Written questions by Whately.

With reference to her speech to the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, whether placements available through the Youth Jobs Guarantee will be in the (a) public, (b) private and (c) voluntary sectors.

In September, the Chancellor announced that the government will offer a guaranteed job to all young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will guarantee an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experience and prevent the damaging effects of long-term unemployment. This will help aid the government's long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. As the Chancellor has already set out, further details on the design of work placements and delivery of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, will be set out at the Budget. The jobs guarantee will be funded from within existing budgets and will be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). DWP are engaging with employers and employer representative bodies on the details of the jobs guarantee. Participating employers will be agreed in due course.

With reference to her speech to the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of a Youth Jobs Guarantee placement.

In September, the Chancellor announced that the government will offer a guaranteed job to all young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will guarantee an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experience and prevent the damaging effects of long-term unemployment. This will help aid the government's long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. As the Chancellor has already set out, further details on the design of work placements and delivery of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, will be set out at the Budget. The jobs guarantee will be funded from within existing budgets and will be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). DWP are engaging with employers and employer representative bodies on the details of the jobs guarantee. Participating employers will be agreed in due course.

With reference to her speech to the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, with which employers her Department held discussions on the Youth Jobs Guarantee.

In September, the Chancellor announced that the government will offer a guaranteed job to all young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will guarantee an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experience and prevent the damaging effects of long-term unemployment. This will help aid the government's long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. As the Chancellor has already set out, further details on the design of work placements and delivery of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, will be set out at the Budget. The jobs guarantee will be funded from within existing budgets and will be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). DWP are engaging with employers and employer representative bodies on the details of the jobs guarantee. Participating employers will be agreed in due course.

With reference to her speech to the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, whether the cost of the placements through the Youth Jobs Guarantee will be funded by the public purse.

In September, the Chancellor announced that the government will offer a guaranteed job to all young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will guarantee an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experience and prevent the damaging effects of long-term unemployment. This will help aid the government's long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. As the Chancellor has already set out, further details on the design of work placements and delivery of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, will be set out at the Budget. The jobs guarantee will be funded from within existing budgets and will be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). DWP are engaging with employers and employer representative bodies on the details of the jobs guarantee. Participating employers will be agreed in due course.

With reference to her speech to the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, which employers have agreed to offer placements as part of the Youth Jobs Guarantee.

In September, the Chancellor announced that the government will offer a guaranteed job to all young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will guarantee an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experience and prevent the damaging effects of long-term unemployment. This will help aid the government's long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. As the Chancellor has already set out, further details on the design of work placements and delivery of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, will be set out at the Budget. The jobs guarantee will be funded from within existing budgets and will be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). DWP are engaging with employers and employer representative bodies on the details of the jobs guarantee. Participating employers will be agreed in due course.

With reference to her speech to the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, what estimate her Department has made of the number of placements that will be available under the Youth Jobs Guarantee.

In September, the Chancellor announced that the government will offer a guaranteed job to all young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will guarantee an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experience and prevent the damaging effects of long-term unemployment. This will help aid the government's long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. As the Chancellor has already set out, further details on the design of work placements and delivery of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, will be set out at the Budget. The jobs guarantee will be funded from within existing budgets and will be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). DWP are engaging with employers and employer representative bodies on the details of the jobs guarantee. Participating employers will be agreed in due course.

What the average waiting time was for the processing of Universal Credit advances in the most recent period for which data is available.

We do not collect data on advance payment processing times.

What the average waiting time was for the processing of State Pension underpayment corrections in the most recent period for which data is available.

We do not hold information regarding average waiting times to process State Pension underpayments corrections and to produce it would incur disproportionate costs.

How many and what proportion of investigations into benefit fraud result in (a) financial penalties and (b) court convictions.

DWP takes all allegations of fraud seriously, irrespective of reporting method, and will take appropriate action on those cases where there is concern about entitlement. For regional fraud investigations, conviction data is not currently available for 24/25. There were however 639 prosecutions* (6% of investigations) and 272 Administrative Penalties (3% of investigations) issued. For serious and economic crime investigations concluded in fiscal year 24/25, there were 26 such convictions** (7% of investigations) and 1 Administrative Penalty (0% of investigations). Across all fraud investigations concluded in 24/25, 2191 cases had their benefit corrected and 8075 cases resulted in no change. * Prosecutions refer to cases where the prosecuting authority (Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales, Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) have reviewed the case and have deemed the case suitable for prosecution. ** Please note that due to the length of time to bring a prosecution to conclusion, these conviction numbers will relate to cases commenced in previous years.

How many and what proportion of investigations into benefit fraud result find no wrongdoing.

DWP takes all allegations of fraud seriously, irrespective of reporting method, and will take appropriate action on those cases where there is concern about entitlement. For regional fraud investigations, conviction data is not currently available for 24/25. There were however 639 prosecutions* (6% of investigations) and 272 Administrative Penalties (3% of investigations) issued. For serious and economic crime investigations concluded in fiscal year 24/25, there were 26 such convictions** (7% of investigations) and 1 Administrative Penalty (0% of investigations). Across all fraud investigations concluded in 24/25, 2191 cases had their benefit corrected and 8075 cases resulted in no change. * Prosecutions refer to cases where the prosecuting authority (Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales, Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) have reviewed the case and have deemed the case suitable for prosecution. ** Please note that due to the length of time to bring a prosecution to conclusion, these conviction numbers will relate to cases commenced in previous years.

What the average waiting time was for the processing of Access to Work applications in the most recent period for which data is available.

From April 2025 to August 2025 the average waiting time for the processing of Access to Work applications was 94.9 days and it was 93.6 day for the most recent month of August 2025. While we aim to make payments within 20 working days of receipt of all correctly completed claim forms and all required supporting evidence, unfortunately this is not always possible. To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, or cases that are up for renewal. To support our customers several measures have already been put in place, including streamlining our delivery processes and recruiting additional staff.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Universal Credit online journal as a substitute for face-to-face engagement with claimants.

The UC service is designed as a digital-first platform, with the online journal serving as a central communication tool between claimants and DWP. It enables claimants to successfully and securely:Receive appointment reminders and mandatory updates.Communicate with Work Coaches and case managers.Manage their responsibilities and maintain entitlement.The Journal is a digital channel which helps two-way communications between claimants and DWP, however it was never intended to and does not replace face-to-face appointments. Claimants have a range of channels available to them, and can mostly use their preference, unless the activity mandates a particular option.

How many Universal Credit claimants have not attended in-person appointments at Jobcentres in the last (a) three, (b) six and (c) twelve months.

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to develop the appropriate code and analyse the raw data.

How many and what proportion of Universal Credit claims are managed exclusively through the online journal without in-person Jobcentre visits.

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to develop the appropriate code and analyse the raw data.

How many Universal Credit claimants have not attended a Jobcentre in person since the start of their claim in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to develop the appropriate code and analyse the raw data.

How many non-UK nationals claiming Universal Credit are affected by the two-child limit.

Statistics about the policy that provides support for a maximum of 2 children in Universal Credit are published annually. The latest publication is available here: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK

Whether her Department has targets for employing more staff to carry out face-to-face assessments.

As outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we are planning to increase the number of face-to-face health assessments. At the same time, we remain committed to offering alternative assessment channels to accommodate individuals who require a different approach, such as those needing reasonable adjustments. All assessment suppliers have contractual requirements to increase the proportion of assessments conducted face-to-face. To meet these requirements, suppliers are expected to plan and manage recruitment accordingly with progress regularly reviewed. The department is working closely with suppliers to explore ways to boost capacity for face-to-face assessments. A key focus is increasing the recruitment of suitably qualified health professionals to support delivery in assessment centres. Suppliers continue to develop and implement strategies to enhance recruitment, training, and retention, ensuring that skilled staff are in place to support claimants effectively.

How many non-UK nationals claiming Universal Credit have (a) three, (b) four, (c) five, (d) six (e) seven and (f) eight or more children in their household.

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

How many face-to-face PIP assessments have been conducted in each region of the UK since July 2024.

The number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) face-to-face assessments carried out each month from July 2024 to August 2025 can be found in the table below. MonthFace-to-FaceJul-246,000Aug-243,000Sep-241,000Oct-243,000Nov-244,000Dec-243,000Jan-254,000Feb-254,000Mar-254,000Apr-254,000May-254,000Jun-255,000Jul-255,000Aug-254,000 Please Note All volumes have been rounded to the nearest 1000.All the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.The dip in September is due to the introduction of the Functional Assessment Service contracts on 9 September 2024. For a brief period, face to face assessments were limited to allow for a smooth transition from the old Health and Disability Assessment Service to the new Health Assessment Advisory Service across the country. The number of PIP face-to-face assessments conducted is not available at a regional level. However, we can provide the information split by Lot. The number of PIP face-to-face assessments carried out by Lot from July 2024 to August 2025 can be found in the table below. Lot 1 - Northern EnglandLot 2 - Midlands & WalesLot 3 - South-WestLot 4 - London, South-East & East AngliaJul-242,0002,0002,000Aug-241,0002,000700Sep-242001,000<100Oct-242002,000100500Nov-241,0001,0003001,000Dec-249001,000200800Jan-251,0001,0003001,000Feb-251,0001,000400900Mar-251,0001,0004001,000Apr-251,0001,0004001,000May-251,0002,000400900Jun-252,0002,0005001,000Jul-252,0002,000600800Aug-251,0001,000500700 Please Note All volumes greater than or equal to 1000 have been rounded to the nearest 1000, all volumes less than 1000 have been rounded to the nearest 100.All the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.Please note that for the period July- September 2024, Lot 3 and Lot 4 data is combined due to the old contractual reporting structure.

How many face-to-face PIP assessments have taken place since July 2024, broken down by month.

The number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) face-to-face assessments carried out each month from July 2024 to August 2025 can be found in the table below. MonthFace-to-FaceJul-246,000Aug-243,000Sep-241,000Oct-243,000Nov-244,000Dec-243,000Jan-254,000Feb-254,000Mar-254,000Apr-254,000May-254,000Jun-255,000Jul-255,000Aug-254,000 Please Note All volumes have been rounded to the nearest 1000.All the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.The dip in September is due to the introduction of the Functional Assessment Service contracts on 9 September 2024. For a brief period, face to face assessments were limited to allow for a smooth transition from the old Health and Disability Assessment Service to the new Health Assessment Advisory Service across the country. The number of PIP face-to-face assessments conducted is not available at a regional level. However, we can provide the information split by Lot. The number of PIP face-to-face assessments carried out by Lot from July 2024 to August 2025 can be found in the table below. Lot 1 - Northern EnglandLot 2 - Midlands & WalesLot 3 - South-WestLot 4 - London, South-East & East AngliaJul-242,0002,0002,000Aug-241,0002,000700Sep-242001,000<100Oct-242002,000100500Nov-241,0001,0003001,000Dec-249001,000200800Jan-251,0001,0003001,000Feb-251,0001,000400900Mar-251,0001,0004001,000Apr-251,0001,0004001,000May-251,0002,000400900Jun-252,0002,0005001,000Jul-252,0002,000600800Aug-251,0001,000500700 Please Note All volumes greater than or equal to 1000 have been rounded to the nearest 1000, all volumes less than 1000 have been rounded to the nearest 100.All the above data is derived from contractual management information produced by the assessment suppliers.The above data is derived from unpublished management information which is collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics Publication standards.Please note that for the period July- September 2024, Lot 3 and Lot 4 data is combined due to the old contractual reporting structure.