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 proportion of claimants who move into work via Jobcentre support who remain in work for more than six months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department has made no estimate of the proportion of claimants who move into work via Jobcentre support who remain in work for more than six months.
The Department monitors Jobcentre performance through an internal performance framework aligned with the priorities set out in Get Britain Working White Paper.
The Department recently published data on movements into work amongst people in the Universal Credit (UC) searching for work group - Get Britain Working: Labour Market Insights October 2025 - GOV.UK.
We are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 number of young people on universal credit in Poole constituency who have been looking for work for 18 months who will benefit from the government’s planned job guarantee.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy.
Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning, including:
The Growth and Skills Levy’s £725 million investment will deliver more apprenticeships for young people and help match skills training with local job opportunities. Young people will benefit from:
50,000 young people across the country will be better equipped for jobs of the future through a major investment to create more apprenticeships and training courses.
As this programme is across Great Britian, my honourable friend will be assured that it will have an effect on his constituency. Specifically in Poole, we also have a project supporting Youth Skills and Careers Builders, delivering through DWP and local organisations. Young people can also access the local Wellbeing Hub.
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 his Department has made of the proportion of children in deep material poverty that will be lifted out of that level of poverty by 2030 in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold data on the number of children in deep material poverty broken down by geographical region or constituency. Estimates are available for the number of children and households that are expected to gain from the removal of two-child limit at constituency level here Poverty impacts of social security changes at Budget 2025 - GOV.UK.
As deep material poverty is impacted by a range of un-modellable factors, such as families’ broader resources, support networks and financial resilience, it is not possible to model reductions in deep material poverty in the same way as for relative low income. Instead, we have provided analysis on number of children in deep material poverty who will gain from the strategy, which can be found at the link above.
It is unacceptable that two million children are in deep material poverty, lacking the basic essentials - such as a warm home and healthy food. We estimate that 1.4 million children in deep material poverty will see an increase in household income as a result of the modelled measures in the Strategy.
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 recent assessment his Department has made of the geographic distribution of deep material poverty across the UK.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not hold data on the number of children in deep material poverty broken down by geographical region or constituency. Estimates are available for the number of children and households that are expected to gain from the removal of two-child limit at constituency level here Poverty impacts of social security changes at Budget 2025 - GOV.UK.
As deep material poverty is impacted by a range of un-modellable factors, such as families’ broader resources, support networks and financial resilience, it is not possible to model reductions in deep material poverty in the same way as for relative low income. Instead, we have provided analysis on number of children in deep material poverty who will gain from the strategy, which can be found at the link above.
It is unacceptable that two million children are in deep material poverty, lacking the basic essentials - such as a warm home and healthy food. We estimate that 1.4 million children in deep material poverty will see an increase in household income as a result of the modelled measures in the Strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to introduce new earned income disregards for Housing Benefit claimants in supported housing.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department will be introducing new earned income disregards for Housing Benefit claimants in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation from Autumn 2026. This will help smooth the transition between the two benefit systems and remove the financial cliff edge for individuals in supported housing and temporary accommodation.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to improve access to Disability Living Allowance for children with achondroplasia.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is available to children under the age of 16 who, due to a disability or health condition, have mobility issues and/or have care needs which are substantially in excess of a child the same age without the disability or health condition.
Entitlement to DLA depends on the extent to which a child needs help with personal care, needs supervision or has difficulties with walking. It is the effects of the condition and the needs arising from those effects that are important, rather than the child’s particular diagnosis.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 merits of expanding the eligibility criteria for the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment award.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We continue to keep the Funeral Expenses Payment scheme under review to ensure it remains effective and sustainable within current budgetary constraints.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance on sickle cell disease his Department provides to Health Professionals making Personal Independence Payment assessments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments are not medical assessments and do not require health professionals (HPs) to diagnose conditions or recommend treatment. Instead, they are functional assessments designed to evaluate how an individual’s health condition (such as sickle cell disease) or impairment(s) affects their ability to carry out daily living activities. HPs conducting assessments are trained specialists in disability analysis, focusing on understanding the functional impact of a claimant’s condition rather than its clinical diagnosis.
All HPs conducting these assessments receive comprehensive training on assessing the effects of both physical and mental health conditions. HPs have access to a broad suite of Core Training and Guidance Materials. These include Condition Insight Reports and Continuing Professional Development documents, which provide detailed, quality-assured information on many of the symptoms commonly associated with sickle cell disease.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claims in the last five years have involved individuals presenting as part of a polygamous household; and what the outcomes of those claims were.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Polygamous households are not recognised in Universal Credit. In claims where the claimant identifies as polygamous, the first spousal couple (the two partners who have been married longest) in the relationship could form a claim as a couple. However, all extant members of the relationship living in the household would need to make separate claims.
Benefits such as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit do recognise a small number of polygamous marriages which took place in a jurisdiction where polygamy is permitted. This number is very small and declining. Since the Immigration Act 1988, it has not been possible for people polygamously married overseas to bring second wives to the UK through the spouse visa route.
As such, statistics are not held regarding numbers of claimants presenting as part of a polygamous household and would be disproportionate in cost to produce.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish an Equality Impact Assessment for changes to the Motability scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for many disabled people and families, supporting their independence by enabling them to lease a car, wheelchair accessible vehicle, scooter or powered wheelchair in exchange for an eligible disability benefit allowance.
The government announced a package of reforms to the Motability Scheme at Autumn Budget 2025, which will ensure the scheme delivers value for money for the taxpayer, while continuing to support disabled people.
An Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken and published by HMT as part of the Autumn Budget and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK