Written questions by Whately.

How many non-UK nationals have received Winter Fuel Payments for the following financial years a) 2024/25 b) 2025/2026, and what was the total value of Winter Fuel Payments paid to those non-UK nationals in each of those financial years.

The requested statistics are not held by the Department. The Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2025 changed the entitlement conditions so that payments are only made to people living in England or Wales. As a result, from Winter 2025/26, Winter Fuel Payments are no longer paid outside the UK.

What steps he is taking to verify the ongoing residency of non-UK national claimants who have been absent from the UK for more than a month.

The Department uses the Habitual Residence Test (HRT) for income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit, to assess whether someone has a legal right to be here and whether they are factually resident in the UK. For an individual to be factually habitually resident they must have been present in the UK for an appreciable period, usually between one and three months, and have a settled intention to remain.

How many LinkedIn Learning licences were provided to Department for Work and Pensions staff; and what the total cost of those licences was, in each calendar quarter from Q1 2023 to the most recent quarter for which data is available.

The table below shows the number of licenses purchased and costs associated since Q1 2023.These are annual subscriptions and have not been renewed since 2024. Q1 2023Q1 2024Learning Licenses1010Costs£3,264£3,600

What the average time was between a Universal Credit claim being made and first payment being issued in each month since 5 July 2024.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. However, monthly Universal Credit payment timeliness statistics for new claims are published in UC Households 6 - Payment Timeliness New Claims table in the Households on Universal Credit dataset on Stat-Xplore, and are currently available to July 2025. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract information. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

How many Universal Credit awards were made with an Alternative Payment Arrangement in each month since 5 July 2024.

Monthly Universal Credit statistics showing the number in payment and using alternative payment arrangements, including managed payment to landlord, more frequent payment, and split payment methods, are published in the Households on Universal Credit dataset on Stat-Xplore, and are currently available to August 2025. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract information. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

What the average time was between the date refugee status was first recorded and first payment for Universal Credit claimants with refugee status in 2025.

This information is not centrally held by DWP, and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

How many Universal Credit claimants were recorded as non-UK nationals in each month since 1 July 2024.

The Department publishes Universal Credit (UC) immigration status and nationality statistics as part of the Universal Credit statistics publication. ‘Table 1’ in the latest Universal Credit immigration status and nationality data tables provides information on the number of people on Universal Credit by immigration status for each month from April 2022 to October 2025.

What estimate his Department has made of the amount paid in Universal Credit to claimants recorded as non-UK nationals by month since 1 July 2024.

Non-British and Irish nationals typically cannot access Universal Credit until they have been granted settlement after 5 years of lawful residence in the UK. The Home Office are consulting on doubling the standard qualifying period for settlement from 5 to 10 years. Exceptionally, some groups can access sooner, including people protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and Afghans and Ukrainians who have fled those countries. Universal Credit awards are paid to households, so it is not possible to break payments down to individual members of a household.

How many Universal Credit awards were made following the application of an exception to a No Recourse to Public Funds condition in each of the last three years.

This information is not held centrally by DWP, and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

What career coaching, career transition, and redeployment support services are available to staff in his Department through centrally provided civil service programmes.

The table below shows the career and redeployment support options available to DWP employees. The information is based on DWP’s use of the centrally provided Civil Service Learning Frameworks service. The data covers the period from January 2023 to December 2025.Intervention TitleAPM Chartered Project Professional Coaching (excluding Accreditation Fees)Coaching SkillsCoaching skills for managersCoaching skills for managers (for programmes only)ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching & Mentoring - Includes assessmentPerformance Coaching Skills for Managers in the Government Analytical ServicePerformance Development in Digital, Data and Technology Multi-Disciplinary Teams Using Coaching ModelsCrossing Thresholds - Module 1 - Career goal-setting and planning5 must-see TED talks for career professionalsAnalytical Community Career conversationsCareer ConversationsHow to build your career in the Civil ServiceHow to build your career in the UK Civil ServiceNavigating Your CareerThe 3 questions every manager struggles with making career development plansThe 4 questions every manager struggles with making career development plansWhy you will fail to have a great careerCoaching and MentoringCoaching ethics reflection questionsCoaching ethics reflection questionsCoaching Skills (Blended)Coaching skills for managers (Blended)Coaching skills for Managers (for DEFRA only)Diploma in Coaching Supervision - Professional Accreditation (Including assessment)Executive Coach coaching - BespokeExecutive Coach coaching - Package 2Executive Coach coaching - Package 3Executive Coach coaching - Package 4Executive Coach coaching - Package 5ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and MentoringILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring (includes assignments)ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring (includes exam)Premier Executive Coach coaching - BespokePremier Executive Coach coaching - Package 2Premier Executive Coach coaching - Package 3Premier Executive Coach coaching - Package 4Senior Executive Coach coaching - BespokeSenior Executive Coach coaching - Package 2Senior Executive Coach coaching - Package 3Senior Executive Coach coaching - Package 4Senior Executive Coach coaching - Package 5

What the expenditure on the Milburn Review into youth inactivity has been.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

How many Universal Credit overpayments arising from official error were identified in each month since 5 July 2024.

The department publishes estimates of the numbers of official error overpayments, available here: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates

How much has been paid in fees and expenses to external members appointed to the Timms Review.

Members of the Timms Review steering group will be paid at a rate of £300 a day, with an expected time commitment of up to 5 days a month. The Review’s two external co-chairs, who were appointed in October 2025, are paid at a rate of £400 a day, with the same expected time commitment. In addition to their fees, members of the steering group and the co-chairs will be reimbursed for any reasonable expenses, including travel, accommodation and the costs of any accessibility requirements required in the course of their work on the Review. This approach is to remove financial barriers to participation, ensuring no one is excluded due to cost, and is based on strong feedback from disabled people and other experts. The Department also put in a contract with The Public Service Consultants (PSC) to support the Review. This is the first time that the Government has undertaken co-production on this scale, and we want to ensure we have the expertise to get it right. The contract was signed by the Department on 29th December 2025. To date, there have been no payments through this contract to them as external contractors.

What the expenditure on the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment is, including payments to external contractors and panel members.

Members of the Timms Review steering group will be paid at a rate of £300 a day, with an expected time commitment of up to 5 days a month. The Review’s two external co-chairs, who were appointed in October 2025, are paid at a rate of £400 a day, with the same expected time commitment. In addition to their fees, members of the steering group and the co-chairs will be reimbursed for any reasonable expenses, including travel, accommodation and the costs of any accessibility requirements required in the course of their work on the Review. This approach is to remove financial barriers to participation, ensuring no one is excluded due to cost, and is based on strong feedback from disabled people and other experts. The Department also put in a contract with The Public Service Consultants (PSC) to support the Review. This is the first time that the Government has undertaken co-production on this scale, and we want to ensure we have the expertise to get it right. The contract was signed by the Department on 29th December 2025. To date, there have been no payments through this contract to them as external contractors.

How many people recruited by his Department were aged 16 to 24 in each calendar quarter since 1 January 2023.

As at 31 December 2025, we can confirm the following joiner data for the 16–24 age band:Joining YearAge Band 16-24 JoinersJan-Dec 231541Jan-Dec 241622Jan-Dec 251520Total4683

How many Universal Credit claims failed the Habitual Residence Test in each month since 1 July 2024.

The table below gives the number of Universal Credit (UC) Habitual Resident test (HRT) assessments that resulted in a ‘fail’ decision from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2025. Month Decision Entered on Admin SystemNumber of UC HRT ‘Fail’ DecisionsJuly 20248,000August 20248,000September 20247,000October 20249,000November 202410,000December 20247,000January 20258,000February 20259,000March 202510,000April 20259,000May 20259,000June 20259,000July 20259,000August 20258,000September 20258,000October 20259,000November 20258,000December 20258,000 For context, the total and average monthly number of Universal Credit (UC) Habitual Resident test (HRT) assessments that resulted in a ‘fail’ decision in each financial year from 2022/23 – 2024/25 is as follows: Date Decision Entered on Admin SystemNumber of UC HRT ‘Fail’ DecisionsAverage monthly number of UC HRT 'Fail' DecisionsApril 2022 to March 202392,0008,000April 2023 to March 202499,0008,000April 2024 to March 2025100,0008,000 Notes:Not all HRT passes lead to a UC award as claimants need to meet all eligibility criteria.The Habitual Residence Test (HRT) is nationality blind. It is applied to British citizens returning from abroad to check for factual habitual residency in the UK, as well as to foreign nationals to check they have an immigration status permitting access to public funds, have a qualifying right to reside, and that they are factually habitually resident in the UK.All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand decisions.An individual may have multiple HRT assessments and multiple passes.These figures are not Official Statistics. These figures stem from administrative data and represent the best estimates using current methodologies and assumptions about the data. Future improvements in methodology may lead to different subsequent estimates.Figures are for the UK.

What the total cost was of centrally provided career coaching, career transition, or redeployment support accessed by Department for Work and Pensions staff in each calendar quarter from Q1 2023 to the most recent quarter for which data is available.

The table below covers the period from April 2023 to December 2025 for spend relating to centrally provided career coaching, career transition, or redeployment support accessed by DWP employees and March 2023 to August 2025 for spend relating to centrally provided career coaching within Talent, accessed by DWP employees. Centrally provided career coaching, transition, or redeployment support Career coaching within Talent2023£199,180.38£206,253 £51,563Qtr2£63,105.19£51,563Qtr3£71,485.00£51,563Qtr4£64,590.19£51,5632024£194,180.33£161,091Qtr1£47,143.19£161,091Qtr2£40,658.19£0Qtr3£38,085.63£0Qtr4£68,293.32£02025£165,239.03£127,948Qtr1£51,671.17£0Qtr2£42,873.93£127,948Qtr3£34,781.93£0Qtr4£35,912.00£0 Total Spend£558,599.74£495,292.00 * For the Leaders Like You programme in Year 1 (2023), payments to Ernst & Young were made monthly. For ease of presentation, the 2023 figures are shown quarterly in the table. From 2024 the payment changed from monthly to a single annual invoice.

How many Departmental employees are in the UK on a visa, by their visa status.

The information you have requested is not held on central data systems in a reportable format, it would need to be provided by individuals manually collating data from a local source. Gathering this data would therefore incur disproportionate costs.

Whether he has used international examples of reforms to (a) sickness and (b) disability benefits to help inform his policies.

The Department uses a range of evidence, including international examples, when developing policy. For instance, the Pathways to Work Green Paper included a range of international systems that were considered when developing the proposals.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2025 to Question 96708 on Access to Work Programme, what the salary bands are of people on the Access to Work scheme who are receiving payments per customer of (a) £40,000 - £49,999, (b) £50,000 - £59,999, (c) £60,000 - £69,999 and (d) above £70,000.

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information on the salaries of Access to Work recipients. Access to Work eligibility is not linked to salary, so this information is not routinely collected by the Department.