Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people with a terminal illness who are in poverty.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age.
For those nearing the end of their life, the Government’s priority is to provide people with financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way the Department does this is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Attendance Allowance, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.
The Department is committed to ensure that eligible claimants at the end of life have their claims processed as quickly as possible. Latest figures show that In Great Britain, new claims to PIP under the Special Rules are being cleared in 3 working days on average.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson's Disease listed as their primary condition are in receipt of the Universal Credit health element.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not held by the Department.
A defined ‘primary condition’ is not recorded at the Universal Credit Work Capability Assessment (WCA).
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the economic impact of improving access to out-of-school aged childcare, including potential increases in workforce participation and GDP growth.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is investing in a modern childcare system that supports families. When developing our programmes, we look at previous schemes, including internationally, as well as receiving representations from families and providers.
In February 2024, 24% of parents of primary-aged pupils reported that the availability of wraparound childcare affected the working patterns or hours of their household. The government is committed to rolling out free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. So far, we have delivered 2.6 million breakfasts in 750 early adopter schools and an additional 2,000 schools will join the programme next year.
Since September 2024, the National Wraparound Programme has provided over 50,000 additional full childcare places, allowing more parents to access opportunities for work and study. In the 2026/27 financial year, we are providing local authorities with £12.9 million of funding to continue to sustain these places to ensure sufficiency of school-age childcare and facilitate national rollout of free breakfast clubs.
Eligible parents can access government subsidies, such as Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare, to support them with their childcare costs.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what international comparisons her Department has reviewed regarding funding models for wraparound childcare, and what evidence has been considered from countries such as Australia and Ireland.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is investing in a modern childcare system that supports families. When developing our programmes, we look at previous schemes, including internationally, as well as receiving representations from families and providers.
In February 2024, 24% of parents of primary-aged pupils reported that the availability of wraparound childcare affected the working patterns or hours of their household. The government is committed to rolling out free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. So far, we have delivered 2.6 million breakfasts in 750 early adopter schools and an additional 2,000 schools will join the programme next year.
Since September 2024, the National Wraparound Programme has provided over 50,000 additional full childcare places, allowing more parents to access opportunities for work and study. In the 2026/27 financial year, we are providing local authorities with £12.9 million of funding to continue to sustain these places to ensure sufficiency of school-age childcare and facilitate national rollout of free breakfast clubs.
Eligible parents can access government subsidies, such as Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare, to support them with their childcare costs.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence her Department has gathered on the number of parents unable to increase their working hours or return to work due to access to affordable, reliable out-of-school childcare.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is investing in a modern childcare system that supports families. When developing our programmes, we look at previous schemes, including internationally, as well as receiving representations from families and providers.
In February 2024, 24% of parents of primary-aged pupils reported that the availability of wraparound childcare affected the working patterns or hours of their household. The government is committed to rolling out free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. So far, we have delivered 2.6 million breakfasts in 750 early adopter schools and an additional 2,000 schools will join the programme next year.
Since September 2024, the National Wraparound Programme has provided over 50,000 additional full childcare places, allowing more parents to access opportunities for work and study. In the 2026/27 financial year, we are providing local authorities with £12.9 million of funding to continue to sustain these places to ensure sufficiency of school-age childcare and facilitate national rollout of free breakfast clubs.
Eligible parents can access government subsidies, such as Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare, to support them with their childcare costs.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reform the out-of-school aged childcare sector and introduce a consistent and long-term funding model to support working families and economic growth.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is investing in a modern childcare system that supports families. When developing our programmes, we look at previous schemes, including internationally, as well as receiving representations from families and providers.
In February 2024, 24% of parents of primary-aged pupils reported that the availability of wraparound childcare affected the working patterns or hours of their household. The government is committed to rolling out free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. So far, we have delivered 2.6 million breakfasts in 750 early adopter schools and an additional 2,000 schools will join the programme next year.
Since September 2024, the National Wraparound Programme has provided over 50,000 additional full childcare places, allowing more parents to access opportunities for work and study. In the 2026/27 financial year, we are providing local authorities with £12.9 million of funding to continue to sustain these places to ensure sufficiency of school-age childcare and facilitate national rollout of free breakfast clubs.
Eligible parents can access government subsidies, such as Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare, to support them with their childcare costs.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education what analysis her Department has undertaken of the the potential economic and social benefits of sustained funding in school-aged wraparound childcare.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is investing in a modern childcare system that supports families. When developing our programmes, we look at previous schemes, including internationally, as well as receiving representations from families and providers.
In February 2024, 24% of parents of primary-aged pupils reported that the availability of wraparound childcare affected the working patterns or hours of their household. The government is committed to rolling out free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. So far, we have delivered 2.6 million breakfasts in 750 early adopter schools and an additional 2,000 schools will join the programme next year.
Since September 2024, the National Wraparound Programme has provided over 50,000 additional full childcare places, allowing more parents to access opportunities for work and study. In the 2026/27 financial year, we are providing local authorities with £12.9 million of funding to continue to sustain these places to ensure sufficiency of school-age childcare and facilitate national rollout of free breakfast clubs.
Eligible parents can access government subsidies, such as Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare, to support them with their childcare costs.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps she is taking to help increase the incomes of lower income families in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chancellor took significant steps in the Autumn Budget 2025 to support lower income families and improve living standards across the UK, including in Surrey Heath. These measures include:
• Removing the two-child limit in Universal Credit, which will mean the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.
• In Surrey Heath, this change is estimated to benefit around 990 children.
• This is part of a wider package of welfare reforms and cost of living support, expanding free school meals and breakfast clubs, freezes rail fares and prescription charges, and raising the National Living Wage to £12.71 per hour from April 2026.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the expected number of young people who will receive an offer of (a) education, (b) training, (c) an apprenticeship, or (d) guaranteed paid work through the Youth Guarantee in its first year.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has been rising for too long, which is why we are tackling this crisis of opportunity with new energy and determination.
At Budget the government announced that £820 million has been committed to the Youth Guarantee over the next three years to support all young people aged 16 to 24 to earn or learn. This includes the previously announced Jobs Guarantee, which is guaranteeing six-months of paid work for every eligible 18-21 year old who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months. Under the Jobs Guarantee we will fund 100% of the wages for the six months (up to 25hrs/week at the relevant minimum wage), as well as the additional employment costs and a budget for wrap around support. Further details on the Youth Guarantee will be announced shortly.
More broadly this government is supporting employers to offer apprenticeships to young people. In August we introduced new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors which are underpinned by an employer incentive payment of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. In addition, as the Chancellor announced at the Budget, this government will now fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible people aged 16-24, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people, starting from the next academic year.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures he will use to assess the success of the Youth Guarantee in reducing youth unemployment over the next five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has been rising for too long, which is why we are tackling this crisis of opportunity with new energy and determination.
At Budget the government announced that £820 million has been committed to the Youth Guarantee over the next three years to support all young people aged 16 to 24 to earn or learn. This includes the previously announced Jobs Guarantee, which is guaranteeing six-months of paid work for every eligible 18-21 year old who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months. Further details on the Youth Guarantee will be announced shortly.
We are also working with eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers across England which are testing innovative approaches to identify and deliver localised support to young people who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET. We will use the learning from these Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls out across the rest of Great Britain. The Department will be commissioning an evaluation, starting in December 2025, which is expected to build evidence on the effectiveness of the programme at achieving employment outcomes, reducing levels of economic inactivity, increasing participation in education and training, and effectiveness of systems integration.