Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Oral Statement on 11 November 2025 entitled Pensions, if he will publish the research findings from the Department's 2007 evaluation on the effectiveness of automatic pension forecast letters.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Report no.447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts” is publicly available and can be accessed at:
As confirmed in the Written Statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 11 November, a copy of DWP Research Report no.447 “Evaluation of Automatic State Pension Forecasts” has also been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Oral Statement on 11 November 2025 entitled Pensions, whether the 2007 report on the effectiveness of automatic pension forecast letters is the one referenced in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report entitled Women's State Pension Age: our findings on the Department for Work and Pension's communication of changes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s reports titled “Women’s State Pension age: our findings on the Department for Work and Pensions’ communication of changes”, published 19 July 2021, and “Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues”, published 21 March 2024, both refer to findings from DWP’s ‘Evaluation of Automatic Pension Forecast’ research.
In retaking the decision, we will review the evidence from DWP’s ‘Evaluation of Automatic Pension Forecasts’ Research Report, no.447 alongside evidence previously considered. The process to retake the decision has already begun.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the 2007 report on the effectiveness of automatic pension forecast letters is the one referenced in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report entitled Women's State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s reports titled “Women’s State Pension age: our findings on the Department for Work and Pensions’ communication of changes”, published 19 July 2021, and “Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues”, published 21 March 2024, both refer to findings from DWP’s ‘Evaluation of Automatic Pension Forecast’ research.
In retaking the decision, we will review the evidence from DWP’s ‘Evaluation of Automatic Pension Forecasts’ Research Report, no.447 alongside evidence previously considered. The process to retake the decision has already begun.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners receive the full state pension as their only income.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department does not hold readily available information to identify how many pensioners receive the full State Pension as their only income. Information is, however, available from Departmental survey data which shows, in 2023/24, around 1.1m pensioner families in the UK received the State Pension and other state benefits as their only source of income. This information is published in the Pensioner Incomes series.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
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 young people who had dropped out of further education were trying to find work or training on 20 October 2025.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department does not hold data on the number of people who have dropped out of further education and are searching for work or training.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department plans to take to distribute funding for people not in education, employment or training through the Youth Guarantee scheme in each region.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are developing a Youth Guarantee to ensure young people aged 18-21 can access high-quality training, apprenticeships, and personalised support to find work.
As a first step, we are working with eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers across England who are testing innovative approaches to identify and deliver localised support to young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET. This includes strengthening local coordination, through local leadership, and outreach to better connect young people with opportunities.
In August 2025, we confirmed we are extending the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers for a further year, to continue supporting young people in 2026/27.
The insights gained from the Trailblazers will inform the future design and delivery of the Youth Guarantee.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
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 mental health on trends in the number of people who are not in education, employment or training; and whether this is reflected in support pathways.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We know that quality employment, education, and training have a positive impact on mental health, and leads to greater independence and a feeling of fully participating in society.
That is why, as set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, DWP and DfE are developing a Youth Guarantee, which will ensure that all 18–21-year-olds in England have access to education, training, or help to find a job or an apprenticeship.
This will build on the wide range of support Department for Work and Pensions already offers to help young people and those with health conditions or disabilities to move into work. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and personalised support delivered by work coaches based in Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners. One such programme is Connect to Work, a voluntary, locally commissioned Supported Employment programme. It is open for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing non-health related barriers to work. Participants are given a dedicated specialist employment support adviser who helps them to identify their career goals and overcome any specific barriers to employment.
The Government is also investing in mental health support services for young people. We are expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to ensure that every school and college has access to specialist mental health professionals, providing access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Additionally, we are also launching Young Futures Hubs, which will bring together services at a local level to support children and young people, helping to ensure that young people can access early advice and wellbeing intervention.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
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 (a) local and (b) regional factors on trends in the number of people who are not in education, employment or training.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The quarterly estimates for young people (aged 16-to-24 years) who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the UK can be found here: Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) - Office for National Statistics. Currently, there is no regional or local breakdown in these Official Statistics. The most recent release from the ONS shows that the NEET rate in the UK has gradually increased on the year to 12.8% in Apr-Jun 2025.
The Department for Education produces estimates of young people (aged 16 to 24 years old) who are NEET for England, which can be found here: NEET age 16 to 24, Calendar year 2024 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. Currently, there is no Official Statistical release that shows the trends in 16–24-year-olds NEETs at the local level.
The Department for Education does produce a yearly release for those aged 16-17 at local authority level for England. This can be found here: Participation in education, training and NEET age 16 to 17 by local authority, Academic year 2024/25 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. This uses the National Client Caseload information system to estimate the number of 16–17-year-olds in England who are not in education, employment or training.
The Get Britain Working White Paper set out our ambitions to transform employment support and tackle economic inactivity. As part of this, local areas in England are producing Local Get Britain Working Plans to develop a system-wide approach to identifying and addressing local labour market challenges.
The Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, which launched in Spring 2025, are identifying and engaging young people who require additional support to connect them to opportunities. We will use the learning from the Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
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 social factors on trends in the number of people who are not in education, employment or training.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP recognises that a range of social factors contribute to trends in the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Research by the Youth Futures Foundation (published December 2023 - Risk factors for being NEET among young people - Youth Futures Foundation), has identified several key risk factors that increase the likelihood of young people becoming NEET. These include low educational attainment, often linked to early years development, socio-economic background, and parental education, as well as having a limiting health condition or disability, early parenthood, and care experience or family estrangement.
Further analysis from Impetus (2025) (Impetus Youth Jobs Gap - Exploring compound disadvantage) and the Resolution Foundation (2025) (False starts • Resolution Foundation) underscores the importance of addressing compound disadvantage: young people facing multiple challenges, such as having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND); coming from certain ethnic backgrounds; or from an area of economic disadvantage; are more likely to become and remain NEET.
As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, our vision for a Youth Guarantee is to ensure all young people aged 18 to 21 are learning or earning, to prevent them from becoming economically inactive before their careers have even begun.
The Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, which launched in Spring 2025, are identifying and engaging young people who require additional support to connect them to opportunities. We will use the learning from the Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his Department uses, other than the Labour Market Force survey, to estimate the population of people who are not in education, employment or training.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uses multiple data sources to inform our view of how young people are performing in the labour market and whether young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET). These include statistics based on survey and administrative data sources.
The quarterly estimates for young people (aged 16-to-24 years) who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the UK can be found here: Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) - Office for National Statistics. This is an official statistic in development, which is used to inform our view of NEETs in the UK.
The Department for Education produces estimates of young people (aged 16 to 24 years old) who are NEET for England, which can be found here: NEET age 16 to 24, Calendar year 2024 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. This is an official statistic in development which is used to inform our view of NEETs in England. Currently, there is no Official Statistical release that shows the trends in 16–24-year-olds NEETs at the local level.
The Department for Education does produce a yearly release for those aged 16-17 at local authority level for England. This can be found here: Participation in education, training and NEET age 16 to 17 by local authority, Academic year 2024/25 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK. This uses the National Client Caseload information system to estimate the number of 16–17-year-olds in England who are not in education, employment or training.
The ONS publish the educational status and labour market status for people aged from 16-24. This can be found here: A06 SA: Educational status and labour market status for people aged from 16 to 24 (seasonally adjusted) - Office for National Statistics. This is an official statistic in development, derived from the LFS and published monthly.
The Annual Population Survey (APS) is used to see youth labour market trends at various geographical levels. This can be access from here: Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics. The APS has a larger sample size than the LFS but is less timely.
We also use the monthly estimates of the ONS claimant count by age group. This can be found here: CLA02: Claimant Count by age group - Office for National Statistics. This administrative source shows us the number of young people who are currently in the intensive work search regime. This is for UC/JSA claimants who are unemployed or earning below the Administrative Earnings Threshold.
Another administrative data source we use, is the ONS-HMRC Pay As You Earn Real Time Information (RTI). This can be found here: Earnings and employment from Pay As You Earn Real Time Information, seasonally adjusted - Office for National Statistics. This is a monthly released administrative source of information, which tells us how many young people are currently employed on company payrolls.
We also use the departments own administrative data through the publicly available Stat Xplore. This can be found here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. This service holds data relating to a range of different benefits/programmes for various age groups.