Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to publish the decision making process behind the proposal to restrict access to the Universal Credit Health Element for under-22s.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The reasoning for this proposal, set out in the Pathways to Work green paper published in March, is the removal of a potential disincentive to work and the possibility that resources may be better spent on improving the quality and range of opportunities available to young people through the Youth Guarantee. We welcomed views on raising the age someone can access the Universal Credit health element to 22 as part of our Green Paper consultation, which closed on 30 June. We are considering responses and will set out our plans in due course.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many existing claimants are awaiting a Work Capability Assessment; what the average wait time is; and when he expects the backlog to be cleared.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
During the second half of 2024, DWP experienced a much higher level of demand for new Work Capability Assessments (WCA) than envisaged. As a result, 35,000 reassessments built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We have worked with suppliers to rapidly increase capacity to clear this, including by accelerating the recruitment of assessors. 6,000 of these referrals have already been progressed, and we expect the vast majority of the remainder to be cleared over the next six months.
In the meantime, claimants awaiting a reassessment will continue to be paid their current rate and when an individual is reassessed, if the outcome of the assessment means they are entitled to a higher rate of benefit, that rate will be backdated accordingly.
Please note:
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 71920 on Pensions: Trusts, what the (a) terms of reference are and (b) delivery schedule is for that consultation.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government will consult on trust-based pension scheme governance, professional and sole trustees, accreditation and skills, member voice and supporting lay trustees. We would encourage interested parties to engage with the consultation when it launches later this year.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap on incentivising employment among affected families.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity.
The Child Poverty Taskforce will publish a Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn that will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.
The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 the two-child benefit cap on child poverty levels in (a) working families and (b) minority ethnic groups.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.
In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action.
As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.
In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
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 the two-child benefit cap on child poverty levels in Edinburgh South West constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.
In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action.
As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.
In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on incentivising the Motability scheme to buy British manufactured cars.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Motability Foundation is a registered charity regulated by the Charity Commission so is independent of government. The Scheme is delivered by Motability Operations which is an independent commercial company under contract to the charity. The Motability Foundation is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Motability Scheme.
The department does however work closely with Motability and is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to incentivise the Motability scheme to source British manufactured cars.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Motability Foundation is a registered charity regulated by the Charity Commission so is independent of government. The Scheme is delivered by Motability Operations which is an independent commercial company under contract to the charity. The Motability Foundation is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Motability Scheme.
The department does however work closely with Motability and is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has had discussions with private pension schemes on ensuring that people who have made contributions to defined benefit private pensions are able to benefit from a pension surplus.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department for Work and Pensions consulted on surplus release from defined benefit pensions schemes last year. Throughout the consultation, and in developing the consultation response and the Pension Schemes Bill, the Department has engaged with pension schemes, representatives of their members, sponsoring employers and trustees. We recognise the valuable perspectives of stakeholder groups.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with the Pensions Regulator on the effectiveness of the steps it is taking to ensure the independence of pensions trustee bodies.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department works closely with the Pensions Regulator (TPR) to ensure that pension scheme trustees always act in the interests of all beneficiaries.
All pension scheme trustees have the same duties and responsibilities and must comply with the law and the rules of their scheme. All pension schemes are required by legislation and the Regulator’s General Code of Practice to have processes in place to identify and manage conflicts of interest.
TPR’s corporate plan outlines the importance of good governance as a foundation of the pensions system and their priority to raise standards of trusteeship. The plan outlines their core delivery objectives in 2025 to 2026 to develop a new strategy for raising the standards of trusteeship and expand their market oversight to the largest professional trustee firms. DWP continues to regularly review TPR’s delivery against its corporate plan through its sponsorship arrangements.
The Government recognises the vital role trustees play in running occupational pension schemes and will consult on matters to improve trusteeship and governance later this year.