Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made regarding turnaround times for investigations in the recovery from estate department.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department’s Recovery from Estates process does not begin from the date of death. Before recovery activity can commence, probate or letters of administration must generally be granted, and the Department must be notified of the estate administration details. Consequently, there can be a period between notification of a death and the point at which the Department is able to begin Recovery from Estates activity.
Recovery from Estates investigations can vary significantly in complexity depending on the circumstances of the case, the availability of evidence, and the time required to obtain and review historical financial information. The Department seeks to progress cases as efficiently as possible while ensuring that all necessary enquiries are completed.
The Department has taken a number of steps to improve timeliness and customer service within the Recovery from Estates process. These include increasing resource within the service and continuing to provide training and upskilling opportunities to develop staff capability. In addition, a dedicated telephony function has been established to handle customer enquiries. This enables other staff to focus on case processing activities, helping to increase operational capacity and support the timely progression of investigations.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 help reduce backlogs in the recovery from estate department.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department’s Recovery from Estates process does not begin from the date of death. Before recovery activity can commence, probate or letters of administration must generally be granted, and the Department must be notified of the estate administration details. Consequently, there can be a period between notification of a death and the point at which the Department is able to begin Recovery from Estates activity.
Recovery from Estates investigations can vary significantly in complexity depending on the circumstances of the case, the availability of evidence, and the time required to obtain and review historical financial information. The Department seeks to progress cases as efficiently as possible while ensuring that all necessary enquiries are completed.
The Department has taken a number of steps to improve timeliness and customer service within the Recovery from Estates process. These include increasing resource within the service and continuing to provide training and upskilling opportunities to develop staff capability. In addition, a dedicated telephony function has been established to handle customer enquiries. This enables other staff to focus on case processing activities, helping to increase operational capacity and support the timely progression of investigations.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what target times are set for investigations in the recovery from estate department.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department’s Recovery from Estates process does not begin from the date of death. Before recovery activity can commence, probate or letters of administration must generally be granted, and the Department must be notified of the estate administration details. Consequently, there can be a period between notification of a death and the point at which the Department is able to begin Recovery from Estates activity.
Recovery from Estates investigations can vary significantly in complexity depending on the circumstances of the case, the availability of evidence, and the time required to obtain and review historical financial information. The Department seeks to progress cases as efficiently as possible while ensuring that all necessary enquiries are completed.
The Department has taken a number of steps to improve timeliness and customer service within the Recovery from Estates process. These include increasing resource within the service and continuing to provide training and upskilling opportunities to develop staff capability. In addition, a dedicated telephony function has been established to handle customer enquiries. This enables other staff to focus on case processing activities, helping to increase operational capacity and support the timely progression of investigations.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 benefits fraud.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has strong controls in place to tackle fraud and deliver savings. Since the Autumn Budget 2024 we have committed to delivering gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030 – 31 from fraud, error and debt activity.
Our activities include investments to deploy up to 3,000 additional staff within counter fraud teams, the continuation of Targeted Case Reviews (TCR) in Universal Credit to check claims at risk of being incorrect, the implementation of Pension Credit Claim Reviews (PCCR) and the introduction of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 (PAFER) which introduces new powers to better identify, prevent and deter fraud and error as well as continuing to prosecute those who commit benefit fraud.
Overall, levels of benefit fraud are the lowest since the pandemic and currently stand at 2.2%, compared to a peak of 3.0% in FYE 2022. This evidences the Department has strong controls in place to tackle fraud and deliver savings.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of people found guilty of benefits fraud in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has prosecuted cases of benefit fraud since 2012. DWP will refer cases where there is evidence that a claimant has deliberately claimed benefits they are not entitled to or provided false information. The decision to prosecute is decided by the CPS.
The DWP publishes yearly reports which includes data on the outcomes from our Counter Fraud teams, these can be found at: DWP annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 support care leavers find employment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation behind. We are investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. Under the Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16–24, including care leavers, can access tailored support to enter work, education or training.
The Department recognises the challenges care leavers face as they move out of the care system and is committed to supporting them into employment. We work in close partnership with the Department for Education and other stakeholders to ensure care leavers can access the right skills, opportunities and wider support to move towards sustained employment and career progression.
Care leavers receiving Universal Credit also benefit from personalised support through Jobcentre Plus, including access to Youth Employability Coaches who provide intensive support to address complex barriers, alongside support delivered through Youth Hubs in partnership with local services.
The Department is also improving opportunities for care leavers through targeted recruitment schemes such as the Civil Service Care Leaver Internship, the Social Mobility Apprenticeship Scheme and our partnership with Movement to Work, all of which are designed to support disadvantaged young people into employment.
We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 get young people into (a) training and (b) employment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.
This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.
We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training rose by 250,000. We know that unemployment can have a negative impact on young people – on their health, earnings, and future employment prospects. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to the full recommendations in the Autumn.
Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting employers, partners and young people across Great Britain.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to tackle the causes of youth unemployment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.
This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.
We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training rose by 250,000. We know that unemployment can have a negative impact on young people – on their health, earnings, and future employment prospects. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to the full recommendations in the Autumn.
Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting employers, partners and young people across Great Britain.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of unemployment on young people.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.
This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.
We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training rose by 250,000. We know that unemployment can have a negative impact on young people – on their health, earnings, and future employment prospects. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to the full recommendations in the Autumn.
Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to supporting employers, partners and young people across Great Britain.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with the cost of adult training courses.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are investing in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), spending £1.4 billion in the 2025/26 academic year. The ASF fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support them to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning, with the aim to in particular support adults with low earnings or skills, whether they are in or out of work.
As of August 2025, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to providers. For learners in Ashfield, the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) decides how to make best use of their ASF to meet their local needs beyond four statutory entitlements, including which courses are funded and the eligibility criteria. By honouring our commitments to combine and further devolve adult skills funding, we give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas.