Written questions by Leadbitter.

Whether he will meet representatives of the WASPI campaign to discuss the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on changes to women’s State Pension age, published on 21 March 2024.

Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd (WASPI) are seeking permission from the High Court to bring a Judicial Review on our response to the Ombudsman’s report. We do not comment on live litigation.

What steps he has taken to engage directly with representatives of the WASPI campaign since 5 July 2024.

The previous Minister for Pensions met with representatives from WASPI on 5th September 2024 to hear their experiences directly, the first Minister to do so in eight years.

Whether the Health and Safety Executive has formally (a) reviewed and (b) approved the Industry Safe Weight Limit Policy introduced by Offshore Energies UK.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) guidance documentation and policy on introducing a Safe Weight Limit for Offshore Workers on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). HSE was not involved in the development of the document but was provided with a copy of the final draft for comment. HSE reviewed the guidance relating to occupational health legislation and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) standards. As HSE is not the relevant regulatory body regarding the safe operation and use of helicopter winching systems it did not comment on the implementation of a winching weight limit. HSE is not in a position to approve OEUK guidance documents nor will it be involved in any discussion or decision making on the applicability of equality statutes that may be relevant. That is the responsibility of individual dutyholders and employers to ensure they maintain safe operations offshore under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and all relevant regulations applicable to the sector. HSE understands that the policy and associated guidance, developed by OEUK, is being introduced in a phased manner, over time, to enable the sector to maintain safe operations. As part of HSE’s regulatory role it carries our frequent inspections of offshore installations, which include consideration of employee roles and core competencies. HSE has the ability to take proportionate enforcement activity if it identifies failings relevant to these areas.

Whether an equality impact assessment has been undertaken for the potential impact of the Industry Safe Weight Limit Policy introduced by Offshore Energies UK on offshore workers.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) guidance documentation and policy on introducing a Safe Weight Limit for Offshore Workers on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). HSE was not involved in the development of the document but was provided with a copy of the final draft for comment. HSE reviewed the guidance relating to occupational health legislation and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) standards. As HSE is not the relevant regulatory body regarding the safe operation and use of helicopter winching systems it did not comment on the implementation of a winching weight limit. HSE is not in a position to approve OEUK guidance documents nor will it be involved in any discussion or decision making on the applicability of equality statutes that may be relevant. That is the responsibility of individual dutyholders and employers to ensure they maintain safe operations offshore under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and all relevant regulations applicable to the sector. HSE understands that the policy and associated guidance, developed by OEUK, is being introduced in a phased manner, over time, to enable the sector to maintain safe operations. As part of HSE’s regulatory role it carries our frequent inspections of offshore installations, which include consideration of employee roles and core competencies. HSE has the ability to take proportionate enforcement activity if it identifies failings relevant to these areas.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Industry Safe Weight Limit Policy introduced by Offshore Energies UK on workplace safety.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) guidance documentation and policy on introducing a Safe Weight Limit for Offshore Workers on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). HSE was not involved in the development of the document but was provided with a copy of the final draft for comment. HSE reviewed the guidance relating to occupational health legislation and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) standards. As HSE is not the relevant regulatory body regarding the safe operation and use of helicopter winching systems it did not comment on the implementation of a winching weight limit. HSE is not in a position to approve OEUK guidance documents nor will it be involved in any discussion or decision making on the applicability of equality statutes that may be relevant. That is the responsibility of individual dutyholders and employers to ensure they maintain safe operations offshore under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and all relevant regulations applicable to the sector. HSE understands that the policy and associated guidance, developed by OEUK, is being introduced in a phased manner, over time, to enable the sector to maintain safe operations. As part of HSE’s regulatory role it carries our frequent inspections of offshore installations, which include consideration of employee roles and core competencies. HSE has the ability to take proportionate enforcement activity if it identifies failings relevant to these areas.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes for 1950s-born women living in Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey constituency.

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age. Estimates can be made with ONS 2022 Census Data of how many women born in the 1950s were resident in each constituency in that year.

Whether her Department plans to change or extend eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment.

Bereavement Support Payment is available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. It supports working age people through the immediate period following the death of a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the Access to Work system from applicants applying for each job role to a centralised system containing relevant pre-filled information.

As part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. Following the conclusion of the consultation, we are now considering our responses and will set out our plans in due course.

Whether her Department has produced an impact assessment on the potential impact of changing the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment on trends in levels of excess deaths.

In line with the obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Department has conducted an equality analysis on expanding eligibility of the Winter Fuel Payment in England and Wales and have considered the impacts of this policy. The Government will publish the equality analysis alongside the Winter Fuel Payment regulations. With respect to trends on levels of excess deaths, a very wide range of factors impact changes in mortality. Details of excess winter deaths in England and Wales can be found at: Excess mortality in England - GOV.UK

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Disability Confident Employer Scheme and (b) Access to Work.

The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK There is a Disability Confident complaints process in place that sets out the steps that should be taken to address and resolve any concerns raised that an employer is failing to comply with Disability Confident criteria. More information is available here: Disability Confident complaints process.We have worked with several employers who have been the subject of a complaint to improve their compliance with the scheme criteria.If an employer has failed to take adequate steps to resolve an issue, and there is unambiguous evidence the employer is not adhering to the principles and criteria of the Disability Confident scheme, DWP has the right to suspend the Disability Confident status of the employer until they have taken the necessary action.I have been discussing with stakeholders in Disability Confident ideas for making the scheme criteria more robust, and plan to bring forward proposals for this in due course.All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 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 (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,720 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work. This includes a wide range of support including travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment, as well as the Mental Health support service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their well-being.The AtW evaluation conducted by IFF in 2018 provides qualitative evidence on where AtW is adding value: Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff (publishing.service.gov.uk).The Department has not made an estimate of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme, and faces challenges to do so. Research conducted by NatCen in 2018 uncovered several challenges, including identifying an appropriate counterfactual and constructing a comparison group, meaning therefore it is difficult to conduct an impact evaluation of Access to Work. You can view the report here: Feasibility of evaluating the impact of the Access to Work programmeAccess to Work is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation outlined in the Equality Act 2010, to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. The grant is targeted towards individual, rather than employer needs, so we are unable to comment on employer’s compliance with the Scheme. We do encourage people to have conversations with their employer regarding reasonable adjustments in the first instance.

What steps she is taking to ensure that employers who are part of the Disability Confident Employer Scheme are (a) meeting the commitments they have made and (b) undertaking the actions they agreed to when they signed up to that scheme.

The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK There is a Disability Confident complaints process in place that sets out the steps that should be taken to address and resolve any concerns raised that an employer is failing to comply with Disability Confident criteria. More information is available here: Disability Confident complaints process.We have worked with several employers who have been the subject of a complaint to improve their compliance with the scheme criteria.If an employer has failed to take adequate steps to resolve an issue, and there is unambiguous evidence the employer is not adhering to the principles and criteria of the Disability Confident scheme, DWP has the right to suspend the Disability Confident status of the employer until they have taken the necessary action.I have been discussing with stakeholders in Disability Confident ideas for making the scheme criteria more robust, and plan to bring forward proposals for this in due course.All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 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 (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,720 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work. This includes a wide range of support including travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment, as well as the Mental Health support service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their well-being.The AtW evaluation conducted by IFF in 2018 provides qualitative evidence on where AtW is adding value: Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff (publishing.service.gov.uk).The Department has not made an estimate of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme, and faces challenges to do so. Research conducted by NatCen in 2018 uncovered several challenges, including identifying an appropriate counterfactual and constructing a comparison group, meaning therefore it is difficult to conduct an impact evaluation of Access to Work. You can view the report here: Feasibility of evaluating the impact of the Access to Work programmeAccess to Work is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation outlined in the Equality Act 2010, to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. The grant is targeted towards individual, rather than employer needs, so we are unable to comment on employer’s compliance with the Scheme. We do encourage people to have conversations with their employer regarding reasonable adjustments in the first instance.

Whether she has made an estimate of the number organisations not complying with (a) the Equality Act 2010, (b) the Disability Confident Scheme and (c) Access to Work.

The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK There is a Disability Confident complaints process in place that sets out the steps that should be taken to address and resolve any concerns raised that an employer is failing to comply with Disability Confident criteria. More information is available here: Disability Confident complaints process.We have worked with several employers who have been the subject of a complaint to improve their compliance with the scheme criteria.If an employer has failed to take adequate steps to resolve an issue, and there is unambiguous evidence the employer is not adhering to the principles and criteria of the Disability Confident scheme, DWP has the right to suspend the Disability Confident status of the employer until they have taken the necessary action.I have been discussing with stakeholders in Disability Confident ideas for making the scheme criteria more robust, and plan to bring forward proposals for this in due course.All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 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 (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,720 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work. This includes a wide range of support including travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment, as well as the Mental Health support service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their well-being.The AtW evaluation conducted by IFF in 2018 provides qualitative evidence on where AtW is adding value: Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff (publishing.service.gov.uk).The Department has not made an estimate of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme, and faces challenges to do so. Research conducted by NatCen in 2018 uncovered several challenges, including identifying an appropriate counterfactual and constructing a comparison group, meaning therefore it is difficult to conduct an impact evaluation of Access to Work. You can view the report here: Feasibility of evaluating the impact of the Access to Work programmeAccess to Work is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation outlined in the Equality Act 2010, to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. The grant is targeted towards individual, rather than employer needs, so we are unable to comment on employer’s compliance with the Scheme. We do encourage people to have conversations with their employer regarding reasonable adjustments in the first instance.

What steps she is taking to ensure that employers in the Disability Confident Employer Scheme are (a) making reasonable adjustments and (b) adhering to the Equality Act 2010.

The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK There is a Disability Confident complaints process in place that sets out the steps that should be taken to address and resolve any concerns raised that an employer is failing to comply with Disability Confident criteria. More information is available here: Disability Confident complaints process.We have worked with several employers who have been the subject of a complaint to improve their compliance with the scheme criteria.If an employer has failed to take adequate steps to resolve an issue, and there is unambiguous evidence the employer is not adhering to the principles and criteria of the Disability Confident scheme, DWP has the right to suspend the Disability Confident status of the employer until they have taken the necessary action.I have been discussing with stakeholders in Disability Confident ideas for making the scheme criteria more robust, and plan to bring forward proposals for this in due course.All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 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 (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and providing guidance on reasonable adjustments.Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,720 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work. This includes a wide range of support including travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment, as well as the Mental Health support service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their well-being.The AtW evaluation conducted by IFF in 2018 provides qualitative evidence on where AtW is adding value: Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff (publishing.service.gov.uk).The Department has not made an estimate of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme, and faces challenges to do so. Research conducted by NatCen in 2018 uncovered several challenges, including identifying an appropriate counterfactual and constructing a comparison group, meaning therefore it is difficult to conduct an impact evaluation of Access to Work. You can view the report here: Feasibility of evaluating the impact of the Access to Work programmeAccess to Work is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation outlined in the Equality Act 2010, to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. The grant is targeted towards individual, rather than employer needs, so we are unable to comment on employer’s compliance with the Scheme. We do encourage people to have conversations with their employer regarding reasonable adjustments in the first instance.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changing the replacement rate to the Statutory Sick Pay lower earnings limit on people on this limit.

The Department undertook a Regulatory Impact Assessment covering the measures in the Employment Rights Bill to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay: removing the Lower Earnings Limit and the waiting period. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the rate of statutory sick pay.

No one should be forced to choose between their health and financial hardship. Through the Employment Rights Bill we are strengthening Statutory Sick Pay. Up to 1.3 million low-paid employees will now be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay and all eligible employees will be paid from the first day of sickness absence irrespective of their income, benefiting millions of employees. While the Department has not assessed the adequacy of the rate of Statutory Sick Pay, a Regulatory Impact Assessment and an Equality Impact Assessment of the Statutory Sick Pay measures in the Employment Rights Bill have been undertaken. The existing rate of Statutory Sick Pay is designed to balance providing support for employees, whilst helping to manage the costs to employers.