Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vehicles were leased through the mobility scheme in each year since 2020; and how many of those vehicles were British made.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation with oversight of the Motability Scheme. DWP is responsible for the main disability benefits (excluding Scottish disability benefits) that provide a gateway to the Scheme. If a claimant chooses to join the Scheme, DWP facilitates the transfer of these benefits to Motability Operations.
Whilst the Department works closely with Motability Foundation, responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme, including the choice of vehicles, sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. Motability Foundation publish annual reports which set out the number of customers on the Scheme as a whole and can be found on this link: Annual Reports and Accounts | About Us | Motability Foundation.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many apprenticeship vacancies were advertised on the Find An Apprenticeship website in each month since 1 January 2020.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested data on apprenticeship vacancies that were advertised on the Find an Apprenticeship website are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication and can be found here:
This has been available since 17 July 2025. The next update to these figures will be in the Apprenticeships: November 2025 statistics publication.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
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 impact of the two child benefit cap on children in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.
In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action.
As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.
In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2020 to Question 20593 on Social Security Benefits: Suicide, how many deaths by suicide her Department has investigated in each year since 2010.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The National Audit Office recently published their briefing note on information held by the DWP on deaths by suicide of benefit claimants. This report can be accessed via the following link:
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
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 number of claimants of social security benefits who have died by suicide in the last twelve months for which figures are available.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The Department interacts with millions of people, and among them are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. When we are informed a claimant has, tragically, died as a result of suicide, the Department will investigate. However, the fact that we have carried out a review does not mean that DWP has been found culpable in the circumstances or events leading to a death. This is up to a coroner to establish.
We are continuously improving support and guidance to staff on how best to support vulnerable people, and we are constantly looking at our processes, striving for improvement.