Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the 815,000 people who use the Motability scheme will be impacted by one or more of the changes to the Motability scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
An Equality Impact Assessment including consideration of the impact on affected individuals was undertaken and published by HMT as part of the Autumn Budget and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK.
The Motability Scheme will continue to offer a choice of vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and vehicles which require no advance payment, meaning that people will be able to access a suitable vehicle using only their qualifying disability benefit. Motability Foundation, the independent charity with responsibility for overseeing the Scheme, will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Scheme.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Motability scheme users use their vehicle to travel to work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not held by the Department.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
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 consult on the implementation of Unemployment Insurance Benefit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We announced the introduction of a new contributory benefit, provisionally called ‘Unemployment Insurance' (UI) in the Pathways to Work green paper, and consulted specifically on the time limit and what support should be available whilst on UI. We published our summary of responses to the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation on 30 October 2025. We are now considering responses and will set out our plans in due course.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, why income that was disregarded under Employment Support Allowance is now being considered as income on Universal Credit for Council Tax and Social Care purposes.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Universal Credit does not replicate previous legacy benefits. Therefore, customers migrating to Universal Credit may be subject to different rules, including different treatment of income and how it is disregarded in assessing their benefit entitlement.
Treatment of income and income-related benefits for purpose of council tax reduction or adult social care charges is not set by the Department, this is set respectively by local authorities and the Department for Health and Social Care.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference disabled people migrating to Universal Credit from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), for what reason income that was disregarded for the purposes of ESA is considered to be income for the purposes of Universal Credit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Universal Credit was not designed to replicate previous legacy benefits. Therefore, customers migrating to Universal Credit may be subject to different rules, including different treatment of income and how it is disregarded in assessing their benefit entitlement.
Those moving from Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA(IR)) through the managed migration process will be assessed for Transitional Protection. Where benefit entitlement on claiming Universal Credit is lower than previous entitlement to ESA(IR), a Transitional Protection element will be applied. This element is determined prior to the application of any deductions. This ensures customers do not experience a reduction in their overall entitlement at the point of migration. However, the calculation does not replicate all legacy benefit rules, so previous disregards such as the permitted earnings disregard in ESA(IR), will not be applied on claiming Universal Credit.
Instead, customers who have limited capability for work qualify for a work allowance – the amount they can earn before the UC award starts to be reduced. The current monthly work allowances are:
Beyond the work allowance, we apply a single taper rate of 55% to net earnings. This means that for every £1 earned, customers keep 45p, helping them see a clear financial benefit from working.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of the changes to income thresholds in the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, HC 997, published on 1 July 2025, on the number of people employed on Skilled Worker Visas who no longer have leave to remain.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 12 May, The Home Office published our Immigration White Paper, outlining our future approach to legal migration routes. The Home Office made Immigration Rules changes bringing the first of these reforms into effect. The 22 July changes included raising the skills threshold to RQF 6 and a routine uplift of salary going rates.
The salary uplift is based on changes in UK workers’ earnings, as recorded in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings conducted by the Office of National Statistics. This ensures that migrant workers are not used to undercut UK workers and are not exploited by being underpaid, which would create downward pressure on wages.
Recent salary changes only affect those already in the Skilled Worker route when they next make an application to change employment, extend their stay, or settle. Sponsors are not required to increase salary in line with the new salary requirements for the duration of a worker’s existing permission. The changes only apply when they next make an application to change employment or extend their stay. This is in line with normal practice.
Those who have been in the route since before 4 April 2024 continue to be subject to lower overall salary requirements.
On 2 July, The Home Office asked the Migration Advisory Committee to advise on future salary requirements for Skilled Worker visas and the Temporary Shortage List.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
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 help tackle age discrimination in the workplace.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government acknowledges the key role employers play in helping older individuals to remain in or re-enter the workforce, and the importance of embracing policies conducive to this support. The 2010 Equality Act provides strong protection against direct and indirect age discrimination in employment, rendering it unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees or job applicants based on age.
We know that work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement. The Department is committed to supporting older workers through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes inclusion, flexibility, and progression. This includes promoting age-inclusive practices, supporting workplace health, policy and service reform and removing age related barriers to employment. The Department has also signed up to and actively promotes the Age-Friendly Employer Pledge, encouraging employers to adopt flexible working, age-positive hiring, and career development.
Our new Jobs and Careers service will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and help them progress in work or increase their earnings. The Jobs and Careers Service will incorporate principles of accessibility and inclusivity, acknowledging diverse support needs, including those of older individuals.
We also asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent “Keep Britain Working” review as a part of the plan to Get Britain Working. In recognition of employer's vital role, his review is considering recommendations to support and enable employers to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. This includes the perspectives of older people themselves, as well as input from organisations like the Centre for Ageing Better. Recommendations are expected in autumn 2025.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will enter into alternative dispute resolution with women impacted by changes to the State Pension age.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
This issue is now subject to live litigation and the High Court has granted permission for a full hearing.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to bring forward a compensation scheme for women impacted by State Pension age changes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department’s response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension age communications and associated issues, was published on the 17 December 2024 and is available here:
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
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 women born in the 1950s who have died since 17 December 2024.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has no such assessment.