Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of financial support provided to parents trying to enter back into the workforce that are currently in (a) education and (b) training.

An assessment has not been made on these parameters, however in DWP’s Get Britain Working White Paper, published November 2024, we set out our aspirations backed by a £55million investment for 2025/26, to transform Jobcentre Plus. This transformation will create a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and to help people to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.

The Get Britain Working White Paper also committed DWP to supporting and providing all areas in England with resource to produce a local Get Britain Working Plans. We are asking local areas to develop detailed plans that address the challenges related to labour force participation (employment, unemployment, and economic inactivity) and progression in work. Local Get Britain Working plans will enable all areas to take the lead in shaping a coherent offer of support for their local citizens, including the offer of support for parents, across work, health, and skills.

Parents claiming Universal Credit have existing support from Work Coaches, who provide individual, tailored help to all customers across the country, this includes supporting the development of skills needed to look for and obtain sustained employment, advice to parents on childcare support and funding through Flexible Support Fund to remove immediate barriers to employment.

We are also considering how we can improve our support to help parents into work as part of our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty. This is an urgent priority for this Government, and we will bring forward the Child Poverty Strategy as soon as we are able.