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 prevent people changing jobs from experiencing long gaps in Access to Work support.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.

The Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to simplify and speed up renewals and changes in circumstance to prevent loss of Access to Work support.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised.

The Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how frequently does the Department review performance data on Access to Work delivery; and will this data be published regularly.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department reviews Access to Work performance data regularly to monitor and maintain service delivery standards. This information is used internally to manage and improve performance. It is not published, as it is considered management information rather than official statistics.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to make Access to Work application and renewal processes more accessible.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP is committed to making Access to Work accessible. Customers can apply for Access to Work support and renew existing support, via the on-line service, which has been developed in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This service is fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.

Both accessibility statements are available on the public website too:

Accessibility statement for Apply for Access to Work – Access to Work - GOV.UK – Access to Work – GOV.UK

Accessibility statement for Renew Access to Work – Access to Work - GOV.UK

In addition, customers can contact Access to Work by telephone. For those Customers who cannot hear or speak on the phone, Relay UK can be used as an alternative to the telephone.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what quality assurance mechanisms are in place to ensure consistent decision-making across Access to Work caseworkers.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Access to Work has a range of quality assurance processes in place to ensure consistency in decision-making. These include:

• Standardised Guidance and Training. All case managers and caseworkers follow the same guidance and receive comprehensive training to make consistent, high-quality decisions.
• Reconsideration Process. Customers have the right to challenge decision outcomes and request a review.
• Service Assurance Teams. Dedicated teams conduct checks on decision-making quality, provide feedback to maintain consistency, and identify areas for improvement.
• Coaching and Support from Line Managers. Continuous development is supported through coaching and guidance, helping staff enhance decision-making skills.a

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applicants have reported difficulties communicating with Access to Work in each of the last five years; and what feedback mechanisms exist to improve user experience.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department does not hold data on the number of applicants who have reported communication difficulties with Access to Work over the past five years. However, we actively seek and collect user feedback through a range of channels designed to improve the customer experience, including:

• Access to Work helpline, where customers can report any difficulties.
• Relay UK, providing text-based communication support for customers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech difficulties.
• Video Relay Service, enabling British Sign Language (BSL) users to communicate directly with Case Managers.
• Online feedback forms, available on GOV.UK and within the Access to Work digital service.
• Formal complaints process, for raising and resolving issues.
• Stakeholder engagement meetings, where representative organisations provide feedback on service delivery.

In addition, we offer reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility for all customers. These include communication by email, provision of information in alternative formats (such as large print or Braille), and other tailored support where required.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many recorders were sitting in the crown and county courts in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The annual official Diversity of the Judiciary statistics includes the total numbers of Recorders in post, as of 1 April of the relevant year (Data tables: Tab 3_1_JO_Appt):

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2025-statistics.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2024-statistics.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2023-statistics.

Recorders can be authorised to sit in multiple courts and jurisdictions, and the judiciary is responsible for assigning them to sit in specific Crown or County Courts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many requests her Department has received from schools for sign-off of confidentiality clauses in staff settlement agreements in each of the last three financial years; and how many of those requests were approved.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The requirement for academy trusts to obtain prior approval from the department for confidentiality clauses associated with staff severance payments was introduced in October 2025 and is set out in paragraph 5.13 of the academy trust handbook, which is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.

The revision was made to reflect HM Treasury’s updated guidance on public sector exit payments, which states that Treasury approval is required if the payment is novel, contentious or repercussive. Settlement agreements that contain confidentiality clauses are included within this description. As this requirement was only introduced in October 2025, annual data is not currently available.

For local authority-maintained schools, the responsibility and oversight for such decisions will be managed locally.