Written questions by Dodds.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of long COVID on the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training.

No assessment has been made specifically on the potential impact of long COVID on the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training. DWP has commissioned the Right Honourable Alan Milburn to author a report that will seek to understand the drivers of the increase in the number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training and to investigate the root causes of this rise in economic inactivity. The latest available annual data on the number of young people who are NEET by main health condition published by the DWP in November 2025 can be found at: The employment of disabled people 2025 - GOV.UK - Table NEE002

What steps he is taking to support young people into employment, education or training in a) Oxford East constituency, b) Oxfordshire, and c) England.

The Government is committed to reducing the number of young people who are not in Education, Training or Employment. We have already taken the first steps towards delivering the Youth Guarantee, to ensure that all 16–24-year-olds in Great Britain can access support to find work, training, or an apprenticeship. This includes launching Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, announcing funding to almost double our Youth Hubs across Great Britain, and commissioning an Independent Report into Young People and Work, to identify potential areas for reform to better support young people with health conditions and disabilities. We are now going further through an expansion of the Youth Guarantee, backed by a £820 million investment over the next three years. This will reach almost 900,000 young people, including through the expansion of Youth Hubs to every area in Great Britain and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, offering a dedicated session and follow-up support to 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit. This investment will also create around 300,000 additional opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. In addition, it will provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21. Young people in Oxford East are already supported through the Rose Hill Youth Hub, which offers job clubs, employability advice, mental health links, and employer-led events in partnership with Oxford City Council and Jobcentre Plus. Across Oxfordshire, Jobcentre Plus works with partners such as Abingdon and Witney College, Activate Learning, The Ethnic Minority Business Service, and Ruskin College to deliver tailored employability and sector-specific skills programmes aligned to local employer needs. This work is supported by the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership through initiatives like employer engagement days. As per our ambition to expand Youth Hubs to every area of Great Britain over the next three years, we will work with partners in West and South Oxfordshire to explore new opportunities.

What steps his Department is taking to support the roll-out of youth hubs in a) Oxford East constituency, b) Oxfordshire, and c) England.

The Government is committed to reducing the number of young people who are not in Education, Training or Employment. We have already taken the first steps towards delivering the Youth Guarantee, to ensure that all 16–24-year-olds in Great Britain can access support to find work, training, or an apprenticeship. This includes launching Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, announcing funding to almost double our Youth Hubs across Great Britain, and commissioning an Independent Report into Young People and Work, to identify potential areas for reform to better support young people with health conditions and disabilities. We are now going further through an expansion of the Youth Guarantee, backed by a £820 million investment over the next three years. This will reach almost 900,000 young people, including through the expansion of Youth Hubs to every area in Great Britain and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, offering a dedicated session and follow-up support to 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit. This investment will also create around 300,000 additional opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. In addition, it will provide guaranteed jobs to around 55,000 young people aged 18-21. Young people in Oxford East are already supported through the Rose Hill Youth Hub, which offers job clubs, employability advice, mental health links, and employer-led events in partnership with Oxford City Council and Jobcentre Plus. Across Oxfordshire, Jobcentre Plus works with partners such as Abingdon and Witney College, Activate Learning, The Ethnic Minority Business Service, and Ruskin College to deliver tailored employability and sector-specific skills programmes aligned to local employer needs. This work is supported by the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership through initiatives like employer engagement days. As per our ambition to expand Youth Hubs to every area of Great Britain over the next three years, we will work with partners in West and South Oxfordshire to explore new opportunities.

What the mean and mode amounts of consolation payments are, in any years his Department has data for.

The number of consolatory payments authorised and the mean amounts per financial year to benefit claimants in the last ten years are in the table (below). The department records aggregated data for each quarter rather than individual level payments, therefore we are not able to supply a mode amount paid without additional work which would require disproportionate cost. Consolatory payments recognise personal impacts such as gross inconvenience or severe distress. Complaints to DWP have increased year on year in-line with increases in caseloads, as well as the department continuing to improve its handling processes. The rise in special payments made to recognise impacts on customers’ well‑being, reflects better acknowledgement of when service has fallen short. Financial YearQuantity AuthorisedNet Amount PaidMean Net Amount Paid2015/162170£142,025£652016/172100£135,535£652017/182705£206,515£752018/193115£215,695£702019/203115£235,680£752020/213150£294,315£952021/226480£525,855£802022/237860£658,810£852023/247120£680,540£952024/256445£639,535£100 Notes:Data is rounded to the nearest 5This data is available from internal operational datasets, but not from an Official or National statistic quality source The department does not keep a breakdown of consolatory payments awarded by region.

How many consolation payments have been offered, per annum for the last ten years, to benefits claimants whose cases are mishandled or excessively delayed.

The number of consolatory payments authorised and the mean amounts per financial year to benefit claimants in the last ten years are in the table (below). The department records aggregated data for each quarter rather than individual level payments, therefore we are not able to supply a mode amount paid without additional work which would require disproportionate cost. Consolatory payments recognise personal impacts such as gross inconvenience or severe distress. Complaints to DWP have increased year on year in-line with increases in caseloads, as well as the department continuing to improve its handling processes. The rise in special payments made to recognise impacts on customers’ well‑being, reflects better acknowledgement of when service has fallen short. Financial YearQuantity AuthorisedNet Amount PaidMean Net Amount Paid2015/162170£142,025£652016/172100£135,535£652017/182705£206,515£752018/193115£215,695£702019/203115£235,680£752020/213150£294,315£952021/226480£525,855£802022/237860£658,810£852023/247120£680,540£952024/256445£639,535£100 Notes:Data is rounded to the nearest 5This data is available from internal operational datasets, but not from an Official or National statistic quality source The department does not keep a breakdown of consolatory payments awarded by region.

Whether his Department keeps a regional breakdown of the number of consolation payments made.

The number of consolatory payments authorised and the mean amounts per financial year to benefit claimants in the last ten years are in the table (below). The department records aggregated data for each quarter rather than individual level payments, therefore we are not able to supply a mode amount paid without additional work which would require disproportionate cost. Consolatory payments recognise personal impacts such as gross inconvenience or severe distress. Complaints to DWP have increased year on year in-line with increases in caseloads, as well as the department continuing to improve its handling processes. The rise in special payments made to recognise impacts on customers’ well‑being, reflects better acknowledgement of when service has fallen short. Financial YearQuantity AuthorisedNet Amount PaidMean Net Amount Paid2015/162170£142,025£652016/172100£135,535£652017/182705£206,515£752018/193115£215,695£702019/203115£235,680£752020/213150£294,315£952021/226480£525,855£802022/237860£658,810£852023/247120£680,540£952024/256445£639,535£100 Notes:Data is rounded to the nearest 5This data is available from internal operational datasets, but not from an Official or National statistic quality source The department does not keep a breakdown of consolatory payments awarded by region.

What progress he has made on increasing capacity of English as a Second Language Provision (ESOL) in line with the Government’s White Paper on Immigration.

Through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), the Department for Work and Pensions supports adults aged 19+ in England who speak English as a second or additional language to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision. ASF co-funds or fully-funds ESOL provision subject to the eligibility requirements laid out in the ASF rules. ESOL allows learners to develop the English language skills they need for everyday life, work or further learning. Overall, we are allocating £1.4 billion for a wide range of adult skills provision through the ASF in the 2025/26 academic year. Currently, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents, the allocation of the ASF to learning providers, and deciding how the ASF best meets the needs of their local economy. By honouring our commitments to combine and further devolve adult skills funding, we give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas, where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF allocations from the department to meet the needs of their communities. Where ASF funded provision is not available the Flexible Support Fund is sometimes used to procure ESOL provision that enables individuals to move into sustained employment, increase their earnings whilst in work, or move closer to the labour market. Government publishes statistics on participation in ESOL provision through its Further Education and Skills publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/084d1d31-4477-488e-b95b-08de28d609b2