together a range of people with disabilities and health conditions, organisations that represent them, and other experts to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.
This government strongly values the input of disabled people and representative organisations. Ahead of the formal consultation for the Green Paper, we engaged with a number of disability organisations and other stakeholders, and we will continue to explore ways of engaging with disabled people and their representatives. Since last July, I have had a number of meetings involving Mind, Rethink Mental Health and other organisations concerned about the mental health of young people.
There are nearly one million young people (16-24) not in Education Employment and Training, and the number is rising. Our future depends on young people being able to achieve their full potential. The period when young people transition from full-time education to building their careers is critical in shaping their professional future. We know that disengaging from employment and learning during early adulthood can have a lasting and detrimental impact on career prospects and be detrimental to a young person’s health and well-being.
The Government is launching the Youth Guarantee to ensure that all young people aged 18-21 in England can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. It will help them explore a range of pathways into employment, education and training by connecting a range of local services and support, with local accountability to identify and support young people.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of her Department's proposed changes to Personal Independent Payments on people with mental disorders in Yeovil Constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made.
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).
Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors, which have been estimated for England and Wales, including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These are likely to differ across the country and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at parliamentary constituency level.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
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 her Department’s planned reforms to Personal Independence Payments on the mental health of people with disabilities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are taking action to address anxiety about the sustainability of the funding of PIP, focusing the benefit more on those with the greatest needs, by introducing a new eligibility requirement. The change to the PIP eligibility criteria will mean that people with a higher level of functional need – for example, people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – still receive PIP.
We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits as set out in the Green Paper. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through digitalising transfer of medical information, using evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce the need for people with very severe health conditions to undergo functional assessments and improving communication with people receiving awards who are expected to remain on disability benefits for life.
For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.
Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).
A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
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 her Department's planned changes to Personal Independent Payments on levels of poverty in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) the United Kingdom.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
An assessment of the potential impact of the planned changes to health and disability benefits (including Personal Independence Payment) on levels of poverty is available for Great Britain.
This can be found here: Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts.
An assessment is not available below Great Britain level. The assessment does not include any impacts from the additional employment support announced in the Green Paper.