Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people with health conditions in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency who will be helped back into work as a result of the WorkWell programme.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.
WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.
Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK
An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what proportion of the £259 million funding to support people with health conditions back into work will be allocated to the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.
WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.
Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK
An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department's press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what analysis his Department has conducted on the impact of the WorkWell programme on the health outcomes of those who cited mental health as their main impediment to finding work.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.
WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.
Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK
An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what proportion of people supported by the WorkWell pilot have been able to earn a sufficient income to no longer require support from universal credit.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.
WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.
Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK
An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Expansion of support scheme to help thousands of people back into work, published on 20 January 2026, what data his Department holds on the proportion of people supported by the WorkWell pilot who have remained in work long-term.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
WorkWell will be rolled out across all of England backed by up to £259 million over the next three years.
WorkWell gives funding to local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to lead, design and deliver integrated work and health support that meets the needs of working age disabled people and those with health conditions in their communities.
Management information from the pilot can be found at: WorkWell Pilot Management Information from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 - GOV.UK
An independent consortium of evaluators will carry out a national evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the WorkWell pilot, using surveys, interviews and econometric measures of success. The final evaluation report is estimated to be available in Autumn 2028.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase awareness among young people of career opportunities in British manufacturing industries.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is taking a range of steps to increase awareness among young people of the diverse and rewarding career opportunities available in British manufacturing. This forms part of our wider efforts to reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Promoting the Youth Guarantee, the Government’s commitment to ensure young people have access to support to find a job, training or an apprenticeship, is a key element of this approach.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) promotes careers in manufacturing to young people through a range of national and local activity, including Jobcentre-led manufacturing-focused careers sessions, employer talks and jobs boards focused on apprenticeships and early careers roles. Work Coaches are also being upskilled to help them confidently challenge outdated myths and discuss modern manufacturing with young people.
We work closely with industry bodies such as Make UK and the Institute for Grocery Distributors, to support young people to better understand the breadth of manufacturing careers available. In addition, we encourage employers to directly engage with schools and colleges, and work closely with the National Careers Service to provide clear information on routes into the sector. We also promote pathways into manufacturing, including government skills interventions such as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes and Skills Bootcamps, and apprenticeships.
National Manufacturing Day (NMD) further supports these efforts by opening up factories and workplaces to schools, colleges, and local communities. Through activities such as factory tours, demonstrations and employer-led talks young people can see firsthand what modern manufacturing looks like and the range of roles available, including apprenticeships and graduate routes. The Department for Education (DfE) supports NMD by promoting it to schools and parents and providing materials on education and training routes into the sector for school leavers.
Finally, DWP hosts regular Jobs and Careers Fairs, with planned events throughout 2026, designed to support young people, particularly those who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET, to explore opportunities across different sectors, including manufacturing. These events enable young people to access advice and training and engage directly with employers.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 graduate schemes in supporting graduate-level employment.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Graduate schemes are designed and operated by individual employers and are not overseen or monitored by DWP. As such, DWP does not hold a central assessment of the adequacy of these employer‑run schemes.
Although we do not capture data on the adequacy of graduate schemes, the latest published DfE data shoes the unemployment rate for graduates is lower than non-graduates. A link to this data can be found here.
DWP’s role is to support all jobseekers, including graduates, into work through Jobcentre Plus and wider programmes; departments and employers are responsible for the design and evaluation of their own graduate schemes.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help reduce age-related barriers in recruitment practices.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recognise that young people face additional barriers, with almost one million currently not in education, employment or training. At Budget 2025, the Government committed over £1.5 billion to improve youth participation, including £820 million for the Youth Guarantee and £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy. Further details of the announcement can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament. We have also commissioned the Right Honourable Alan Milburn to author a report that will seek to understand the drivers of the increase in the number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training and to investigate the root causes of this rise in economic inactivity
We also work with employers nationally to recognise the value of older workers and promote age inclusive recruitment and retention. We encourage participation in initiatives such as the Age-Friendly Employer Pledge and provide tailored support to employers to embed flexible working, age positive hiring approaches, and accessible career development. This includes helping employers create recruitment models that attract older jobseekers by promoting flexible job design, return-to-work schemes, and targeted recruitment campaigns. Alongside our work with employers, we support jobseekers through our network of Jobcentres and contracted employment programmes. This includes specific support for eligible older workers including Additional Work Coach Time and Midlife MOTs, which provide an opportunity to review health, finances and skills and signpost to suitable support. There is also a digital Midlife MOT available to everyone
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 relationship between levels of pension financial literacy and vulnerability to pension fraud.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In 2023, the Behavioural Insights Team within the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) conducted a scams evidence review which found that victims of pension fraud do not fall into easily defined demographic groups and that anyone can be targeted. To mitigate this, a range of measures are in place to raise awareness and reduce risk. These include the Financial Conduct Authority’s ScamSmart tool which highlights areas of potential risk, and the detailed guidance provided by MaPS through MoneyHelper, which offers practical steps to identify and avoid pension scams. Additional safeguards are provided by the pension transfer regulations which empower trustees to pause or refuse a transfer where there are indicators of potential scam activity.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help people understand the risks associated with pension transfers.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Pension transfer regulations require trustees and scheme managers to carry out due diligence before processing a transfer request. Where a potential risk of a scam is identified, the transfer may be stopped. In cases where there are risk indicators but the transfer could still be genuine, the member must receive mandatory guidance from MoneyHelper before the transfer can proceed. In these cases, members must attend an appointment with the Money and Pensions Service, which helps them recognise scams, assess risks, and make an informed decision before proceeding. Additional resources are available through the Financial Conduct Authority’s ScamSmart tool and its Pension Scams Consumer Guide, offering practical advice on spotting warning signs, verifying investments, and reporting suspected scams.