Written questions by Mohamed.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of rolling out Universal Basic Income pilots.

We are not considering rolling out Universal Basic Income pilots.

What steps she is taking consult stakeholders during her Department's review of universal credit; and what plans she has for the format of such consultation.

We are committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to, to make work pay and tackle poverty.  We have already begun this work with the announcement of the Fair Repayment Rate in the Budget, giving 1.2m of the poorest households an average of £420 per year. I will lead this work and, over the next year, engage with people and invite views on how we can improve UC and take advantage of missed opportunities which it presents.  We will continue to work closely with stakeholders as we undertake this review and will set out further details in due course.  We will update Parliament regularly on progress and findings.

What financial support is available from her Department for women who have given birth to (a) twins and (b) other multiples.

There are two types of maternity pay available to pregnant working women which offer a measure of financial security to help them take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth:Statutory Maternity Pay paid by employersMaternity Allowance paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to eligible women (including the self-employed and women in employment who are not eligible for SMP). The DWP wants new mothers to be able to take time away from work in the interests of their own and their baby’s health and wellbeing. For this reason, maternity pay is primarily a health and safety provision for pregnant working women. It is not, and has never been, intended to replace a woman's earnings completely nor is it intended to help with the cost of having a baby; rather, it provides a measure of financial security to help pregnant working women to take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth. As such, maternity pay is paid for each pregnancy, not in respect of each child. Additional financial support is available depending on individual circumstances, such as Universal Credit and Child Benefit. The Sure Start Maternity Grant (a lump sum payment of £500) may also be available. For more information about benefits and financial support available to pregnant women and their families can be found on www.gov.uk via the Childcare and Parenting link on the home page.

What steps she is taking to tackle delays in the Access to Work scheme.

We are committed to reducing wait times for Access to Work, and we have deployed additional staff to process claims and streamlined our delivery processes. We prioritise customers starting a job in four weeks. Access to Work continues to be in high demand and we recognise that further work is needed to ensure that it is providing a timely and effective service for customers.

If she will increase funding for the Access to Work scheme.

Spending on Access to Work was around £257.8m in 2023/24, a real-terms increase of 33% compared to 2022/23, and it has increased every year since 2021/22. The Department is working through how to allocate its funding settlement from the 2024 Spending Review for 2025/26. At the Spending Review next year, funding for years beyond that will be agreed. To support more disabled people and those with health conditions to enter and stay in work, as part of the Get Britain Working plans, the Government is launching Keep Britain Working. This is an independent review into the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces.

With reference to the report entitled Disability Price Tag 2024, published by Scope in September 2024, what estimate she has made of the extra costs incurred by disabled people.

DWP pays close attention to the evidence base on the extra costs faced by disabled people; including academic research, analysis by Scope, and DWP’s own commissioned research on the Uses of Health and Disability Benefits from 2019. In order to understand more, DWP is now undertaking a new survey of Personal Independence Payment customers to understand more about their disability related needs. This project has an advisory group of experts including representatives of the disability charity Scope and academic experts.

With reference to the report entitled Disability Price Tag 2024, published by Scope in September 2024, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Personal Independence Payments at supporting disabled people with the extra costs of disability.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 October 2024 to Question UIN 8747

With reference to the report entitled Disability Price Tag 2024, published by Scope in September 2024, what steps her Department takes to support disabled households with the extra costs they face.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 October 2024 to Question UIN 5883.

If she will take steps to amend the Personal Independence Payment assessment system by reducing the number of documents required.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is aimed at supporting people, who have a long-term physical or mental health condition, with extra disability-related costs. Entitlement is based on how the condition affects mobility and daily living needs, rather than the condition itself. There are currently no specific document requirements, other than the evidence gather questionnaire (PIP2), so we cannot reduce the number of documents required. We do, however, encourage claimants to provide supporting evidence/documentation to help DWP better understand claimant needs and how their condition or disability affects or restricts their ability to carry out various activities. There are no plans to change this, but we do appreciate that some claimants can find it challenging so flexibility is applied: Where more time is needed to gather additional evidence/documentation, claimants can contact the PIP Helpline and request an extension. Where it might take a while to collect evidence/documentation, this can be sent separately, after the questionnaire has been submitted, and will be included in the assessment. Where claimants simply cannot obtain, attach or send documents, Assessors can ask supplementary questions during the consultation or request further medical evidence where necessary or appropriate.

What steps she is taking to tackle child poverty in Sheffield Central constituency.

Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish the child poverty strategy in the Spring. Our publication on 23 October ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing our Strategy’ sets out how we will develop the Strategy, harnessing all available levers to deliver a reduction in child poverty this Parliament. The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments. The Taskforce will hear directly from experts on each of the Strategy’s themes including children and families living in poverty and work with leading organisations, charities, and campaigners. To support struggling families, we have already boosted the Household Support Fund by a further £421 million in England. The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside our commitments to roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, create 3,000 additional nurseries, as well as deliver our plan to make work pay to turn the minimum wage into a real living wage.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the eligibility threshold for Pension Credit.

The rates of Pension Credit were last reviewed in Autumn 2023 as part of the Secretary of State’s annual statutory review of State pension and benefit rates. Following that review, the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee was increased by 8.5%, in line with the percentage increase in average earnings, to £218.15 a week for a single pensioner and £332.95 a week for a pensioner couple, with effect from 8 April 2024. Other Pension Credit amounts, including the maximum rate of Savings Credit and additional amounts for those with a severe disability or caring responsibilities, were increased by 6.7% in line with price inflation. The next review will be undertaken later this month, following the publication by the Office of National Statistics of the earnings and prices indices used to inform the review, with the new rates taking effect from 7 April 2025.

What steps she is taking to support low-income pensioners.

Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over. We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so protecting 12 million pensioners through the triple lock. Based on current forecasts, the full rate of the new state pension is set to increase by around £1,700 over the course of this Parliament. The Household Support Fund (HSF) is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual. We are also providing support for pensioners through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals. The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.