Written questions by Campbell.

With reference to the findings of the Pensions Commission interim report on retirement savings, published on 19 May 2026, what plans he has to assist those of working age to have sufficient retirement income.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions he has had with the Motability Scheme on the potential impact of the proposed change in the annual mileage limit for new leases on rural users.

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. The Department for Work and Pensions meets quarterly with Motability Foundation, to discuss the Scheme’s operation. The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases, and there are no changes to the mileage allowance for existing leases. Motability Foundation has advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use fewer miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. Motability understands that this will affect customers differently, and is keeping these changes under review.

How many people were entitled to (a) old style and (b) new style State Pensions in Northern Ireland as of December 2025; and what was the average annual payment paid to each recipient.

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold complete information on State Pension entitlement and payments in Northern Ireland, as the majority are administered by the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland under the devolution settlement. The Department holds information on the number of people in receipt of the State Pension, including payments, but not on the number of people with entitlement. The number of people in receipt of State Pension payments administered by DWP to people resident in Northern Ireland is estimated to be a) 229 for pre-2016 State Pension and b) 279 for new State Pension. The average weekly payment for these people is estimated to be £183.15 overall, a) £178.69 for pre-2016 State Pension and b) £186.85 for new State Pension. These are based on latest figures for the quarter ending August 2025. Source: DWP Stat-Xplore. These figures do not reflect State Pension payments administered under the devolution settlement by the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland. The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland publish Benefit Statistics Summaries, with latest data to quarter ending November 2025, at the following link: https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/publications/benefits-statistics-summary-publication-accredited-official-statistics-november-2025

Pursuant to WPQ 112574 dated 11 February 2026 on the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers scheme, when does he expect to be able to reply.

Parliamentary Question 112574 was answered on 3 March. I apologise for the delay in responding.

What analysis his Department has undertaken on the reasons for increases in the numbers of successful applications for Universal Credit in the last three years.

People moving from old legacy benefits onto Universal Credit – almost four in every five – account for the vast majority of the increase over the past year. This is a transition we inherited from the previous government, alongside a system that writes people offWe are fixing this. We've already legislated to remove incentives that discourage work, and have redeployed 1,000 work coaches to support thousands of sick and disabled people who were previously left without contact for years. Alongside this, there has been an increase in the working age population, as a result of population growth and a rising state pension age, as well as an increase in the proportion of the working age population in receipt of incapacity benefits (including ESA and those on the UC Health Journey) over this period. The latest Universal Credit (UC) statistics published on 17 February 2026 now include a breakdown of those who received a migration notice and have moved from legacy benefits to UC as part of the Move to UC programme, and can be found athttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-statistics-29-april-2013-to-8-january-2026

If he will hold discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on how people using the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers scheme in England can find employment in Northern Ireland.

Skills and employment support policies are fully transferred to the Northern Ireland Executive, and the nature and scope of support for young people is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine. Senior officials from the DWP and Northern Ireland Executive are already working together to share learning and best practices whilst ensuring effective integration of reserved and devolved provision. In England, the eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers are testing approaches to identify and deliver localised support to young people who are or at risk of not being in employment, education or training. This includes strengthening local coordination through local leadership and outreach with partners including third sector organisations, employers and colleges to better connect young people with education, employment and training opportunities. To evaluate the effectiveness of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, the Department for Work and Pensions has commissioned an evaluation, which is expected to build evidence on the effectiveness of the initiative. This will focus on improving employment outcomes, reducing economic inactivity, enhancing health and well-being, increasing participation in education and training, and strengthening systems integration. We expect to publish interim findings during the next two years and will develop the value for money assessment once longer term impacts have developed. We will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive on the important issue of youth unemployment across the UK.

What estimate his Department has been made of the change in the amounts claimed in Universal Credit between (a) September 2024 and (b) September 2029.

Benefits’ expenditure and caseloads, in outturn and forecast, are published here: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2025 - GOV.UK

If he will undertake an assessment by the end of 2026 to establish if the cost of the The Eligibility Verification Measure provides value for money.

DWP has previously published an Impact Assessment for the measures in the PAFER Act, which included the Eligibility Verification Measure, which can be found here ImpactAssessment.pdf. DWP has committed to update this Impact Assessment within 12 months of Royal Assent.

What has been the estimated change in the numbers of those in receipt of Pension Credit between (a) November 2023 and (b) November 2025.

Caseload statistics for Pension Credit are available via DWP Stat-Xplore. Data for November 2025 is not yet available. The latest available data is for the quarter ending May 2025.

Whether there have been changes in the levels of (a) fraud and (b) error in the benefits system since July 2024.

Since Autumn Budget 2024, including the new announcements at Autumn Budget 2025, the Government have committed to gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030/31 from fraud, error and debt activity in the welfare state in Great Britain. The Department publishes yearly estimates of fraud and error in the benefit system. The latest of which is available here: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UK, and relates to benefit claims sampled between September 2023 and October 2024.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 84146 on Women against State Pension Inequality, whether he plans to meet with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign within the next six months.

There are no plans to meet with any campaign groups.

When he last met representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.

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.

What estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the State Pension by July 2029.

The Department’s latest forecasts estimate around £169 billion (in nominal terms) will be spent on the State Pension in 2029/30. Forecasts are presented on a financial year basis, as the Department does not produce totals by a specific calendar month, such as July 2029. Source: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2025

Pursuant the Answer of 2 September to Question 69743 on Universal Credit: Expenditure, whether she has had discussions with the OBR on the sustainability of the forecasted levels of expenditure on Universal Credit payments by the end of the current Parliament.

This Government is committed to a social security system which raises employment and living standards by supporting and incentivising people into work and to work more, reduces poverty by supporting people at times of higher cost and dependency, and promotes fairness and controls overall spending to ensure the long-term sustainability of the system for future generations. The Government’s welfare cap rule also helps ensure the long-term sustainability of the welfare system. A new welfare cap covering the current parliament was introduced at Autumn Budget 2024. The financial sustainability of the benefit system, including Universal Credit, is considered in the round as part of the forecasts for annually managed expenditure which are produced twice yearly as part of the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast process.

How many employees of the National Employment Savings Trust will be paid more than £160,000 in the current financial year.

Nest is a Public Corporation which operates independently of Government. However, they have provided the following narrative: At the start of the 2025/26 financial year, there were 25 employees on roll with a full-time equivalent salary above £160,000 per annum at the National Employment Savings Trust Corporation.

What estimate his Department has made of the cost of Universal Credit payments in June 2029.

The Department does not publish a specific forecast of expenditure in June 2029, but expenditure for the 2029/30 financial year on Universal Credit is forecast to be £88,919 million. Benefits’ expenditure and caseloads, in outturn and forecast, are published here: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2025 - GOV.UK

What the cost of Universal Credit payments were in each year between 2022 and 2024.

Expenditure on Universal Credit was:£40.6billion in the 21/22 financial year£41.9billion in the 22/23 financial year£52.1billion in the 23/24 financial year Figures are taken from DWP's Spring Statement 2025 Benefit Expenditure and Caseload publication table 1a

With reference to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62940 on Occupational Money Purchase Schemes, what steps she is taking to encourage awareness of collective defined contribution schemes by (a) employers and (b) employees.

My officials and I have been engaging extensively with a range of stakeholders to produce the legislative framework needed to accommodate whole-life CDC schemes with multiple unconnected employers, including with numerous employers. Regulations to implement this will be brought forward in the autumn. We have ensured that the Money and Pensions Service’s MoneyHelper guidance, which is available to any member of the public, provides information on CDC schemes. The Government has also published ‘Workplace pensions: a roadmap’ which sets out plans to support the growth of CDC provision.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 62538 on State Retirement Pensions: Northern Ireland, what the total cost to the public purse was of all payments of the State Pension in Northern Ireland in 2024.

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold complete information on State Pension payments in Northern Ireland, as some of these are administered by the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland. The annual cost of State Pension payments administered by DWP to people resident in Northern Ireland is estimated to be around £4.34 million in 2024. This is based on latest figures for the quarter ending November 2024. Source: DWP Stat-Xplore. This figure reflects State Pension payments made by DWP to people living in Northern Ireland and does not include any State Pension payments administered under the devolution settlement by the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of collective defined contribution schemes in operation as of 31 December 2024.

As of the 31 December there was one collective defined contribution scheme in operation in the UK, the Royal Mail Collective Pension Plan.