Written questions by Frith.

Whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of people with a learning disability of working age in England in receipt of a means tested benefit.

The Department has not made such an estimate.

Whether she plans to review the cut-off date of 22 September 2025 for people reaching the state pension age of 66 for Winter Fuel Payment.

It is longstanding policy that Winter Fuel Payments are paid only to people who have reached State Pension age on or before the end of the qualifying week (the week beginning the third Monday of September each year) and meet certain other entitlement conditions. For winter 2025/26, the qualifying week for Winter Fuel Payments will be 15 to 21 September 2025, and the person needs to have reached State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week to be eligible (that is, they need to have been born before 22 September 1959). There are no plans to change or review this policy.

What her planned timetable is for updating her Department's website with information on the (a) 12-month State Pension arrears payment and (b) State Pension Claims Form.

Work to publish new guidance is well underway and we aim to have it published as soon as we can, subject to competing priorities. With regards to the paper claim form changes, we are working to understand the value of updating given how few paper claims we now receive for State Pension.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the two-child limit policy on recent trends in the levels of child poverty.

The Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics show trends in poverty, including child poverty. The latest statistics cover years up to and including 2023/24: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change. The Strategy will look at all available levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, including considering social security reforms, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

If she will make an estimate of the average amount of money families would receive if the two-child limit was rescinded.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce is exploring how we can harness all available levers to reduce child poverty, including considering social security reforms, before publishing a strategy that will deliver lasting change.

What plans she has to develop a long-term strategy and funding settlement for local welfare after the Household Support Fund ends in March 2026; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including provision for local welfare in the three-year funding settlements for local authorities.

We want to fix the fundamentals of the social security system so that people are not reliant on crisis support for the cost of essentials. To support the upcoming Child Poverty Strategy, we will continue to provide substantial funding to Local Authorities to support those most in need. That is why the Government is extending the Household Support Fund (HSF) by a further year, from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026. This will ensure low-income households can continue to access support towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water. We recognise that certainty helps Local Authorities to design and deliver sustainable plans for local welfare assistance. Committing to funding the Household Support Fund until 31 March 2026 will allow them to plan their approach with greater confidence. As with all other government programmes, further funding will be considered in the round at Phase 2 of the Spending Review.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of setting out a roadmap for ending the two-child limit in the Child Poverty Strategy.

We published the framework ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing Our Strategy’ on 23 October and will explore all available levers to deliver an enduring reduction in child poverty in this parliament, as part of a 10-year strategy for lasting change. The Child Poverty Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, which includes considering social security reforms, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience, and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments. The Child Poverty Taskforce continues its urgent work to publish the Strategy in Spring 2025.