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 estimate she has made of the potential impact of the Spring Statement 2025 on the number of benefit claimants at risk of poverty in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government's impact assessment regarding Health and Disability Reform is available at Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts.
An assessment of the poverty impacts of the reforms is not available at the constituency or local authority area 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 steps she plans to take to help train employers to (a) recognise and (b) support employees with (i) dyslexia and (ii) neurodivergent conditions.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Neurodivergent people bring many positive benefits to workplaces but face particular barriers to employment, which is reflected in a poor overall employment rate. As a government, we want to support all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace, including dyslexia, by encouraging employers to adopt neuro-inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work well before diagnosis.
On 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Many of the panel are diagnosed or identify as neurodivergent and/or have familial experience alongside their professional experience and expertise.
The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices.
Employers have a key role to play. Our support to employers includes the online Support with Employee Health and Disability service, to support employers managing health and disability in the workplace. This includes questions of disclosure and equipping employers to feel confident having conversations about health and disability. The Disability Confident scheme also signposts employers to expert resources which support the employment of disabled people, including neurodivergent people.
The Department of Education has invested £1.34 billion in the 2024/25 academic year in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF). Education and Skills Funding Agency funded ASF includes funds for Learning Support, which helps providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Learning Support can cover a range of needs including an assessment for dyslexia.
Adults who wish to be assessed for dyslexia are advised to contact a local or national dyslexia association for advice. Further information on dyslexia assessments, can be found on the NHS.uk website: Dyslexia - Diagnosis - NHS
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 barriers faced by dyslexic adults in the workplace.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Neurodivergent people bring many positive benefits to workplaces but face particular barriers to employment, which is reflected in a poor overall employment rate. As a government, we want to support all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace, including dyslexia, by encouraging employers to adopt neuro-inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work well before diagnosis.
On 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Many of the panel are diagnosed or identify as neurodivergent and/or have familial experience alongside their professional experience and expertise.
The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices.
Employers have a key role to play. Our support to employers includes the online Support with Employee Health and Disability service, to support employers managing health and disability in the workplace. This includes questions of disclosure and equipping employers to feel confident having conversations about health and disability. The Disability Confident scheme also signposts employers to expert resources which support the employment of disabled people, including neurodivergent people.
The Department of Education has invested £1.34 billion in the 2024/25 academic year in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF). Education and Skills Funding Agency funded ASF includes funds for Learning Support, which helps providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Learning Support can cover a range of needs including an assessment for dyslexia.
Adults who wish to be assessed for dyslexia are advised to contact a local or national dyslexia association for advice. Further information on dyslexia assessments, can be found on the NHS.uk website: Dyslexia - Diagnosis - NHS
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 plans she has to support the diagnosis of dyslexia in adults in the workplace.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Neurodivergent people bring many positive benefits to workplaces but face particular barriers to employment, which is reflected in a poor overall employment rate. As a government, we want to support all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace, including dyslexia, by encouraging employers to adopt neuro-inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work well before diagnosis.
On 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Many of the panel are diagnosed or identify as neurodivergent and/or have familial experience alongside their professional experience and expertise.
The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices.
Employers have a key role to play. Our support to employers includes the online Support with Employee Health and Disability service, to support employers managing health and disability in the workplace. This includes questions of disclosure and equipping employers to feel confident having conversations about health and disability. The Disability Confident scheme also signposts employers to expert resources which support the employment of disabled people, including neurodivergent people.
The Department of Education has invested £1.34 billion in the 2024/25 academic year in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF). Education and Skills Funding Agency funded ASF includes funds for Learning Support, which helps providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Learning Support can cover a range of needs including an assessment for dyslexia.
Adults who wish to be assessed for dyslexia are advised to contact a local or national dyslexia association for advice. Further information on dyslexia assessments, can be found on the NHS.uk website: Dyslexia - Diagnosis - NHS
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, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the bedroom tax on the number of incidences of exploitation by criminals taking over the homes of vulnerable people.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No such assessment is planned.
Taking over of a person’s home for use by criminals, also known as ‘cuckooing’, is an appalling practice which can drive violence, exploitation and anti-social behaviour in our communities. The Government’s Safer Streets Mission aims to tackle this issue.
The Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy (RSRS) policy, sometimes known as the bedroom tax, was introduced in 2013 for working age Housing Benefit or Universal Credit claimants where the claimant is living in the social rented sector in a property that is considered to have more bedrooms than their bedroom entitlement.
Those unable to meet a rental shortfall arising from this policy, can seek a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) from their local authority. DHPs can be paid to those in receipt of qualifying housing support who face a shortfall in meeting their rental housing costs.
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 her Department is taking to consult with organisations that advocate for deaf and disabled people on employment support reforms; and what recent discussions she has had with those organisations on supporting deaf and disabled people in the workplace.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and to working with disabled people to design our reforms.
The Get Britain Working White Paper announced that DWP will establish a panel to consult disabled people as part of our wider efforts to ensure that the views and voices of disabled people are at the heart of the design and delivery of the reforms set out in the White Paper. We will expand our engagement with Deaf and Disabled people's organisations and disabled people, and work collaboratively to ensure their voices are heard.
The Minister for Social Security and Disability regularly meets with disabled people and Disabled People’s Organisations, including through the Disability Unit’s Regional Stakeholder Network and the Disabled People’s Organisation Forum England.
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 sanction regime will be used for young people under the Youth Guarantee; how that regime will differ from the conditionality regime; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that new regime on vulnerable young people with (a) mental ill-health and (b) SEND.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Youth Guarantee will be available to all young people in England aged 18-21, not just those on benefits, and therefore sanctions are not relevant for many in scope of the Guarantee.
Young people on benefits can access DWP’s Youth Offer and Jobcentre Plus support offer. If young people on benefit do not engage with activity mandated by a work coach, without good reason, they may be subject to a sanction. However, emphasis is placed on protecting vulnerable claimants and decision-makers always take all the individual circumstances of the case into account before making a decision. Our work coaches regularly explain benefit conditions and the consequences of failing to meet agreed requirements to our claimants to ensure understanding.
As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we will explore a new approach to the benefit rules for young people to ensure they support the intent and design of the Youth Guarantee. For example, supporting young people to focus on improving their skills. We will engage widely on this issue to ensure all young people, including those with mental health or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, have access to opportunities in employment, education or training.
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 her Department is taking to support people who are out of work but not receiving employment support.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As part of the biggest reforms in a generation, DWP will shift from being a department for welfare to being a department for work.
The Get Britain Working White Paper published in November set out plans to deliver fundamental reform of our health, employment and skills system, including:
The Get Britain Working White Paper can be found at Gov.uk. GBW White Paper.