Written questions by Stafford.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of discontinuing the practice of sending letters to pensioners notifying them of small uprating increases, including increases of 25 pence.

The Department keeps communications with customers under constant review. We notify individuals of decisions about their benefit, which ensures that they know how much they are entitled to and when and how payment will be made. Letters also inform claimants about their legal responsibilities, such as having to report relevant changes and their legal rights, such as the right of appeal. Individuals' circumstances do change and not everybody receives the same rate of payment every year.

Whether his Department has assessed the effectiveness of the Bradford Score Chart as a tool for monitoring short-term staff absences.

DWP is aware of the Bradford Score relating to the management of short-term sickness absence.We do not use the Bradford Score but we have a separate system for monitoring and managing sick leave.

If he will mandate the Health and Safety Executive to issue updated guidance on outdoor working and sun exposure to include the use of high factor sunscreen.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) currently provides guidance for outdoor workers and sun exposure on both its main website pages and as a short leaflet entitled Keep your top on - Health risks from working in the sun (INDG147), both of which recommend the use of high-factor sunscreen.I have directed HSE to update its own guidance so that it aligns with the advice provided by the NHS of using sunscreen of at least SPF30.

If he will mandate the Health and Safety Executive to audit businesses employing outdoor workers to ensure that high factor sunscreen is provided on site.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recognises the health risks posed by working in the sun in industries such as agriculture and construction. HSE’s guidance is informed by the NHS’s position and is available here: Skin at work: Outdoor workers and sun exposure - HSE. The information in HSE's guidance encourages employers of outdoor workers to include sun protection advice in routine health and safety training and advises workers to keep covered up during the summer months. Where possible direct exposure to the sun should be avoided, for example by working in the shade. Employers should assess the risks and determine the best control measures. Sunscreen with a protection factor of SPF30 or above, as per NHS guidelines, should be used to complement these measures and deal with any residual risk, but not as the primary protective measure. HSE has a range of tools as its disposal to ensure employers are acting in accordance with their legal duties.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing an Older People’s Commissioner for England.

The Department for Work and Pensions has not made an assessment on an Older People’s Commissioner. Our commitment to the pensions Triple Lock throughout this Parliament will see millions of pensioners receive up to £470 more this year added to their State Pension and our increased income threshold for Winter Fuel Payments of £35,000 a year will see over three quarters of pensioners in England and Wales receiving the payment later this Winter. DWP currently offers employment support for those older jobseekers affected by low confidence, menopause, health and disability or caring pressures, and out of date skills or qualifications. Through Midlife MOTs, delivered in Jobcentres across the UK, and online, we support older people to assess their health, finances and skills. The Government is reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new jobs and careers service that will enable everyone, including the over-50s, to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them progress in their careers. This includes an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice.

What steps she is taking to ensure that people impacted by (a) long-term health conditions and (b) disabilities are consulted during the review of changes to Personal Independence Payment.

I am committed to co-producing the review with disabled people, including those with long term health conditions and disabilities, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders, to ensure that a wide range of views and voices are heard.I have been engaging over the summer to consider 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. I will share more details on this and how disabled people and other stakeholders will be involved in the review as plans progress.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of foreign nationals claiming Universal Credit.

The Department publishes Universal Credit (UC) immigration status and nationality statistics as part of the Universal Credit statistics publication. The latest release of these statistics is included in the latest Universal Credit statistical bulletin. ‘Table 2’ in the latest Universal Credit immigration status and nationality data tables provides information on the number of people on Universal Credit by immigration status, nationality group and employment status, for each month from April 2022 to June 2025.

Whether she plans to review the eligibility rules for Carer’s Allowance for claimants receiving the State Pension.

Although there is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, it cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. It has been a long-held feature of the GB benefit system, under successive Governments, that where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to avoid duplication for the same need. Although entitlement to State Pension and Carer’s Allowance arise in different circumstances they are nevertheless designed for the same contingency – as an income replacement. Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person and is unable to undertake full time employment due to their caring responsibilities, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. For this reason, social security rules operate to prevent them being paid together, to avoid duplicate provision for the same need. However, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance which is currently £83.30. Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £46.40 a week and potentially other means-tested support. Around 100,000 people are receiving the Carer Premium with their Pension Credit. And even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, they may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the welfare system on people with disabilities.

Some information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published in the evidence pack, impacts analysis and equalities analysis at:[https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper]A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.The proposals have been carefully designed to protect the finances of severely disabled people.There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility and rebalancing of UC aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026 for UC and November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. At the award review, claimants will be assessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional on individual needs and circumstances.We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of operational changes to Access to Work on disabled people who (a) are self-employed and (b) work in small businesses.

As part of our Plan for Change, and as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published in March, we are consulting on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the programme to help more disabled people into work and support employers, ensuring value for money for taxpayers. We will review all aspects of the Scheme following the conclusion of the consultation, and carefully assess the impact of any proposed changes.We encourage people to have their views and voices heard on how they think the programme and the welfare system could be improved.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment on people with severe disabilities.

We are taking action to focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, by introducing a new eligibility requirement. The change to the PIP eligibility criteria will mean that people with a higher level of functional need – for example, people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – still receive PIP.We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits as set out in the Green Paper. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through digitalising transfer of medical information, using evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce the need for people with very severe health conditions to undergo functional assessments and improving communication with people receiving awards who are expected to remain on disability benefits for life. For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

What the qualification requirements are for Personal Independence Payment assessors.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has set clear requirements on the professions, skills, experience, and training of health professionals (HPs) that assessment suppliers use to carry out assessments. The Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide (PIPAG) states all HPs recruited for the delivery of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments (or any parts of these) must meet the following requirements:Be an occupational therapist, nurse, physiotherapist, paramedic, doctor, pharmacist or by exception, another registered healthcare professional, providing the requirements set out within the PIPAG are met, the individual continues to satisfy quality and probation processes, and only by individual, prior, written agreement with the DWP.Be fully registered with the relevant licensing bodyHave no sanctions attached to registration unless: they relate to disability, or the HP is a doctor who has an approved practice setting (APS) (as defined by the General Medical Council from time to time) requirement on the grounds that they have not had their first revalidation post qualification as a doctorIn individual cases, the requirement for HPs not to have any sanction attached to registration may be waived subject to prior written agreement with DWP (no waiver is required in relation to any sanction relating to disability or an APS requirement)Have at least 1 year’s post full registration experience (this refers to either UK registration or equivalent overseas registration for non-UK HPs) or less than 1 year’s post full registration experience by individual, prior, written agreement with the DWP.Have passed a Disclosure and Barring Service check at the appropriate level.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the recent State Pension increase.

Ensuring a decent foundation State Pension for pensioners is a priority for this Government. That is why we have set out our commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this Parliament. As a result, spending on people’s State Pensions is forecast to rise by over £31 billion. Through our commitment to the Triple Lock, from April the basic and new State Pensions will increase by 4.1%. This means that over 12 million pensioners will benefit from an increase of up to £470 to their State Pension from April this year. That’s up to £275 more than if pensions had been uprated in line with inflation.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the State Pension reflects increases in the cost of living.

The Government is committed to the Triple Lock, which means that in April 2025, the basic and new State Pension will increase by the higher of the growth in average earnings, price increases or 2.5%. As a result, the basic and new State Pension will increase by 4.1%, in line with earnings growth. Inflation in the reference period was 1.7%. This means that over 12 million pensioners will benefit from an increase of up to £470 to their State Pension from April this year. That’s £275 more than if pensions had been uprated by the rise in prices.

If she will publish data on welfare claimants by (a) nationality and (b) immigration status.

Non-UK / Irish citizens can only access benefits like Universal Credit if they have an immigration status that provides recourse to public funds. Those without immigration status or with a no recourse to public funds condition on their status are not entitled. An individual’s specific nationality is not relevant to their claim. The Department checks immigration status when assessing eligibility, but this information is not collated centrally and hence not readily available. We are, however, exploring the feasibility of developing suitable statistics related to the immigration status of non-UK / Irish customers.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a 25 pence per week increase for state pension claimants.

No such assessment has been made. We are absolutely committed, through the Triple Lock, to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. This means that from April 2025, subject to Parliamentary approval, the basic and new State Pensions will be increased by 4.1%. The full yearly basic State Pension will increase by around £360, and the full yearly rate of the new State Pension will increase by around £470.