Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff have (a) had their employment contract terminated and (b) resigned in (i) Jobcentre Plus, (ii) the Pension Service, and (iii) the Child Maintenance Service since January 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The data relates to DWP leavers within Child Maintenance Service, Retirement Services, and Universal Credit Operations. It includes both paid and unpaid leavers and covers the period from 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Directorates | Dismissal | Resignation | Grand Total |
CHILD MAINTENANCE SERVICE | 41 | 206 | 247 |
RETIREMENT SERVICES | 53 | 151 | 204 |
UC OPERATIONS | 441 | 1579 | 2020 |
Grand Total | 535 | 1936 | 2471 |
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average response time is for the a) Child Support Agency and b) Child Maintenance Service.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Support Agency (CSA) does not publish a standalone Annual Report and Accounts. Information regarding the performance of the Child Maintenance Service can be found in the Annual Reports and Accounts 2024-25 linked here - DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 25
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average response time is for Jobcentre Plus.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on departmental performance, including measures, can be found in the Annual Reports and Accounts DWP annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average response time is for the Pension Service.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Information regarding the performance of The Pension Service can be found in the Annual Reports and Accounts 2024-25 linked here - DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 25
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 implications for his policies of the findings of the report by the Brain Tumour Charity entitled The Price You Pay: The Financial Impact of a Brain Tumour.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The welfare system is there to support people with their living costs in times of need. Universal Credit provides means-tested support including a standard allowance and additional amounts to provide for individual needs such as housing, children, disability, and childcare costs.
Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment provide a contribution towards the extra costs that may arise from a long-term disability or health condition. These benefits are non-contributory, non-means-tested and can be worth up to £9,747.40 a year, tax free.
Additionally, we have launched the Timms Review to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future. To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, the Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts.
More details about the Review’s scope can be found in its Terms of Reference, available here: Timms Review of PIP: Terms of Reference.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of (a) telephone and (b) online Work Capability Assessments in ensuring the needs of disabled people are (i) met and (ii) understood.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) including paper-based, telephone, video and face-to-face are conducted by fully qualified, clinical professionals who have undergone a comprehensive training programme designed and approved by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The quality of their advice is continually assured internally by the assessment suppliers and externally by the department's independent audit function.
DWP conducted a Health Assessment Channels Trial (HACT) to evaluate how well telephone and video assessments are working compared to face-to-face assessments. The Health Assessment Channels Research report, published on 7 October 2024, presents findings from mixed-method research conducted by Ipsos to understand the impact of the introduction of remote channels on claimant experiences.
The HACT found that over three quarters of Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance claimants that participated in the trial felt that the channel was suitable after having attended their assessment. This was consistent across telephone, video and face-to face assessments. Moreover, when asked about their channel preference for future assessments, channel preference was closely correlated to the channel through which their most recent assessment had been conducted.
We remain committed to enabling a multi-channel assessment approach ensuring the needs of all our customers, including those that are disabled, are met.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) Universal Credit and (b) Universal Credit health element claimants are (i) current and (ii) previous members of the UK Armed Forces.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Data is not held on the total number of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past. Data is held on those who have identified themselves so far.
Therefore, data on Armed Forces status has only been recorded for a proportion of the UC claimants. Data coverage continues to improve over time and by September 2024 data was held on the armed forces status of approximately 77% of the GB UC caseload, as shown in the table below:
UC caseload month | Proportion of caseload with a recorded status | Currently serving | Served in the past | Not served | Prefer not to say | No recorded status | |
September 2024 | 77% | 4,700 | 68,000 | 5,400,000 | 37,000 | 1,700,000 | |
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started collecting data on the Armed Forces status of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Great Britain (GB) in April 2021. At first only new claimants were asked about their Armed Forces status. From June 2021 onwards, other UC claimants reporting changes in their work and earnings have also been able to report their status. From July 2021 onwards, UC agents have also been able to record claimants’ Armed Forces status if they are told about this via other means such as journal messages, face-to-face meetings or by telephone.
It should be noted that Armed forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans’ Affairs. A claimant’s status can be recorded as “currently serving”, “served in the past”, “not served” or “prefer not to say”.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on care-leavers.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on care leavers. However, we recognise the challenges that care leavers may face in transitioning to independent living and navigating the welfare system, and remain committed to supporting them as with all vulnerable groups.
Our care leaver offer provides additional support such as access to the higher one-bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate up to the age of 25, as well as tailored support through Jobcentre Plus. We review this regularly.
The Department continues to engage with stakeholders and welcomes views on how best to ensure that care leavers are supported through future reforms to UC and PIP. As part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation, we are also inviting views on proposals to raise the age at which individuals can access the UC health element to 22.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to ensure that care leavers are not disproportionately impacted by the proposed changes in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 18 June, the Government introduced the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill to Parliament, marking the next legislative step in delivering some of the reforms set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.
The changes in this Bill will put more money into the pockets of some of the poorest families, alongside more support for people to work. These reforms protect the most vulnerable in our society, ensure the future of our welfare state, and give disabled people equal choices and chances to work.
We will consider the wider impacts of reforms including for care leavers as part of our wider considerations of responses to the Pathways to Work consultation as we develop our detailed proposals for change.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many overseas voters from Twickenham constituency are impacted by frozen British Pensions; and what steps she is taking to support those overseas voters.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only up-rated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.
The policy on up-rating UK State Pension paid overseas is a longstanding one and has been in place for over 70 years, including under recent Conservative and Liberal Democrat governments.
People move abroad for many reasons, and it is for individuals to weigh up the factors involved. Information regarding the effect of living abroad on State Pension entitlement is available on GOV.UK.
The Department does not hold information on overseas voters from a specific constituency among those with frozen pensions.