Written questions by Jogee.

What steps he is taking to support people with health conditions (a) into work and (b) to stay in work in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to increase skills and employment support for people receiving sickness benefit in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to help reduce the number of children in poverty in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

Awaiting answer.

What recent discussions he has had with the leadership of Skills England.

Awaiting answer.

What recent steps he has taken to increase the number of apprenticeships available to young people in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to maintain the level of the state pension in real terms for pensioners in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Ensuring a decent State Pension for pensioners as a foundation for a secure retirement is a priority for this Government. The Government is committed to protecting the value of the State Pension in real terms. That is why, for the duration of this Parliament, we have committed to maintaining the Triple Lock, which increases the basic and new State Pension each year by the highest of earnings growth, price inflation or 2.5 per cent. This ensures that pensioners’ incomes keep pace with the cost of living and benefit from rising wages. In addition, Pension Credit is uprated in line with earnings, providing extra protection for pensioners on the lowest incomes. This year, the State Pension increased by 4.8%, boosting incomes for over 12 million pensioners.

What assessment he has made of when young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire will be able to benefit from the Youth Guarantee scheme.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2026 to Question UIN 114579 which provides details of the Government’s recent announcements on the Youth Guarantee. As part of the Youth Guarantee, the Government is expanding support for young people looking for work on Universal Credit. This includes tailored employment support and a structured path into a job, apprenticeship, work experience, a Sector‑based Work Academy Programme, learning or training from their first appointment in the Jobcentre. Rollout of this support began this month on a phased basis and will be in place in all Jobcentres across Great Britain by the end of the year. Young people in Newcastle‑under‑Lyme and across Staffordshire will benefit through this national rollout. Youth Guarantee also includes the Jobs Guarantee. This will provide every eligible 18–24-year-old who has been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months a guaranteed, fully subsidised six-month paid job, alongside a wraparound employability and in-work support to help them move into sustained employment. National roll out of the Jobs Guarantee will begin across Great Britain later in 2026, providing a total of 90,000 jobs over the next three years. We are also introducing a new hiring grant of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers, typically SMEs, that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. It will apply to apprenticeship starts from October, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Delivery of the Youth Guarantee is a partnership between central government, Jobcentres, employers, and local partners. Local DWP teams are responsible for delivery in their areas, working closely with employers and stakeholders. As a Member of Parliament, the Honourable Member can support young people locally by encouraging employers in Newcastle‑under‑Lyme and Staffordshire to engage with the Youth Guarantee. Your most useful contact will be your local DWP team – details of local DWP Service Leaders are published online.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of people living in relative poverty in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England.

We are committed to tackling poverty and we know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. The Get Britain Working White Paper set out plans to reform employment, health and skills support to tackle rising economic inactivity 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. Through our plan to Make Work Pay, we will, improve job security and boost living standards. From April, the National Living Wage increased by 6.7 per cent to £12.21 an hour, boosting the pay of 2.4 million workers. This represents an increase of £900 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage. Universal Credit has a critical role to play in tackling poverty and making work pay and we have already taken steps to help those in need. The Universal Credit Act 2025, which came into force on 6 April 2026, delivered the first sustained, above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced. And the introduction of the Fair Repayment Rate in Universal Credit, from April 2025, means that around 1.2 million of the poorest households will retain more of their award, on average £420 a year. The Child Poverty Strategy has looked at how the government can boost families' incomes through employment and the social security system, drive down the cost of essentials so parents can meet their children’s fundamental needs, and strengthen local support to ensure families can access vital services when they need them. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures set out in our Strategy, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began. We have also introduced the new Crisis and Resilience Fund with £842 million per annum (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform crisis support in England from 1 April 2026. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis. We have allocated £28.2 million to Staffordshire over three years, (£9.3 million in 2026/27, £9.3 million in 2027/28 and £9.5 million in 2028/29) alongside £451,295 in 2026/27 to support heating oil households, with funding covering both the County and District Councils.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for decisions on Access to Work claims.

We are committed to reducing waiting times in Access to Work so that people can access the support they need. We prioritise applications from customers who are due to start work within the next four weeks, as well as renewals for existing grants, to minimise disruption to employment. The Pathways to Work Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. Following over 47,500 responses from individuals, charities and other stakeholders, as well as 18 consultation events, we published our summary of the responses to the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation on 30 October 2025. We are now considering the responses and will bring forward our proposals for reforming Access to Work as soon as we are able to.

What steps he is taking to help reduce the number of unemployed young people in Staffordshire.

For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000. The Government has recently announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education. This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end. In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-old, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job. The Government will also prioritise prevention, building on measures announced in the Skills White Paper. The Government will improve support in schools, monitor attendance, increase access to work experience and work with local authorities to pilot auto-enrolling young people in further education, if needed. Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people. In Staffordshire, our DWP Schools Advisers have supported over 3,600 young people across in the 2024/25 academic year. This includes 220 students in Newcastle-under-Lyme at Orme Academy, St Peter's Academy, and Abbey Hill Special School. Young people have access to training in Digital Marketing, Cyber Security, Web Design, and Emergency First Aid for Mental Health through The Training Initiative.

What steps he is taking to help tackle pay disparities for disabled people living in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

The consultation on ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting closed on 10 June. We will publish the Government response to the ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting consultation in due course. Last year, the Office for Equality and Opportunity published a call for evidence on equality law, which included consideration of how we make the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people. This closed on 30 June 2025 and we are now working to analyse the responses.

What steps he is taking to increase skills and employment support for people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire in receipt of sickness benefits.

I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 2 December to PQ 93871.

What recent steps has he taken to help tackle fraud in the welfare system.

Since Autumn Budget 2024, the Government has committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in Great Britain, which includes savings from the new powers contained within the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act. The Act has been published on the Parliament website and is available here: Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025.

What recent steps has he taken to help tackle fraud in the pension system.

The Government is resolute in its determination to protect pension scheme members from financial harm. There is a strong regulatory framework which allows pension scheme trustees to block pension transfers if there is risk of a scam and we are developing extended measures which seek to strengthen protections and combat any areas of evolving risk. DWP will continue to work closely with partners, including the police, the National Economic Crime Centre and anti-scams industry groups, to identify and disrupt unlawful activity and to ensure appropriate enforcement action is taken against those who exploit or seek to exploit pension savers. We will publicly consult on our work to strengthen the transfer process with enhanced protections in the coming months.

What recent steps he has taken to support the work of the Newcastle-under-Lyme Job Centre.

DWP ensures that all Jobcentre Plus staff receive comprehensive training and have access to up-to-date, modern systems. This includes clear diary management tools, enabling staff to support customers as effectively as possible. Where additional expertise is needed, staff can draw on a network of specialist roles such as Disability Employment Advisers and work psychologists or refer customers to local providers. DWP continues to work closely with local partners, employers, and training providers to ensure that Jobcentre services in Newcastle-under-Lyme remain responsive to the needs of the community. This includes signposting to training, apprenticeships, and employability programmes, as well as supporting local recruitment and skills initiatives. In addition, 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. The new service will be a locally tailored and embedded service, designed to meet the different needs of local labour markets, local people and local employers. It will be an active partner with key local stakeholders and providers of services and will be flexible, operating differently in different areas to reflect local systems and needs.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) Health and Safety Executive policy not to adopt new hazard classes in GB CLP unless agreed at the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of classification and labelling of chemicals (UN GHS) and (b) proposed legislative changes by HSE that would remove the statutory obligation on it to respond to new EU hazard classifications within a statutory timeframe on trade within the UK internal market.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently sought views on the application of a consistent UK-wide Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regime as part of the Chemicals Legislative Reform Proposals consultation which took place from 23 June 2025 to 18 August 2025. This included seeking views on whether the adoption of EU CLP measures in GB, including the EU hazard classes, would be one way of minimising possible trade disruption in the UK Internal Market. The consultation response is expected to be published in early 2026 subject to ministerial approval and the responses received will be used to inform future work to deliver a consistent UK-wide CLP regime. In the meantime, the current GB CLP framework allows duty holders to self-classify against the new EU hazard classes and for HSE to evaluate proposals for substances covered by the EU hazard classes to be added to the GB Mandatory Classification and Labelling List on a case-by-case basis.

What steps he has taken to support young people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire into employment, education or training.

The Government understands the negative effects of unemployment can be particularly pronounced for young people and can have longstanding implications on their future earnings potential and life chances.That is why 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 will 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.In Newcastle-under-Lyme the DWP Employer and Partnership team is actively involved with the Newcastle Employment and Skills Group (NSEG). They work closely with stakeholders such as Aspire Housing, Keele University, and prominent employers at Lymedale Business Park, including TK Maxx, ASDA, and Radwell International. Youth Employment Programmes, such as Positive Directions and We Mean Business, offer fully funded 5-week courses for 16–24-year-olds who are not engaged in employment, education, or training. Additionally, our outreach efforts through probation services and police provide tailored employment pathways, mentoring, and reintegration support for young people at risk of offending.In Staffordshire, our DWP Schools Advisers have supported over 3,600 young people across in the 2024/25 academic year. This includes 220 students in Newcastle-under-Lyme at Orme Academy, St Peter's Academy, and Abbey Hill Special School. Young people have access to training in Digital Marketing, Cyber Security, Web Design, and Emergency First Aid for Mental Health through The Training Initiative.

What steps he is taking to increase (a) skills and (b) employment support for people in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (ii) Staffordshire who are in receipt of sickness benefits.

We have a team of colleagues that offer tailored support to people with health conditions in Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Shires District through our Pathways to Work programme. We set out our plan for the “Pathways to Work Guarantee” in our Pathways to Work Green Paper. Our dedicated team is committed to understanding and addressing the unique needs of these individuals. They spend extra time listening to their concerns, triaging, and directing them to the appropriate support for their complex needs, skills and employability. Our efforts are closely linked with partners, including the Local Authority-led Supported Employment programme Connect to Work, and we collaborate extensively with broader health, employment and skills support networks. This integrated approach ensures that we provide holistic and effective support to those who need it most. Newcastle-under-Lyme is part of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Connect to Work delivery area. Staffordshire County Council is the Lead Authority for Connect to Work in the region. We have agreed their delivery plan and have approved a £19 million grant to fund this programme for approximately 5,250 participants by the end of the decade. The programme has recently opened, and local constituents can find out more through the Staffordshire Jobs and Careers page: www.staffsjobscareers.com/. The “Pathways to Work Guarantee” is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by the end of the decade. We anticipate the guarantee, once fully rolled out, will include: a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement, and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

What plans he has to visit the job centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Ministers regularly visit job centres across the country and look forward to continuing to do so.

What steps he is taking to support young people into employment, education or training in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

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.The Chancellor 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.Newcastle-Under-Lyme work with alongside local stakeholders to support young people such as local authorities, colleges and universities as well as organisations such as The Kings Trust, Shaping Futures, YMCA, and New Avenues.Staffordshire has much of the offer of Newcastle-Under-Lyme plus working with Shropshire Youth Support Trust, Acorn Training and Landau who is part of the YES (Youth Employment Skills) programme supporting all 16 to 24-year-olds across Stoke on Trent that are Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET), about to become NEET or long term Unemployed or Economically inactive. There is also support from The Mencap Training Academy for 16 to 24-year-olds, who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to help to secure a place on the supported internships or pre-internship programme in Staffordshire.