Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department (a) did not retain employment following the completion of their probationary period and (b) had their probationary period extended in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not held centrally and due to the additional activity that would be required to provide it, would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people claiming Personal Independence Payments had their award assessed through (a) a telephone consultation, (b) an in person assessment, (c) a paper based assessment and (d) a video assessment in each of the last ten years; and what the approval rate was for each method.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Management information on the number and proportion of Personal Independence Payments assessments by channel is published in Table 2.32 of the Pathways to Work: Evidence pack: Chapter 2 reforming the structure - GOV.UK. Telephone and video channels have only been available since 2020.
The information on approval rates requested is not readily available, and providing it would incur a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment tribunal claims have been lodged against his Department for (a) unfair dismissal and (b) claims under the Equality Act 2010 in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Year Received | Unfair Dismissal Only | Equality Act Only | UD AND EA | Total |
2022 | 6 | 76 | 20 | 102 |
2023 | 7 | 77 | 15 | 99 |
2024 | 11 | 91 | 15 | 117 |
2025 | 8 | 68 | 19 | 95 |
Total | 32 | 312 | 69 | 413 |
Notes: data for 2020 and 2021 is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff left his Department in each of the last five years by grade.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the number of civil servants leaving each government department and organisation by responsibility level for the years 2021 to 2025 is published annually through the ‘Civil Service data browser’ as part of Civil Service Statistics 2025, an accredited official statistics publication. Information can be accessed through the Civil Service data browser for 2021 through 2025 at the following web address:
https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were claiming Universal Credit who were (a) in employment and (b) not in employment and whose immigration status was (i) Common Travel Area - UK, Ireland, Right of Abode, (ii) EU Settlement Scheme, (iii) humanitarian, (iv) refugee, (v) indefinite leave to remain, not EU Settlement Scheme, (vii) limited leave to remain, not EU Settlement Scheme, including family reunion, (viii) other and (ix) no immigration status recorded on digital systems in each local authority in each month since June 2024.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department recently published new Universal Credit - Immigration Status and Nationality statistics. Further breakdowns of these statistics are not currently available.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people work in her Department's (a) Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing team and (b) specialist equalities unit.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP currently employs 28.74 full time equivalent employees in its Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing teams. The department does not have a specialist equalities unit.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of universal credit payments to households where (a) one and (b) both claimants are refugees in each quarter since 2017.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has no current plans to make such an estimate.
However, the Department is exploring the feasibility of developing suitable official statistics related to the immigration status of non-UK / Irish Universal Credit customers.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) personal independence payments and (b) disability living allowance payments to households containing at least one claimant that passed a habitual residence test in each year since 2015.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has no current plans to make such an estimate.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of Employment and Support Allowance payments to households containing at least one claimant that passed a habitual residence test in each year since 2015.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has no current plans to make such an estimate.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of universal credit payments to households containing at least one claimant that passed a habitual residence test in each year since 2015.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has no current plans to make such an estimate.