Written questions by Hinds.

What estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 18-year old apprentice in the second year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.5 hour week, assuming the employer has more than 50 employees and the apprentice does not have an EHCP and was never in care, in terms of (a) wage cost (b) apprenticeship training cost (c) total cost, for an apprenticeship started in (i) September 2023 (ii) April 2024 (iii) September 2026.

Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Past, present and future minimum wage rates are published here, National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates - GOV.UK.Regarding apprenticeship training costs, each apprenticeship standard has a funding band which sets out the maximum amount that the government will contribute to the cost of apprenticeship training and assessment over the full duration of the apprenticeship. Apprenticeship funding bands range from £1,500 to £27,000.The apprenticeship funding rules for the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years, which include information on employer co-investment, are published here Apprenticeship funding rules - GOV.UK.From August 2026, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible people aged 16-24. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy will be required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.The government pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers will receive additional payments of up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

What estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 18-year old apprentice in the first year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.5 hour week, assuming the employer has more than 50 employees and the apprentice does not have an EHCP and was never in care, in terms of (a) wage cost (b) apprenticeship training cost (c) total cost, for an apprenticeship started in (i) September 2023 (ii) April 2024 (iii) September 2026.

Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Past, present and future minimum wage rates are published here, National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates - GOV.UK.Regarding apprenticeship training costs, each apprenticeship standard has a funding band which sets out the maximum amount that the government will contribute to the cost of apprenticeship training and assessment over the full duration of the apprenticeship. Apprenticeship funding bands range from £1,500 to £27,000.The apprenticeship funding rules for the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years, which include information on employer co-investment, are published here Apprenticeship funding rules - GOV.UK.From August 2026, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible people aged 16-24. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy will be required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.The government pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers will receive additional payments of up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

How many and what proportion of apprentices aged (a) 21 or under and (b) 24 or under were subject to a 100% reduction in apprenticeship training cost in (i) 2023-4 (ii) 2024-5 financial year.

The apprenticeship funding rules for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, which include information on employer co-investment, are published here Apprenticeship funding rules - GOV.UK.Since April 2024, the government has fully funded apprenticeship training costs up to the funding band maximum for non-levy paying employers for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy are required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.From August 2026, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible people aged 16-24. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy will be required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.The maximum that non-levy payers are required to co-invest in apprentices’ training costs is 5%.The government pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers will receive additional payments of up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

How many and what proportion of apprentice-employing non-Levy-paying firms received an Apprenticeship Levy Transfer from a Levy-paying firm in 2023-4 financial year.

The total number of non-levy employers that received a transfer from a levy-paying employer in the 2023-24 financial year is 6,348. The proportion of non-levy employers that had an active apprenticeship service account that received a payment in the 2023-24 financial year, that received transfers was 5.9%. This information is based on providers that received payments for non-levy employer learners for the 2023-24 financial year. Non-levy paying employers are not required to register for an apprenticeship service account; the data we hold is therefore not a reflection of all non-levy paying employers in England. Additionally, not all non-levy paying employers that are registered for an apprenticeship service account will employ apprentices and receive payments for them each year.

How many and what proportion of apprentices employed by non-Levy-paying employers were subject to a (a) 100% (b) 95% (c) any other reduction in apprenticeship training costs.

The apprenticeship funding rules for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, which include information on employer co-investment, are published here Apprenticeship funding rules - GOV.UK.Since April 2024, the government has fully funded apprenticeship training costs up to the funding band maximum for non-levy paying employers for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy are required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.From August 2026, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible people aged 16-24. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy will be required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.The maximum that non-levy payers are required to co-invest in apprentices’ training costs is 5%.The government pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers will receive additional payments of up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

What estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 18-year old apprentice in the first year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.5 hour week, assuming the employer has fewer than 50 employees, in terms of (a) wage cost, (b) apprenticeship training cost and (c) total cost for an apprenticeship started in (i) September 2023, (ii) April 2024 and (iii) September 2026.

Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Regarding wage costs, apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are either aged under 19 or aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. Apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage for their age if they are both aged 19 or over and have completed the first year of their apprenticeship.The below table sets out the 18–20-year-old and the apprentice minimum wage rates from April 2023 to April 2026. 18 to 20ApprenticeApril 2026 to March 2027£10.85£8April 2025 to March 2026£10£7.55April 2024 to March 2025£8.60£6.40April 2023 to March 2024£7.49£5.28 Regarding apprenticeship training costs, each apprenticeship standard has a funding band which sets out the maximum amount that the government will contribute to the cost of apprenticeship training and assessment over the full duration of the apprenticeship. Apprenticeship funding bands range from £1,500 to £27,000.Since April 2024, the government has fully funded apprenticeship training costs up to the funding band maximum for non-levy paying employers for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy are required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.From August 2026, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible people aged 16-24, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy will be required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.To support employers to offer apprenticeships, the government pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers will receive additional payments of up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

What estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 19-year old apprentice in the second year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.5 hour week, assuming the employer has more than 50 employees and the apprentice does not have an EHCP and was never in care in terms of (a) wage cost, (b) apprenticeship training cost, and (c) total cost for an apprenticeship started in (i) September 2023, (ii) April 2024, and (iii) September 2026.

Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Regarding wage costs, apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are either aged under 19 or aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. Apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage for their age if they are both aged 19 or over and have completed the first year of their apprenticeship.The below table sets out the 18–20-year-old and the apprentice minimum wage rates from April 2023 to April 2026. 18 to 20ApprenticeApril 2026 to March 2027£10.85£8April 2025 to March 2026£10£7.55April 2024 to March 2025£8.60£6.40April 2023 to March 2024£7.49£5.28 Regarding apprenticeship training costs, each apprenticeship standard has a funding band which sets out the maximum amount that the government will contribute to the cost of apprenticeship training and assessment over the full duration of the apprenticeship. Apprenticeship funding bands range from £1,500 to £27,000.Since April 2024, the government has fully funded apprenticeship training costs up to the funding band maximum for non-levy paying employers for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy are required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.From August 2026, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible people aged 16-24, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy will be required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.To support employers to offer apprenticeships, the government pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers will receive additional payments of up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

What estimate he has made of the average cost to a non-Levy-paying firm of employing an 19-year old apprentice in the first year of their apprenticeship, paid at the legal minimum hourly rate for a 37.5 hour week, assuming the employer has more than 50 employees and the apprentice does not have an EHCP and was never in care, in terms of (a) wage cost, (b) apprenticeship training cost and (c) total cost for an apprenticeship started in (i) September 2023, (ii) April 2024 and (iii) September 2026.

Minimum wage rates are reviewed annually and the government considers the independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when setting minimum wage rates.Regarding wage costs, apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they are either aged under 19 or aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. Apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage for their age if they are both aged 19 or over and have completed the first year of their apprenticeship.The below table sets out the 18–20-year-old and the apprentice minimum wage rates from April 2023 to April 2026. 18 to 20ApprenticeApril 2026 to March 2027£10.85£8April 2025 to March 2026£10£7.55April 2024 to March 2025£8.60£6.40April 2023 to March 2024£7.49£5.28 Regarding apprenticeship training costs, each apprenticeship standard has a funding band which sets out the maximum amount that the government will contribute to the cost of apprenticeship training and assessment over the full duration of the apprenticeship. Apprenticeship funding bands range from £1,500 to £27,000.Since April 2024, the government has fully funded apprenticeship training costs up to the funding band maximum for non-levy paying employers for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy are required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.From August 2026, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for all eligible people aged 16-24, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people. For all other apprentices, employers that do not pay the levy will be required to co-invest 5% towards apprentice training costs, unless they are in receipt of a levy transfer which covers that cost.To support employers to offer apprenticeships, the government pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers will receive additional payments of up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

What capacity his Department has made available for Work Capability Assessments in the next six months; and what the backlog of cases is.

During the second half of 2024, DWP experienced a much higher level of demand for new Work Capability Assessments (WCA) than envisaged. As a result, 34,000 reassessments built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We have worked with suppliers to rapidly increase capacity to clear this, including by accelerating the recruitment and training of additional assessors. As of 31 January 2026, 14,000 of these cases remain, and we expect the remainder to be cleared in the coming months.In the meantime, claimants awaiting a reassessment will continue to receive their current rate. Where a reassessment leads to entitlement to a higher rate of benefit, that rate will be backdated accordingly.Please note:All volumes have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.All of the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the Assessment SuppliersThe above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.

Whether he will assess the potential merits of allowing local authorities to roll over unspent Connect to Work funding into the following year.

Expenditure on Connect to Work is annualised in line with standard practice for managing public funds. To retain funding controls, my Department cannot automatically carry forward underspends into future years. As part of the Connect to Work Delivery Plan approval process, local areas must profile their programme activity for the entire funding period, broken down by financial year and by month within those years. This ensures that funding is aligned with planned delivery and performance milestones. My Department will have regular performance conversations with lead authorities for Connect to Work and will seek to support any area that may not be delivering against their profile and will seek to support any area that may not be delivering against their profile. This will include the opportunity to reprofile in year as part of the annual review process

What estimate he has made of the number and proportion of claimants who receive payments (a) monthly, (b) weekly, (c) fortnightly and (d) at any other frequency for each benefit administered by his Department.

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7July to Question 63294 on Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit, whether projections of the number of claims for (a) PIP and (b) health components of Universal Credit are based on an extrapolation of recent trends.

DWP produces forecasts of benefit payments based on DWP assumptions agreed by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), alongside economic determinants, judgments and assumptions provided by the OBR. The number of PIP claimants is forecast by considering new claims for the benefit, the rate of successful awards, and the likelihood that claimants leave the benefit, split by age (working age or pension age) and claim type (new claim or reassessment from Disability Living Allowance). The new claims assumption is informed by recent trends with adjustments made for seasonality and changes in external drivers such as trends in numbers of people with health conditions, the cost of living, and responses to public awareness. Similarly, award rates and exit rates are also based on recent trends. The Universal Credit caseload forecast combines evidence from the recent past with assumptions and OBR judgements on future trends. The driving factors within the UC Health forecast include observed benefit onflows and changes in circumstances that affect UC eligibility for benefits units, covering not only health but also family make-up, housing status, and earnings, derived from DWP admin data. The key assumptions affecting the UC Health Forecast include the plan to move all legacy claimants to UC by the end of March 2026 and an OBR judgement that onflows will fall from their recent high as real household disposable incomes recover, as described in the November 2023 EFO (see 4.57 CP 944 – Office for Budget Responsibility – Economic and fiscal outlook – November 2023). The drivers and assumptions of the UC Health forecasts were discussed in the OBR’s Welfare Trends Report of October 2024. Additionally, the UC forecast reflects further OBR forecasts and judgements on economic and demographic change (see answer to PQ 63294).

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 63294 on Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit, what (a) driving factors and (b) assumptions she uses to model projections for the number of claims for (i) PIP and (ii) health components of Universal Credit.

DWP produces forecasts of benefit payments based on DWP assumptions agreed by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), alongside economic determinants, judgments and assumptions provided by the OBR. The number of PIP claimants is forecast by considering new claims for the benefit, the rate of successful awards, and the likelihood that claimants leave the benefit, split by age (working age or pension age) and claim type (new claim or reassessment from Disability Living Allowance). The new claims assumption is informed by recent trends with adjustments made for seasonality and changes in external drivers such as trends in numbers of people with health conditions, the cost of living, and responses to public awareness. Similarly, award rates and exit rates are also based on recent trends. The Universal Credit caseload forecast combines evidence from the recent past with assumptions and OBR judgements on future trends. The driving factors within the UC Health forecast include observed benefit onflows and changes in circumstances that affect UC eligibility for benefits units, covering not only health but also family make-up, housing status, and earnings, derived from DWP admin data. The key assumptions affecting the UC Health Forecast include the plan to move all legacy claimants to UC by the end of March 2026 and an OBR judgement that onflows will fall from their recent high as real household disposable incomes recover, as described in the November 2023 EFO (see 4.57 CP 944 – Office for Budget Responsibility – Economic and fiscal outlook – November 2023). The drivers and assumptions of the UC Health forecasts were discussed in the OBR’s Welfare Trends Report of October 2024. Additionally, the UC forecast reflects further OBR forecasts and judgements on economic and demographic change (see answer to PQ 63294).

What data her Department provides to HM Treasury for the purposes of forecasting future numbers of claims for (a) PIP and (b) the (i) Limited Capability for Work Element and (ii) Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity Element of Universal Credit; and whether her Department is responsible for any of the assumptions underpinning those forecasts.

Forecast number of claims for PIP and health components of Universal Credit are produced by the Department as part of overall expenditure forecasts provided to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) at each fiscal event. DWP provides forecasts of benefit payments based on DWP assumptions agreed by OBR, alongside economic determinants, judgments and assumptions provided by the OBR. These forecasts are shared with HM Treasury in parallel with the Office for Budget Responsibility. Full details of the relationship between DWP, OBR and HMT can be found within the Memorandum of understanding between the Office for Budget Responsibility, HM Treasury, the Department for Work & Pensions, and HM Revenue & Customs.

Whether costs for (a) before-school breakfast and (b) after-school clubs and programmes for children of (I) primary (II) secondary school age are eligible for reimbursement through universal credit as childcare costs for working parents.

Universal Credit childcare support is paid to eligible Universal Credit customers in work for childcare for children up to the age of 16 and can be considered for the costs of wraparound childcare, including breakfast and afterschool clubs. Childcare providers must be registered with OFSTED or their equivalent in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales or childminders registered with a child-minding agency that is registered. Providers of wraparound childcare provided within school settings do not need to be registered but must be providing their childcare services under the authorisation and direction of the governing body of a school registered with OFSTED or their equivalent in the devolved nations.