Written questions by Morello.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service in ensuring timely case handling and communication with parents.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to providing a modern, efficient, and accessible service for all customers. Through the Service Modernisation Programme, CMS is expanding digital channels and self-service options, including online tools like Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance and My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC), available 24/7. It has improved communications via SMS, email, and clearer letters, and introduced online messaging for certain processes, with plans to extend this further. By promoting self-service, CMS frees resources for customers who prefer phone support. Recent call routing improvements ensure faster access to case-owning teams. All changes undergo equality assessments to guarantee fair access to the service for all customers regardless of location. The Government is reviewing the child maintenance calculation to ensure it reflects current and future trends. Any proposed reforms will undergo public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny. CMS remains committed to delivering a reliable, fair, and responsive service for every parent.

What steps he is taking to reduce delays and improve contact accessibility for Child Maintenance Service users in West Dorset constituency.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to providing a modern, efficient, and accessible service for all customers. Through the Service Modernisation Programme, CMS is expanding digital channels and self-service options, including online tools like Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance and My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC), available 24/7. It has improved communications via SMS, email, and clearer letters, and introduced online messaging for certain processes, with plans to extend this further. By promoting self-service, CMS frees resources for customers who prefer phone support. Recent call routing improvements ensure faster access to case-owning teams. All changes undergo equality assessments to guarantee fair access to the service for all customers regardless of location. The Government is reviewing the child maintenance calculation to ensure it reflects current and future trends. Any proposed reforms will undergo public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny. CMS remains committed to delivering a reliable, fair, and responsive service for every parent.

If he will remove the two-child benefit cap in the Autumn Budget.

The Government is committed to tackling child poverty. The Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. Commitments made at the 2025 spending review, and since then, are the latest steps in our Plan for Change to put extra pounds in people’s pockets – a downpayment on our Child Poverty Strategy, building on expansion of free breakfast clubs, the national minimum wage boost and the cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap on families in rural areas.

The Taskforce recognises the importance of place, including differences between urban and rural locations, as a driver of child poverty. Children and families in rural areas have played an important role in the development of the Child Poverty Strategy, including through their participation in our research with parents and carers, and with children – which included an emphasis of the importance and role of place in shaping their experiences. Strengthening local support is also one of the pillars through which we are developing the Strategy. No assessment has been made of the impact of removing the Two Child Limit policy in West Dorset or on families in rural areas. However, statistics on the number of households and children in receipt of Universal Credit affected by the Two Child Limit policy are available by local authority and parliamentary constituency on the GOV.UK website, the latest being for April 2025: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK. This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy. In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing the two-child benefit cap on child poverty in West Dorset constituency.

The Taskforce recognises the importance of place, including differences between urban and rural locations, as a driver of child poverty. Children and families in rural areas have played an important role in the development of the Child Poverty Strategy, including through their participation in our research with parents and carers, and with children – which included an emphasis of the importance and role of place in shaping their experiences. Strengthening local support is also one of the pillars through which we are developing the Strategy. No assessment has been made of the impact of removing the Two Child Limit policy in West Dorset or on families in rural areas. However, statistics on the number of households and children in receipt of Universal Credit affected by the Two Child Limit policy are available by local authority and parliamentary constituency on the GOV.UK website, the latest being for April 2025: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK. This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy. In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.

Whether he plans to review benefit rules for parents with shared care.

Universal Credit child element is payable to the person who is responsible for a child or young person. Where a child or qualifying young person normally lives with two or more persons who are not a couple, only one of them is to be treated as responsible and that is the person who has the main responsibility. This is in line with the approach generally adopted across the benefit system, including Child Benefit. There are no plans to review this policy at this time.

Whether he plans to introduce reforms to ensure equal benefit access for separated parents with equal caring responsibilities.

Universal Credit child element is payable to the person who is responsible for a child or young person. Where a child or qualifying young person normally lives with two or more persons who are not a couple, only one of them is to be treated as responsible and that is the person who has the main responsibility. This is in line with the approach generally adopted across the benefit system, including Child Benefit. There are no plans to review this policy at this time.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce child poverty in West Dorset constituency.

In developing a Child Poverty Strategy, the Taskforce is considering all children across the United Kingdom. The UK Government is committed to tackling child poverty across the UK where progress is contingent on reserved, devolved, and local levers. The Child Poverty Strategy will be UK-wide, drawing on devolved and reserved levers and working closely with Devolved Governments, recognising the progress that has been made on their poverty strategies and policies, and in England, with mayors and other local leaders. Local authorities are a key part of our approach to learning directly about the experience of poverty in different communities and solutions already underway. Both the Taskforce and officials in the Child Poverty Unit have engaged with local communities regularly throughout the development of the strategy. This includes through a ministerial taskforce meeting with local leaders from combined and local governments in England, who joined Ministers to discuss the experience of poverty in their local communities, and innovative solutions underway. The Child Poverty Unit also consulted local authorities across England through a virtual webinar in December 2024, allowing authorities to feed into the development of the strategy. and visits to Manchester, Ashton-Under-Lyme, Cheshire and Merseyside. As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty including an expansion of Free School Meals and a £39 billion investment in social and affordable housing. At the 2025 Spending Review we also announced a new March 2025 £1 billion package to reform crisis support, including the first ever multi-year settlement to transform the Household Support Fund into a new Crisis and Resilience Fund. This longer-term funding approach enables local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assist people when faced with a financial crisis.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of benefit allocation rules on children in shared care arrangements.

Universal Credit child element is payable to the person who is responsible for a child or young person. Where a child or qualifying young person normally lives with two or more persons who are not a couple, only one of them is to be treated as responsible and that is the person who has the main responsibility. This is in line with the approach generally adopted across the benefit system, including Child Benefit. There are no plans to review this policy at this time.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of the cost of living on child poverty levels in West Dorset constituency.

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being  Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty on a before housing costs basis at local level are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication, the latest available being Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK. In 2023/24, 2,307 (17.0%) children (under age 16) in West Dorset were in relative low income before housing costs. In Dorset, 9,886 (17.2%) children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs, as were 0.2 million (18.3%) children (under age 16) in the South West. In England, using a three-year average for 2021/22 to 2023/24, 2.4 million (21.9%) in children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs. This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers as part of our strategy, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. We have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays. We do not hold data on rates of homelessness.

What comparative data his Department holds on rates of (a) child poverty and (b) homelessness in (i) West Dorset, (ii) Dorset, (iii) the South West and (iv) England.

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being  Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty on a before housing costs basis at local level are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication, the latest available being Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK. In 2023/24, 2,307 (17.0%) children (under age 16) in West Dorset were in relative low income before housing costs. In Dorset, 9,886 (17.2%) children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs, as were 0.2 million (18.3%) children (under age 16) in the South West. In England, using a three-year average for 2021/22 to 2023/24, 2.4 million (21.9%) in children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs. This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers as part of our strategy, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. We have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays. We do not hold data on rates of homelessness.

What recent estimate his Department has made of the number of children living in poverty in West Dorset.

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being  Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty on a before housing costs basis at local level are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication, the latest available being Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK. In 2023/24, 2,307 (17.0%) children (under age 16) in West Dorset were in relative low income before housing costs. In Dorset, 9,886 (17.2%) children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs, as were 0.2 million (18.3%) children (under age 16) in the South West. In England, using a three-year average for 2021/22 to 2023/24, 2.4 million (21.9%) in children (under age 16) were in relative low income before housing costs. This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers as part of our strategy, including social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life. The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy.In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. We have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap.In August, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays. We do not hold data on rates of homelessness.

What recent discussions he has has local stakeholders in response to Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s findings on WASPI women in West Dorset.

No discussions have taken place in West Dorset. After careful consideration of the Ombudsman’s findings, we made our decision which was fair and based on the evidence. There is now live litigation on this matter.

When her Department last estimated the number of women born in the 1950s affected by State Pension age changes in West Dorset constituency.

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age. No specific estimate has been made for the number of women born in the 1950s in West Dorset constituency. However, estimates can be made with 2021 census data. ONS population estimates indicate that in 2021 there were approximately 8,500 females born in the 1950s resident in the West Dorset constituency in that year.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that advice services can meet increased demand.

The Department for Work and Pensions provides a range of support to customers claiming Universal Credit. This includes a dedicated Universal Credit helpline, information on gov.uk, face to face support in Jobcentres as well as support from the Help to Claim service. Help to Claim is delivered independently by Citizens Advice, in partnership with Citizens Advice Scotland, to provide practical tailored support to enable individuals to make a new claim to Universal Credit or move from legacy benefits. Help to Claim is available to anyone making a claim to Universal Credit and is focussed on providing help that meets an individual’s needs at any time until the first full payment of Universal Credit is made. The Department for Work and Pensions forecasts demand as part of its Grant Funding Agreement with Citizens Advice to ensure they have the resources required to deliver Help to Claim. Since April 2019, Help to Claim has supported over 1.1 million people, with 9 in 10 people rating their overall experience as good or very good and would recommend it to friends and family.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the treatment of SSIP funds as savings rather than pensions by local authorities.

DWP does not take into account the value of a pension fund (such as a SIPP) that someone and/or their employer has paid into, this protects investments for retirement. Monies drawn from a pension fund, either as a lump-sum, a pension/annuity or both will be taken into account in means-tested benefits in the usual way. This includes where someone reaches the age for state pension credit and has chosen to continue to defer their private/occupational or state pension, in which case this may be taken into account as notional income. How SIPPs are treated by local authorities is a matter for them and MHCLG.

What support is available for women born in the 1950s impacted by State Pension age changes in West Dorset constituency.

We are absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. The State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. In 2025-26 we will spend £174.9 billion on benefits for pensioners in Great Britain, 5.8% of GDP. This includes spending on the State Pension which is forecast to be £145.6 billion in 2025-26 Through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock both the basic and new State Pensions increased by 4.1% in April, benefitting over 12 million pensioners by up to £470. That’s up to £275 more than if pensions had been uprated by inflation. From the end of this Parliament, spending on the State Pension as a result of our commitment to protect the Triple Lock is forecast to be around £31 billion more a year, compared with 2024/25. This will see pensioners’ yearly incomes rising by up to £1,900. Pension Credit provides vital financial support for pensioners, with 66% of those receiving support being women. It tops up state and private pensions to a guaranteed weekly minimum - the Standard Minimum Guarantee. This also increased by 4.1% in April and is now £227.10 pw for a single person and £346.60 pw for couples. Additional amounts can be paid in respect of disability, caring responsibilities and certain housing costs. The Government wants all pensioners to get the support to which they are rightly entitled. That is why we ran the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign, which included adverts on television, radio, social media, on YouTube, on advertising screens in post offices and GP surgeries as well as in the press. The next stage of the campaign starts this month and will run through to the end of the financial year. The Government offers further direct financial help to low-income pensioners through the Warm Home Discount, providing eligible households across Great Britain with £150 off their winter energy bill. We have also extended the Household Support Fund for an additional year until 31 March 2026. For those people who are unable to work but who are not yet eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age, financial support is available through the welfare system.

How many women in West Dorset constituency born in the 1950s are impacted by changes to the State Pension age.

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age. No specific estimate has been made for the number of women born in the 1950s in West Dorset constituency. However, estimates can be made with 2021 census data. ONS population estimates indicate that in 2021 there were approximately 8,500 females born in the 1950s resident in the West Dorset constituency in that year.

If she will review the adequacy of support available through disability benefits to people impacted by in utero exposure to Debendox.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides a contribution towards the extra costs that may arise from a long-term disability or health condition. Entitlement to PIP focuses on the functional impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life. It is assessed on the basis of needs arising and not on the condition itself, so is available to individuals when they meet the PIP qualifying criteria.PIP is non-contributory, non-means-tested and can be worth up to £9,747.40 a year, tax free. Receiving a qualifying rate of PIP can act as a ‘passport’ to extra money or higher amounts of other means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, and Housing Benefit. It can also provide access to council tax reductions and a Disabled Person's Railcard. Individuals can choose how to use the benefit, in the light of their individual needs and preferences.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the level of Personal Independence Payments for people affected by long-term conditions associated with in utero exposure to Debendox.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides a contribution towards the extra costs that may arise from a long-term disability or health condition. Entitlement to PIP focuses on the functional impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life. It is assessed on the basis of needs arising and not on the condition itself, so is available to individuals when they meet the PIP qualifying criteria.PIP is non-contributory, non-means-tested and can be worth up to £9,747.40 a year, tax free. Receiving a qualifying rate of PIP can act as a ‘passport’ to extra money or higher amounts of other means-tested benefits, such as Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, and Housing Benefit. It can also provide access to council tax reductions and a Disabled Person's Railcard. Individuals can choose how to use the benefit, in the light of their individual needs and preferences.