Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department applies to ensure the level of the Access to Work budget is responsive to need.

DWP operates a continuous planning cycle which incorporates forecast for demand, changes in economic indicators and resource requirements to deliver agreed service standards. Access to Work is part of this planning cycle.

This planning process ensures Access to Work funding is set at a level that enables the scheme to meet existing customer demand and support new customers eligible for support.