Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish a breakdown of the number of Personal Independence Payments claims by type of mental health condition for the last 3 years for which data is available.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The complete breakdown of PIP claims by type of mental health condition from April 2013 to July 2025 (the most recent available data) is available on Stats-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml). Guidance on how to use PIP data on Stat-Xplore is also available here: Personal Independence Payment data on Stat-Xplore: user guide - GOV.UK. An account is not required to use Stat-Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions.
The relevant information can be found in the ‘PIP Clearances’ dataset. To customise the reporting period, use the ‘Month’ filter to select the months you wish to include.
Next, under the ‘Disability’ category, click the arrow beside ‘Psychiatric disorders’ and select ‘Disability’. This will ensure all disabilities under psychiatric disorders are included in the output.
Asked by: Jo White (Labour - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many users of the Motability scheme there are in Bassetlaw constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is unable to provide figures for the number of Motability Scheme users there are in Bassetlaw constituency, because only information related to PIP claimants with an active Motability Scheme contract is held centrally for analysis.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many registered food banks were created between 2010 and 2024.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold official statistics on the number of registered food banks created between 2010 and 2024.
Food banks are independent organisations, often run by charities, faith groups, or community organisations, and are not regulated or registered centrally by the Government.
We are committed to tackling poverty and reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels. To inform this work, DWP officials have engaged with a range of organisations to better understand the complex food support landscape.
To further support struggling households, we are providing £742 million to extend the House-hold Support Fund (HSF) in England until 31 March 2026, enabling local authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food.
Starting from 1 April 2026, we have announced a further £842 million a year (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform crisis support with the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, supporting our wider mission to reduce child poverty by reducing dependence on food parcels, preventing homelessness and making sure people can access urgent support when they need it.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of child poverty in Poole constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statistics on the number of children living in relative poverty on a before housing costs basis for Poole constituency are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication.
An assessment of trends in child poverty in Poole can be made using Table “5_Relative_ParlC” in the latest published version, available here: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK.
The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish our ambitious, UK-wide Child Poverty Strategy this autumn, that will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82834 on Social Security Benefits: English Language, what the total cost was for English language courses as a work preparation activity in each of the last five years.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This information is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of foodbank use in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest statistics on the number of individuals in UK households who used a food bank in the past 30 days or 12 months are available in the Households Below Average Income publication: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK.
National and England regional breakdowns should be calculated using three-year rolling averages from Stat-Xplore Stat-Xplore - Home. Due to small sample sizes, it is not possible to produce estimates of food bank use at the constituency level, including for Ely and East Cambridgeshire.
We are committed to tackling poverty and reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels. To inform this work, DWP officials have engaged with a range of organisations to better understand the complex food support landscape.
To further support struggling households, we are providing £742 million to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England until 31 March 2026, enabling local authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food.
Starting from 1 April 2026, we have announced a further £842 million a year (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform crisis support with the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, supporting our wider mission to reduce child poverty by reducing dependence on food parcels, preventing homelessness and making sure people can access urgent support when they need it.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the Crisis and Resilience Fund and rural areas.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
My Department have actively engaged with stakeholders on design for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund through a structured co-design process. This has involved a representative group of local authorities —including a mix of urban and rural areas, third-party organisations and academics. The process culminated in a concluding event on 22 October 2025, attended by over 750 stakeholders.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support the roll-out of youth hubs in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are expanding our network of Youth Hubs to over 200 locations across Great Britain within the next three years to provide more accessible and joined-up employment support for young people. This investment ensures that young claimants, particularly those on Universal Credit, can access tailored employment and skills services in their local communities.
While employment and skills support remain central to the Youth Hubs offer, the expansion will also ensure a core minimum blueprint across all locations. This will connect young people to a wider range of services such as health, housing, and wellbeing support, based on local needs and partnerships.
Hexham and Newcastle are already served by Youth Hubs.
In Hexham, DWP works with the Northumberland Rural Employment Hub, which recently ran a successful session for 18–24-year-olds on job searching and CV building, with plans for future events.
In Newcastle, the Newcastle United Foundation Youth Hub provides tailored employability support, including job fairs, mentoring, and access to DWP systems. It serves a wide area and works with partners to address skills and employment barriers.
These hubs will continue to evolve and align with the Youth Hub blueprint, ensuring young people benefit from high-quality, locally tailored services.
Across Northumberland and the North East, DWP is planning to expand Youth Hubs in areas of highest need over the next two years.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on getting more people into work.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is committed to supporting growth across the United Kingdom, including through our long-term ambition to reach an 80% employment rate.
Through our Get Britain Working Strategy, we are reforming employment, health, and skills support to tackle economic levels, support people into good work, and create an inclusive labour market based on the unique needs of local communities, in which everybody can participate and progress in work.
In Northern Ireland, health, skills, careers, and all aspects of employment support are transferred matters. Ministers and officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive, with a view to maintaining parity on social security matters and sharing best practice in the development of employment support.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support young people into employment in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department of Work and Pensions Youth Offer provides individually tailored Work Coach support to young people aged 16 to 24 who are claiming Universal Credit. This support includes the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Employability Coaches for young people with additional barriers to finding work, and Youth Hubs across Great Britain.
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that the Youth Guarantee, currently being developed, will include a jobs guarantee, where every eligible young person who has been on Universal Credit for 18 months without earning or learning will be offered guaranteed paid work. Participants of the scheme will receive support to take advantage of available opportunities, with the aim of helping them transition into regular employment. Further details, including eligibility criteria and the structure of placements, will be confirmed at the Budget following further engagement including with employers and the Devolved Governments.
In Hexham, there is a strong network of supportive employers who are providing work experience opportunities. This hands-on experience is invaluable for young people as they navigate their career paths.
There is also a well-established partnership with the Newcastle United Foundation (NUF) who is one of the biggest providers of training and skills in the area, running courses focused on employability, confidence building and teamwork
Young people are further encouraged to explore apprenticeship opportunities. With regular referrals to the National Careers Service for additional support and guidance, ensuring young people have access to the best advice and resources available.
In Newcastle. As well as the NUF (as detailed above) work is ongoing with other partners who are delivering training such as Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service in partnership with The Kings Trust and YMCA.
In the North East and Northumberland, Jobcentres collaborate with local authorities, colleges, and partners to support young people through targeted programmes. These include Durham Works, helping 16–24-year-olds not in education, employment or training; the Pre-Employability Sports Programme, which builds essential skills through sports and workshops; and Club Elevate, supporting 16–25-year-olds in North Tyneside who face challenges such as poor mental health, substance misuse, or risk of anti-social behaviour.