Written questions by MacDonald.

What conversations her department has had with the Health and Safety Executive with regards to their policy on verifying the accuracy of RIDDOR reports submitted by employers following workplace incidents.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of unqualified operatives performing gas works on levels of public safety.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) accepts that unqualified operatives performing gas work pose significant risks to gas safety and believes focusing on the prevention of unsafe gas work through installation, regular servicing and maintenance by qualified, Gas Safe Registered engineers is key to achieving safer homes. The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) enabled the establishment of the Gas Safe Register (GSR) and places a legal requirement on all those conducting gas work in homes to be competent to do so and Gas Safe Registered. HSE will consider enforcement action against those who do not comply with this legal obligation.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle unsafe gas works in homes.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) forms the basis of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) approach to ensuring safe gas work in homes within Great Britain. This includes taking enforcement action against those who do not comply with their legal obligations, including carrying out gas work whilst not competent to do so. GSIUR also allowed for the establishment of the Gas Safe Register (GSR) which aims to protect the public from unsafe gas work through:Ensuring all gas engineers have the appropriate qualifications;Operating a national investigations team tracking down un-registered gas workers;Carrying out regular inspections of registered engineers, to ensure they are applying gas competence and complying with GSIUR;Investigating reports of unsafe gas work; andEducating consumers and raising awareness of gas safety.GSR will apply appropriate sanctions on those businesses found carrying out unsafe gas work as per their Sanctions Policy.GSR can pass concerns to HSE who will consider the concern in line with the HSE Enforcement Policy statement available to view here HSE - Enforcement action.The best way to maintain gas safety is by ensuring that only competent, registered engineers undertake gas work. HSE encourages consumers to ask to see Gas Safe Registration ID before permitting engineers to enter their homes. This can also be checked on the Gas Safe Register website: Find or check a Gas Safe registered business.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of families with children relying on emergency food parcels.

We are committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. We are expanding Free School Meals to every pupil whose household is in receipt of Universal Credit, which will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament, and introducing a new £1 billion package (including Barnett impact) to reform crisis support, including funding to ensure the poorest children do not go hungry outside of term time. This comes alongside £600 million for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme across the next three financial years as well as expanding free breakfast clubs, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions. The Child Poverty Taskforce will publish a Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn that will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. The Strategy will tackle overall child poverty as well as going beyond that to focus on children in deepest poverty lacking essentials, and what is needed to give every child the best start in life. We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. Our Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by an initial £240 million investment in 2025/26, will target and tackle economic inactivity and unemployment and join up employment, health and skills support to meet the needs of local communities.

If his Department will take steps to ensure that retail workers required to work alone are adequately protected from (a) violence, (b) abuse and (c) theft.

I refer the Honourable Member to the previous answer 71094.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) disabled people and (b) carers are directly involved in the review of the Personal Independence Payment.

The Timms review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This will include carers' organisations so that the voices of unpaid carers are heard.

What guidance his Department issues to employers on managing risks associated with lone working in retail.

I refer the Honourable Member to the previous answer 71094.

What his timetable is for the review of the Personal Independence Payment.

I am aiming to complete the review by Autumn 2026. The review will ultimately report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for final decisions. We are committed to reporting the outcomes of the review to Parliament.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of working more than one hour per week on the Housing Benefit receipt for young people in supported accommodation.

It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment. The Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those living in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.Like Universal Credit, Housing Benefit has an income taper. As Housing Benefit may be claimed by those both in work and out of work, there are no rules around the number of hours that someone may work; instead, there are income tapers which apply. The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health. However, the treatment of earnings in Housing Benefit is less generous than that of Universal Credit. Therefore, although customers living in Supported Housing are better off working than doing no work at all, they can be financially better off limiting the hours they work to ensure they retain a small amount of Universal Credit entitlement.Changing the current rules would require a fiscal event and funding at a Budget. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.

Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of reasonable adjustment processes for employees with (a) neurodivergent and (b) mental health conditions.

Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010(opens in a new tab) to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments. In our Get Britain Working White Paper, published November 2024, we committed support for employers to recruit, retain and develop staff. As part of that, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead ‘Keep Britain Working’, an independent review to consider how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy workplaces, and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence. Sir Charlie Mayfield will deliver a final report with recommendations in the autumn. In January this year, we launched an expert academic panel to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate, making their recommendations later this autumn. There are a range of existing initiatives that already provide support. The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. The scheme covers all disabilities, including hidden disabilities. It provides employers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face.

What steps her Department is taking to help support employees with invisible disabilities to access adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.

Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010(opens in a new tab) to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments. In our Get Britain Working White Paper, published November 2024, we committed support for employers to recruit, retain and develop staff. As part of that, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead ‘Keep Britain Working’, an independent review to consider how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy workplaces, and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence. Sir Charlie Mayfield will deliver a final report with recommendations in the autumn. In January this year, we launched an expert academic panel to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate, making their recommendations later this autumn. There are a range of existing initiatives that already provide support. The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. The scheme covers all disabilities, including hidden disabilities. It provides employers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people in the workplace and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face.

What recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people who will pay income tax on the state pension from April 2026.

The headline rates of the basic and new State Pensions are currently below the level of the Income Tax Personal Allowance, so pensioners for whom that is their sole income pay no income tax. It is pensioners with larger than average State Pension entitlements, because of, for example, entitlement to additional earnings-related State Pension, inherited awards or Protected Payments under the new State Pension who will be liable for income tax on their State Pension income. Utilising DWP’s pensioner benefit forecasting model and the State Pension caseload forecast published at Spring Statement 2025 (Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2025 - GOV.UK), it is estimated that around 30% (approximately 4m) of State Pension recipients will be liable for tax on their State Pension award administered by DWP in 2026/27. This figure is a modelled estimate from DWP’s pensioner benefit forecasting model and therefore should not be treated as an official statistic. This is consistent with current personal tax allowance policy and the OBR’s Spring Statement 2025 State Pension forecasts. Tax liabilities considered are from DWP administered State Pension awards only.

What steps her Department is taking to make reasonable adjustments for autistic people to complete Universal Credit applications.

The Department is committed to ensuring that the Universal Credit (UC) service is accessible to all, including autistic people and others with complex needs.We recognise that some customers may require additional support to make and maintain a UC claim. A range of reasonable adjustments and tailored support is available, including:Help to Claim: Delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, this service provides independent, practical support from the point of application through to the first correct payment.Enhanced Support Journey: For customers with complex needs, including those with autism, this includes outbound calls, home visits, and tailored case management.Face-to-face and telephone support: Available through local Jobcentres and the UC helpline for those unable to use the online service.Specialist staff: Trained to identify and respond to the needs of vulnerable claimants, including those with neurodivergent conditions.Third party Support: The claimant can give explicit consent for Universal Credit to speak with a third party to help with the management of a claim. Where a person is unable to manage their own claim the Department can arrange for a third party to be set up as an appointee to formally manage making and managing the benefit claim.The Department continues to work with stakeholders and user groups to improve accessibility and ensure that the UC service meets the needs of all claimants.

What steps her Department is taking to make reasonable adjustments for people with dyslexia to complete Universal Credit applications.

The Department is committed to ensuring that Universal Credit is accessible to all claimants, including those with dyslexia.We recognise that some individuals may require reasonable adjustments to complete their Universal Credit application. A range of support is available to help claimants with additional needs:Help to Claim, delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, provides tailored, practical support to help individuals make a new claim to Universal Credit.Face-to-face support is available in local Jobcentres, where trained staff can assist claimants with completing their application.Easy read guides and other accessible formats are available on GOV.UK to support claimants with learning difficulties.For those unable to access digital or telephone services, home visits may be arranged where appropriate.Third party Support: The claimant can give explicit consent for Universal Credit to speak with a third party to help with the management of a claim. The Department continues to review and improve the Universal Credit service to ensure it is inclusive and responsive to the needs of all users. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments where required, in line with our duties under the Equality Act 2010.

What steps her Department is taking to make reasonable adjustments for people with complex learning difficulties to complete Universal Credit applications.

The Department is committed to ensuring that Universal Credit is accessible to all, including individuals with complex learning difficulties. We recognise that some claimants may require additional support to make and maintain their claim. A range of reasonable adjustments and tailored support is available, including:Help to Claim: Delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, this service provides practical, tailored support to help individuals make a new claim to Universal Credit or move from legacy benefits. Support is available via telephone, webchat, and face-to-face appointments.Jobcentre Support: Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers are trained to identify and support individuals with complex needs. They can offer face-to-face assistance and refer claimants to additional services where appropriate.Alternative Channels: For those unable to use the online service, claims can be made by telephone. The Department also offers Video Relay Services for British Sign Language users.Tailored Adjustments: DWP identifies individuals with complex user needs and ensures appropriate support is made available throughout their UC journey. This includes adapting communication methods and providing additional time or assistance where needed.Continuous Improvement: The Department regularly reviews and improves the UC service based on user feedback to ensure it remains accessible and responsive to all claimants’ needs.Third party Support: The claimant can give explicit consent for Universal Credit to speak with a third party to help with the management of a claim. Where a person is unable to manage their own claim, the Department can arrange for a third party to be set up as an appointee to formally manage making and managing the benefit claim.These measures are part of our broader commitment to equality and inclusion, ensuring that no one is disadvantaged in accessing the support they are entitled to. Where individuals cannot manage their own affairs sufficiently, DWP allows an appointee to undertake actions on the claimant’s behalf.A range of reasonable adjustments are embedded across the UC service, supported by recent enhancements to improve visibility, responsiveness, and operational delivery.Accessibility Needs Tab: Claimants can record their accessibility needs directly in their UC account. These are surfaced to agents via a blue banner and are visible during appointment booking, calls, and correspondenceSupport Needs Tab: Agents can record broader support needs (e.g. cognitive impairments, homelessness, safeguarding). These are visible to Work Coaches, Case Managers, Complex Case Coaches (CCCs), and Visiting Officers

What assessment she has made of the potential role of data surveillance in welfare policy.

No assessment has been made as the DWP does not currently or have any plans to use data surveillance to regulate, police or monitor the actions of individuals or groups in receipt of benefits.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of data surveillance on recipients of Universal Credit.

No assessment has been made as the DWP does not currently or have any plans to use data surveillance to regulate, police or monitor the actions of individuals or groups in receipt of benefits.

What support her Department has provided to help people with arthritis to (a) remain in and (b) return to work.

Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Disabled people and people with health conditions, including arthritis, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual including through Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care. Building on our WorkWell, Employment Advisers in Talking Therapies and Connect to Work programmes, we will ensure people with a health condition have access to the holistic support they need. In the Government’s Pathways to Work Green Paper, we further committed to developing a support guarantee, so that disabled people and those with a health condition get the work, health and skills support they need to access and thrive in employment. And we are delivering the biggest investment in support for disabled people and people with health conditions in at least a generation. Our support guarantee announced as part of the Green Paper is backed up by £2.2bn over four years, including £200m in 2026/27 when our benefit changes begin to take effect and, as announced in the statement on Welfare Reform (30 June) by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, an additional £300m over the next 3 years. This brings our total investment in employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions to £3.8 billion over this Parliament. We will further pilot the integration of employment advisers and work coaches into the neighbourhood health service, so that working age people with long term health conditions have an integrated public service offer. A patient’s employment goals will be part of care plans, to support more joined up service provision The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care have worked together on the 10 Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Health Plan will ensure a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. The Plan sets out the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for disabled people. Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024, will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. In recognition of the key role employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review, considering how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy workplaces, and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence. Sir Charlie will deliver his final report in the autumn. Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of Personal Independence Payment claimants with a primary condition of arthritis.

There were 471,358 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants with a primary medical condition of arthritis in April 2025. This information can be found on Stat Xplore in the ‘PIP Cases with Entitlement from 2019’ table. You can use the ‘Disability’ filter to select ‘osteoarthiritis’ and ‘inflammatory arthritis’ categories and the ‘Geography’ filter to select ‘DWP policy ownership’. You can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, you can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

What steps her Department is taking to support autistic people into work.

We are committed to supporting neurodivergent people, including autistic people, get into and thrive in work. Our Jobcentres have a range of support available, including Disability Employment Advisors. On 6th March 2025 we announced that we will deploy 1000 work coaches to help people with health conditions and disabled people towards and into work. This will build and expand on existing measures like additional work coach support which delivers personalised support for some customers on the health journey.In January this year we launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate, making their recommendations to government later this summer.The Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review. While not specific to neurodiversity, this review is considering how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more disabled people and people with health conditions, promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, and how to support more people to stay in or return to work. Sir Charlie Mayfield will deliver his final report in the autumn.Our voluntary, locally led Supported Employment Programme, Connect to Work, is rolling out across England and Wales, as we agree local delivery plans with lead delivery authorities. The programme will provide specialist employment support to over 300,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment over the five-year duration of the programme. Connect to Work follows the Local Supported Employment programme, where £12.3 million has already been invested into 27 lead Local Authority areas to provide support to autistic, neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities.We are also supporting employers to be more inclusive in their workplace practices. Our support to employers includes a digital information service, called Support with Employee Health and Disability, which provides tailored guidance on supporting employees in common workplace scenarios involving health and disability, and the Disability Confident scheme, which as of May this year has 19,000 members employing approximately 12 million paid employees in total.