Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce (a) delays and (a) improve communication in the processing of Access to Work applications for (i) disabled people requiring essential equipment to remain in employment and (ii) other applicants; and if will undertake a review of current service standards to ensure timely support for applicants.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practises. We remain committed to reducing waiting times for claims, prioritising customers starting a job within the next four weeks.
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are considering all aspects of the scheme as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of graduate (a) unemployment and (b) underemployment rates in the last five years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Education publish yearly statistics on graduates in the labour market. This can be found here: Graduate labour market statistics, Calendar year 2024 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. These graduate statistics are for graduates in England.
There are no official published statistics for graduate underemployment rates. However, the ONS does publish underemployment statistics for the UK here: EMP16: Underemployment and overemployment - Office for National Statistics.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the letter of 17 October 2025 from the Hon. Member for Henley and Thame to the Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms regarding Access to Work delays.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The letter dated 17 October 2025 was responded to on 29 October 2025. The response was sent to the Member’s office on 29 October 2025.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the apprentice rate for those over 21 or in their first year of their apprenticeship from £7.55 to the minimum wage for their age of £12.21.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government remains committed to ensuring that apprentice wages support the attraction of talented individuals into apprenticeships and remain fair for employers. The Government considers the expert and independent advice of the Low Pay Commission (LPC) when setting minimum wage rates.
Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are aged under 19 or aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. In all other cases, they are entitled to the minimum wage for their age, so all apprentices who are aged 19 and over and have completed the first year of their apprenticeship are entitled to the minimum wage for their age. Many employers pay their apprentices more than the minimum and the latest data shows that the median gross hourly pay for apprentices in general in 2023 was £11.63 an hour.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the Housing Benefit taper rate to 55 per cent for people living in supported accommodation in work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department recognises the challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for residents in supported and temporary accommodation.
A wide range of customers currently receive rent support through Housing Benefit, including pensioners, residents in supported or temporary accommodation, and those who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper would therefore apply across these groups.
The Housing Benefit income taper ensures that people in work are better off than those wholly reliant on benefits, and it only applies to those with earnings. However, the treatment of earnings in Housing Benefit is less generous than under Universal Credit. Consequently, while customers in supported accommodation are better off working than not working, some may face disincentives to increase their hours to maintain Universal Credit entitlement.
The Department is considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported and temporary accommodation, taking account of stakeholder views. Any future decisions on housing support will be made in the round, prioritising measures that best meet Government objectives within the current fiscal environment.
It remains our priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter and sustain employment.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) criminal and (b) civil measures to increase compliance with child maintenance payments.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
69% of Paying Parents due to pay via the Collect & Pay service actually paid some maintenance during the calendar quarter ending March 2025. This compares with 65% during the quarter ending March 2023. In the year to March 2025, the CMS arranged around £1.5 billion in child maintenance payments.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) believes current enforcement powers are sufficient and substantial enough to encourage paying parents to comply. The CMS requires paying parents to pay their maintenance on time, to avoid accrual of arrears. Where a paying parent fails to pay on time or in full, the CMS aims to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance. When a paying parent does not make maintenance payments on time or in full, the CMS will initially negotiate a payment that is feasible for the parent to pay. If this is unsuccessful and the paying parent is employed, the CMS will request that ongoing child maintenance payments be deducted directly from their salary by issuing what we call a Deductions from Earnings Order (DEO). A DEO instructs an employer to make deductions from the paying parent’s earnings and pay the amounts to the CMS who will pass this onto the receiving parent. The CMS also has powers to deduct maintenance from a wide range of bank accounts including joint and business accounts.
The CMS has a range of strong “civil” enforcement powers that can be used against those who consistently refuse to meet their obligations to provide financial support to their children including holding or obtaining driving licenses and passports and forcing the sale of a property.
These powers are designed to act as a deterrent and encourage parents to pay their liability. Powers are used effectively and produce positive results. In many cases, once an application to the courts has been made, paying parents have either paid their liability or agreed to a repayment plan.
Planned reforms to the Direct Pay service will allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster as monitoring all payments would enable the CMS to immediately identify any missed, late or partial payments and take swift enforcement action.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the collection of late payments by the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their responsibilities to provide their children with financial support and the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the CMS will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison. The Service is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.
Statistics on child maintenance arrangements and collections are part of the CMS quarterly statistics published on gov.uk in tables 4 and 5 of the National Tables. The below information is from the latest publication for data up to March 2025.
The CMS has a low percentage of unpaid maintenance with 7% (£713.1 million) of the total maintenance due to be paid since the CMS began in 2012, still to be collected through Collect & Pay. This has steadily fallen since the 17% due to be paid in March 2015.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 the powers of (a) enforcement and (b) collection of the Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring separated parents support their children financially, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not.
If someone chooses not to pay their maintenance themselves, the CMS has administrative powers which means CMS officials can deduct maintenance directly from a paying parent’s wages, from their bank account, or from their benefits.
The CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that can be used against those who consistently refuse to meet their obligations to provide financial support to their children including forcing the sale of a property.
The Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023 proposed regulations to support the introduction of administrative liability orders (ALOs), removing the requirement to obtain a court issued liability order. Introducing this process should enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities and get money to children more quickly. We are working with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government to establish a process for implementing ALOs and plan to introduce regulations to Parliament by the end of this year.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 merits of extending the Household Support Fund after March 2026.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty across the UK.
That is why we are providing £742 million in England to extend the Household Support Fund by a further year, from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026. This will enable Local Authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, and develop their schemes to help prevent poverty locally and build local resilience.
However, no decision has been made at this stage on funding beyond the end of March 2026. As with all other government programmes, any such funding will be considered in the round at Phase 2 of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help support families with the costs of raising (a) twins and (b) children of multiple births; and if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of her maternity pay policies for families with multiple births.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are two types of maternity pay available to pregnant working women:
Maternity pay is primarily a health and safety provision for pregnant working women providing a measure of financial security to help them take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth. It is not, and has never been, intended to replace a woman's earnings completely nor is it intended to help with the cost of having a baby. As such, maternity pay is paid for each pregnancy, not in respect of each child.
Additional financial support is available depending on individual circumstances, such as Universal Credit and Child Benefit. The Sure Start Maternity Grant (a lump sum payment of £500) may also be available with additional payments for those having a multiple births in certain circumstances. For more information about benefits and financial support available to pregnant women and their families can be found on www.gov.uk via the Childcare and Parenting link on the home page.