Written questions by Morello.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of Access to Work funding on disabled people in West Dorset.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of Access to Work funding on disabled people in West Dorset and currently does not have plans to do so. Access to Work spending has however increased every year since 2021/22. In 2023/24, the average amount an individual received across all Access to Work provision was around £4,180, which is around a 6% increase in real terms compared to the previous year. Demand for the service has increased - in 2023/24 Access to Work provision was approved for 67,720 people, an increase of 32% in real terms in comparison to the previous year. We are pleased to confirm that Access to Work will continue to be funded as part of the Spending Review 2025.

For what reason she plans to implement changes to the Access to Work scheme in phases from May 2025, prior to the conclusion of her Department’s consultation.

No changes have been made to Access to Work policy. We will announce any changes before they are implemented. Current operational guidance is published online at GOV.UK. Following the consultation, which concluded on 30 June, we will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme.

What steps she is taking to address the impact of Access to Work delays on disabled people in (a) West Dorset and (b) other rural areas.

The Access to Work Scheme is centrally administered and makes no distinction between the processing of applications from different regions. Demand for Access to Work has been growing. In 2023-2024, 67,720 people were approved for Access to Work provision. This is around a 32% increase when compared to the previous year. We are continuing to streamline delivery practices and have increased the number of staff processing claims. Since May 2024, 118 additional staff have been redeployed to support Access to Work. Despite this, the number of Access to Work applications waiting to be processed is continuing to grow, with over 62,000 applications outstanding as of February 2025. In addition, the average processing time for Access to Work applications was 92 days from April 2025 to June 2025. We are prioritising customers who are making new applications, those who are due to start a job within the next 4 weeks, or those whose existing grant requires renewal. We recognise that Access to Work is providing a poor experience for some applicants with processing delays affecting employees’ ability to start or continue in employment, and employers’ ability to support them. This combination of delays, poor experience and perceived inconsistency by some customers means the Access to Work scheme needs reform in order to support disabled people starting or continuing in employment better, and to support their employers more effectively.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the Access to Work scheme on the ability of disabled people to (a) enter, (b) remain and (c) succeed in employment.

Access to Work has not been substantially changed since its introduction in 1994. There is a strong case for updating the role it plays in making work accessible for disabled people. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. We also considered the role of employers in creating accessible and inclusive workplaces as well as how we can shape the market for aids, appliances and assistive technology, to reduce their cost and spread their adoption. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. The Green Paper launched a consultation that will inform the chosen future direction of Access to Work. Once this is established, we will consider timelines and work closely with stakeholders to ensure an appropriate transition. This government values the input of disabled people and people with health conditions, in addition to the representative organisations and people that support them. That is why we brought forward the Green Paper and opened a public consultation. We are now carefully reviewing responses to the Green Paper as we further develop proposals, alongside facilitating other ways to involve disabled people in the reforms. One such way is through the Collaboration Committees, which we launched on the 2 July, which bring together groups of disabled people and other experts for specific work areas, including Access to Work, to collaborate and provide discussion, challenge, and recommendations.

With reference to her oral contribution of 23 June 2025, Official Report, column 823, what steps her Department is taking to enable face-to-face meetings for PIP appeal hearings more accessible.

The oral contribution refers to the PIP assessment process and outlines our commitment to audio recording assessments. Appeals are lodged directly with, and administered by, HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). Making appeal hearings more accessible is therefore a matter for HMCTS and MoJ.

Whether her Department plans to (a) increase the rate of and (b) expand eligibility for Carer’s Allowance, in the context of trends in the number of unpaid carers.

The Government keeps all aspects of Carer’s Allowance (CA) under review to see if it is meeting its objectives. It is not means-tested but is subject to a weekly earnings limit. This was increased by a record amount in April 2025, which will benefit at least 60,000 unpaid carers between 2025/26 and 2029/30. Beyond that, to be entitled to CA, a carer must be over the age of 16 and provide 35 hours of care per week to a severally disabled person in receipt of a qualifying benefit. They must not be in ‘gainful employment’ (earning more than the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage), or in full time education (defined as being more than 21 hours per week). There are currently no plans to change the existing eligibility rules for CA. The level of CA is protected by uprating it each April in line with inflation as measured by the CPI for the previous September. The purpose of benefit uprating is to ensure that the value of benefits stays in line with the general level of prices. From April 2025, the rate of CA was increased to £83.30 per week. Between 2025/26 and 2029/30 real terms expenditure on CA is forecast to rise by over 6% - around £285 million. By 2029/30, the Government is forecast to spend over £4.7 billion in real terms a year on CA in England and Wales. CA may be supplemented for those on low incomes through Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These are paid at a higher rate for carers through the Universal Credit carer element of £201.68 per monthly assessment period, paid in addition to the Standard Allowance; or the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £46.40 a week, paid in addition to the Standard Minimum Guarantee.

How many unpaid carers receive Carer’s Allowance in West Dorset constituency.

The latest figures available - from November 2024 - show that 999 people were receiving a Carer’s Allowance payment in West Dorset Constituency. These figures can be found on Stat-Xplore.

What steps she is taking to expand eligibility for Carer’s Allowance in West Dorset.

The Government keeps all aspects of Carer’s Allowance (CA) under review to see if it is meeting its objectives. It is not means-tested but is subject to a weekly earnings limit. This was increased by a record amount in April 2025, which will benefit at least 60,000 unpaid carers between 2025/26 and 2029/30. Beyond that, to be entitled to CA, a carer must be over the age of 16 and provide 35 hours of care per week to a severally disabled person in receipt of a qualifying benefit. They must not be in ‘gainful employment’ (earning more than the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage), or in full time education (defined as being more than 21 hours per week). There are currently no plans to change the existing eligibility rules for CA. The level of CA is protected by uprating it each April in line with inflation as measured by the CPI for the previous September. The purpose of benefit uprating is to ensure that the value of benefits stays in line with the general level of prices. From April 2025, the rate of CA was increased to £83.30 per week. Between 2025/26 and 2029/30 real terms expenditure on CA is forecast to rise by over 6% - around £285 million. By 2029/30, the Government is forecast to spend over £4.7 billion in real terms a year on CA in England and Wales. CA may be supplemented for those on low incomes through Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These are paid at a higher rate for carers through the Universal Credit carer element of £201.68 per monthly assessment period, paid in addition to the Standard Allowance; or the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £46.40 a week, paid in addition to the Standard Minimum Guarantee.

Whether her Department plans to bring forward the timing of Personal Independence Payment review assessments.

We have launched a review of the PIP assessment as a whole, to make sure it is fair and fit for the future in a changing world and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence. I am leading the review. We published the Terms of Reference for the Review on 30 June 2025, and will update these shortly. We have committed to co-producing the review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders. We will engage widely over the summer to design the process for the work of the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon. We are committed to concluding the review by Autumn 2026 and will report outcomes to the House in a ministerial Oral Statement. We have committed to a general debate on this, in Government time. The legislation to implement the outcomes of the review will not be brought forward until that has happened.

What steps his Department is taking to promote awareness of cost of living support schemes to people living in West Dorset constituency.

To support people in need, we are providing £742 million to extend the Household Support Fund until 31 March 2026 in England. This enables Local Authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food, and to develop their schemes to help prevent poverty locally and build local resilience. As outlined in the scheme guidance, found on GOV.UK, Local Authorities have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions have set out, having the experience and the relationships to determine how best to support those in their local areas. The guidance states that Authorities must have a website page dedicated to the scheme, and consider inclusive and accessible ways in which they might advertise availability of The Fund to local people. There are no set eligibility requirements, and every Authority must operate part of their scheme on an application basis to allow the opportunity for individuals struggling to ask for further support. Further information on cost of living support can be found on Gov.UK.

Whether her Department plans to review the potential impact oforganophosphate exposure on occupational health outcomes in agricultural workers.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority for workplace health and safety on farms. The potential impact of organophosphate exposure on occupational health outcomes in agricultural workers, taking account of occupational exposure risk and current state of knowledge, is the basis for industry specific guidance in relation to organophosphate exposure and sheep dipping. This information is published in HSE Agricultural Information Sheet AIS41 (Sheep dipping: Advice for farmers and others involved in dipping sheep) and is freely available to download from the HSE website. HSE has no plans to carry out a further review at this time.

Whether her Department plans to take steps to apply transitional protections automatically for claimants moving from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit.

Since 2024 the Department has been inviting claimants of income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA IR) to make a claim to Universal Credit (UC) within three months in order to maintain their financial support. Those making a UC claim before their deadline, whose circumstances remain the same as those of their ESA claim will be assessed for transitional protection and, where eligible, this will automatically be applied to their Universal Credit award.

Whether claimants need to appeal in order to receive transitional protection when they are moved from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit.

Since 2024 the Department has been inviting claimants of income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA IR) to make a claim to Universal Credit (UC) within three months in order to maintain their financial support. Those making a UC claim before their deadline, whose circumstances remain the same as those of their ESA claim will be assessed for transitional protection and, where eligible, this will automatically be applied to their Universal Credit award without requiring an appeal although statutory appeal rights are attached to this decision.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the change in payment frequency from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit on the finances of claimants.

Universal Credit has a range of tools available to support customers with budgeting including Benefit Transfer Advances which are available for customers moving across from legacy benefits to UC. Universal Credit is, by default, a monthly payment which is paid directly to customers as a single household payment. Alternative Payment Arrangements are available to support those who cannot manage the single monthly payment.In instances where it is identified that a claimant is finding it difficult to budget, they can ask to have their Universal Credit payment divided over the month to be paid more frequently. This may be paid twice, or in exceptional circumstances, four times within a monthly assessment period. This payment arrangement does not increase the total award received within each assessment period.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure access to cost of living support schemes for people living in West Dorset constituency.

To support people in need, we are providing £742 million to extend the Household Support Fund until 31 March 2026 in England. This enables Local Authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food, and to develop their schemes to help prevent poverty locally and build local resilience. As outlined in the scheme guidance, found on GOV.UK, Local Authorities have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions have set out, having the experience and the relationships to determine how best to support those in their local areas. The guidance states that Authorities must have a website page dedicated to the scheme, and consider inclusive and accessible ways in which they might advertise availability of The Fund to local people. There are no set eligibility requirements, and every Authority must operate part of their scheme on an application basis to allow the opportunity for individuals struggling to ask for further support. Further information on cost of living support can be found on Gov.UK.

Whether her Department plans to communicate with people who did not receive responses to their queries on voluntary National Insurance contributions before 5 April 2025.

The Department is currently calling customers who registered an interest in Voluntary National Insurance Contributions before 5th April, where they may have a gap to fill. Where no further pension enhancement is possible, we may write to customers instead. We are prioritising those customers above or within 12 months of State Pension age.

What steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to process voluntary National Insurance contributions for people who contacted her Department before 5 April 2025.

The Department has doubled the number of people supporting this important activity and is pursuing digital routes to support processing Voluntary National Insurance Contributions.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve workplace support for young people with SEND that do not meet the criteria for specialist provision.

As a government, we want to support young SEND adults in the workplace by encouraging employers to adopt inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work. A range of measures are currently available. The Disability Confident scheme was developed in collaboration with disabled people, employers and organisations representing disabled people. The scheme aims to challenge perceptions of what it means to employ disabled people and provides employers with the knowledge skills and free resources they need to attract, recruit, retain and progress disabled people of all ages in the workplace. To support young people with the transition from education into work, Access to Work has developed a series of Adjustment Passports and Planners. They were developed with stakeholders and disability groups to ensure the format adhered to the social model of disability and met disability needs. They are completely voluntary, and can support the transitions into employment by providing: A transferable record of adjustments, reducing the need for the young person to repeat personal information about their disabilityA tool to support structured conversations with an employer about disability and adjustments and can highlight the in-work support Access to Work can provide.If an Access to Work application is made, the adjustment planner can support the application process by removing the need for an assessment. In November the Government launched its plan to Get Britain Working. We are working closely with employers, and through insights from the Keep Britain Working Review, to understand the barriers they face to employing disabled people. In addition to this, on 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices. The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to get Britain Working’ Green Paper, published on 18 March, set out a £1 billion investment a year by the end of the decade in new employment, health and skills support.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of employment support for young people with SEND that do not meet the threshold for specialist provision but require workplace adaptations.

As a government, we want to support young SEND adults in the workplace by encouraging employers to adopt inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work. A range of measures are currently available. The Disability Confident scheme was developed in collaboration with disabled people, employers and organisations representing disabled people. The scheme aims to challenge perceptions of what it means to employ disabled people and provides employers with the knowledge skills and free resources they need to attract, recruit, retain and progress disabled people of all ages in the workplace. To support young people with the transition from education into work, Access to Work has developed a series of Adjustment Passports and Planners. They were developed with stakeholders and disability groups to ensure the format adhered to the social model of disability and met disability needs. They are completely voluntary, and can support the transitions into employment by providing: A transferable record of adjustments, reducing the need for the young person to repeat personal information about their disabilityA tool to support structured conversations with an employer about disability and adjustments and can highlight the in-work support Access to Work can provide.If an Access to Work application is made, the adjustment planner can support the application process by removing the need for an assessment. In November the Government launched its plan to Get Britain Working. We are working closely with employers, and through insights from the Keep Britain Working Review, to understand the barriers they face to employing disabled people. In addition to this, on 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices. The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to get Britain Working’ Green Paper, published on 18 March, set out a £1 billion investment a year by the end of the decade in new employment, health and skills support.

Whether her Department plans to provide further guidance on workplace adjustments and transition support for young people with SEND that do not qualify for an Education, Health and Care Plan.

As a government, we want to support young SEND adults in the workplace by encouraging employers to adopt inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work. A range of measures are currently available. The Disability Confident scheme was developed in collaboration with disabled people, employers and organisations representing disabled people. The scheme aims to challenge perceptions of what it means to employ disabled people and provides employers with the knowledge skills and free resources they need to attract, recruit, retain and progress disabled people of all ages in the workplace. To support young people with the transition from education into work, Access to Work has developed a series of Adjustment Passports and Planners. They were developed with stakeholders and disability groups to ensure the format adhered to the social model of disability and met disability needs. They are completely voluntary, and can support the transitions into employment by providing: A transferable record of adjustments, reducing the need for the young person to repeat personal information about their disabilityA tool to support structured conversations with an employer about disability and adjustments and can highlight the in-work support Access to Work can provide.If an Access to Work application is made, the adjustment planner can support the application process by removing the need for an assessment. In November the Government launched its plan to Get Britain Working. We are working closely with employers, and through insights from the Keep Britain Working Review, to understand the barriers they face to employing disabled people. In addition to this, on 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Recommendations are expected to include employer actions that can support the inclusion of neurodivergent people, including in recruitment and day to day workplace practices. The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to get Britain Working’ Green Paper, published on 18 March, set out a £1 billion investment a year by the end of the decade in new employment, health and skills support.