Every parliamentary written question tabled by Jess Brown-Fuller this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 25 · Department for Work and Pensions
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Government’s response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report of 21 March 2024 on public confidence in the Ombudsman process.
We have taken the PHSO’s report seriously and given the findings the close examination that they deserved. We have set out the detailed reasons for our decision in our new response, on the 29 January, which has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Whether support is available to rural households and businesses reliant on LPG in addition to the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) is available in England to support low-income households reliant on LPG who are facing a crisis and need immediate financial support. It is for local authorities to determine individual need and the most appropriate form of support, using a person centred, needs based approach in line with the Fund’s guidance. The CRF does not offer business support.
What assessment he has made of whether current guidance provides sufficient detail to ensure consistent interpretation of Special Rules for End of Life eligibility criteria across clinical settings.
The Government undertook a comprehensive review of the Special Rules for End of Life in 2020. Following that review, legislation was amended in 2022 and 2023, with cross party support, to extend eligibility so that people who might have 12 months or less to live can access fast tracked support. This replaced the previous 6-month definition and is aligned with the approach used in current NHS practice for defining end of life. Guidance was updated alongside these legislative changes to support consistent interpretation across clinical settings and to ensure clinicians are supported by a definition that reflects established NHS practice. Aligning the definition with the NHS helps provide greater clarity and confidence for clinicians when providing evidence, while recognising the inherent difficulty of providing precise prognostic estimates Clinical evidence to support a claim under the Special Rules for End of Life is usually provided through the SR1 form (which can be found by searching for ‘Send an SR1 medical evidence form’ on GOV.UK). The SR1 is a short medical evidence form which can be completed by an approved clinician and provides clinical confirmation that a person is likely to have 12 months or less to live, which allows the Department to apply the Special Rules for End of Life The Department keeps the operation of the Special Rules under review and is committed to continuous improvement. We work closely with clinicians and stakeholder organisations to gather feedback on guidance and processes. Current work is focused on reviewing and improving the SR1 digital portal to make it easier and quicker for clinicians to submit evidence, supporting timely and consistent decision making for people nearing the end of life.
With reference to the Government’s decision not to provide compensation following the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on changes to women’s State Pension age, whether his Department holds data that would allow it to estimate the potential cost of compensation for women affected by those changes in individual parliamentary constituencies.
The Government has made its decision on this case based on due process and careful consideration of the body of evidence. The detailed reasons for this decision have been placed in the House library.
How many women living in the Chichester constituency are currently in receipt of Pension Credit.
The latest Pension Credit caseload statistics show that as of August 2025, there were 2,134 people in receipt of Pension Credit in Chichester. The latest Pension Credit caseload statistics show that as of August 2025, there were 1,437 female recipients of Pension Credit in Chichester. Using the latest Pension Credit caseload statistics, it is estimated that there were around 400 women born in the 1950s in receipt of Pension Credit in Chichester, as of August 2025. This data is available via: DWP Stat-Xplore
How many pensioners living in the Chichester constituency are currently in receipt of Pension Credit.
The latest Pension Credit caseload statistics show that as of August 2025, there were 2,134 people in receipt of Pension Credit in Chichester. The latest Pension Credit caseload statistics show that as of August 2025, there were 1,437 female recipients of Pension Credit in Chichester. Using the latest Pension Credit caseload statistics, it is estimated that there were around 400 women born in the 1950s in receipt of Pension Credit in Chichester, as of August 2025. This data is available via: DWP Stat-Xplore
How many women born in the 1950s living in the Chichester constituency are currently in receipt of Pension Credit.
The latest Pension Credit caseload statistics show that as of August 2025, there were 2,134 people in receipt of Pension Credit in Chichester. The latest Pension Credit caseload statistics show that as of August 2025, there were 1,437 female recipients of Pension Credit in Chichester. Using the latest Pension Credit caseload statistics, it is estimated that there were around 400 women born in the 1950s in receipt of Pension Credit in Chichester, as of August 2025. This data is available via: DWP Stat-Xplore
If he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse that would have been incurred had compensation been provided to women affected by changes to the State Pension age in the Chichester constituency.
The Government has made its decision on this case based on due process and careful consideration of the body of evidence. We have decided it would not be appropriate to pay compensation and the detailed reasons for this decision have been placed in the House library.
What the minimum (a) English and (b) maths requirements are to complete (i) apprenticeships and (ii) vocational courses; and whether he plans to review those requirements.
Since February 2025, adults aged 19 and over no longer need to achieve a standalone English and maths qualification on top of their apprenticeship, where their employer agrees that this is not an essential part of their training. Young apprentices who are aged 16-18 at the start of their apprenticeship will continue to be required to achieve English and maths qualifications to put them in the best position to progress in their life and careers. Upskilling in English and maths will continue to remain a key feature of all apprenticeships. All apprentices will continue to be required to secure and be assessed on the job-specific English and maths skills they need as part of the apprenticeship standard. Regarding wider vocational courses, any student on a 16 to 19 study programme or T Level, who has not yet achieved an English and/or maths GCSE grade 4 or higher, must continue to be taught these subjects. However, the award of a qualification for these vocational courses is not contingent on their achievement of a grade 4.
What assessment his Department has made of the minimum (a) English and (b) maths requirements to complete an apprenticeship; and whether he plans to review these requirements.
In February, the government introduced flexibilities around the English and maths requirements for apprentices in response to significant feedback from employers and providers. Adults over 19 no longer need to achieve a standalone English and maths qualification on top of the apprenticeship, where their employer agrees this is not an essential part of their training. This will allow many thousands more apprentices to qualify each year, including in key sectors such as adult care, construction and early years. Upskilling in English and maths remains a key feature of all apprenticeships. All apprentices will continue to be required to secure and be assessed on the job-specific English and maths skills they need as part of the apprenticeship standard. Young apprentices who are aged 16-18 at the start of their apprenticeship continue to be required to achieve English and maths qualifications to put them in the best position to progress in their life and careers.
If he will expand the remit of the Pensions Regulator to include employees whose employers have not made statutory contributions to pensions.
Under the Pensions Act 2008, every employer in the UK must automatically enrol eligible workers into a qualifying workplace pension scheme and pay the correct contributions. The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is responsible for maximising employer compliance with the automatic enrolment obligations. Where an employer fails to meet their duties, for example if the employer has not made statutory pension contributions, TPR can investigate, issue compliance and penalty notices, and, in serious cases, pursue criminal prosecution. If an employee has concerns regarding their workplace pension, such as unpaid contributions, they should raise this with their employer in the first instance. An individual can report their employer to TPR if it is not complying with the law and/or make a complaint to The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) who can investigate the complaint and provide a remedy if the employer is found to be at fault. TPO, in collaboration with MoneyHelper and TPR, has published a factsheet for customers about this: Workplace pensions – unpaid pension contributions | The Pensions Ombudsman
Whether he plans to review the Minimum Income Floor for Universal Credit claimants.
The Minimum Income Floor is designed to encourage self-employed customers to progress in work and grow their earnings to a sustainable level. An individual’s Minimum Income Floor is set and reviewed by their work coach based on the number of hours they are expected to work multiplied by the National Living Wage. The Department routinely keeps its policies under review. We are not currently reviewing the Minimum Income Floor for Universal Credit customers, but are always interested in views from customers and stakeholders.
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of paying the shortfall when employers are found to have unlawfully failed to contribute to their employee's pensions.
Under the Pensions Act 2008, every employer in the UK must automatically enrol their eligible workers into a qualifying workplace pension scheme and pay the correct pension contributions into that scheme. The independent Pensions Regulator (TPR) has a statutory objective to maximise and enforce employer compliance with Automatic Enrolment obligations. In addition, pension scheme trustees and scheme managers also have a duty to monitor and report material payment failures to TPR. If an employer has failed to provide the correct pension contributions, they are required under Section 38 of the Pensions Act 2008 to address this and make good any shortfall TPR data shows employer compliance is high, with 97% making timely and accurate contributions. If an employee has concerns regarding their workplace pension, such as unpaid contributions, they should raise this with their employer in the first instance. An individual can report their employer to TPR if it is not complying with the law and/or make a complaint to The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) who can investigate the complaint and provide a remedy if the employer is found to be at fault. TPO, in collaboration with MoneyHelper and TPR, has published a factsheet for customers about this: Workplace pensions – unpaid pension contributions | The Pensions Ombudsman
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of recognising Artificial Intelligence tools as eligible assistive software under the Access to Work scheme.
Access to Work has not been substantially changed since its introduction in 1994. There is a strong case for updating the role it plays in making work accessible for disabled people. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. We also considered the role of employers in creating accessible and inclusive workplaces as well as how we can shape the market for aids, appliances and assistive technology, to reduce their cost and spread their adoption. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation has closed. We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives, on all aspects of our proposals.
How many and what proportion of appeals in the First-tier Tribunal for (a) Personal Independence Payment, (b) Disability Living Allowance and (c) Employment and Support Allowance were upheld in favour of the claimant in the last year.
Information on overturned appeals for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) can be found in Table SSCS_3 of the Tribunal Statistics Quarterly publication here: Tribunals statistics - GOV.UK.
What proportion of Disability Living Allowance Tribunal hearings her Department sent a presenting officer to in the last year.
The information requested on the proportion of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Tribunal hearings the Department sent a presenting officer to is not readily available within the Department. However, we estimate that 47% of DLA Tribunal hearings had a presenting officer in FY2024/25. This estimate uses DWP internal statistics on total number of DLA Hearings Attended by presenting officers and published statistics on number of DLA disposals cleared at hearing from Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) paid flexible breastfeeding breaks and (b) suitable facilities to (i) breastfeed, (ii) express and (iii) store milk in (A) workplaces and (B) places of education.
The Government provides advice to employers on requirements and best practice arrangements on breastfeeding. Under health and safety law an employer must provide a suitable area where pregnant workers and breastfeeding mothers can rest, with additional advice that this should:include somewhere to lie down if necessarybe hygienic and private so they can express milk if they choose to – toilets are not a suitable place for thisinclude somewhere to store their milk, for example a fridgeEmployers must complete an individual risk assessment for workers who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have given birth in the last 6 months. This risk assessment must be regularly reviewed and provides an opportunity for employers to review arrangements for workers who are breastfeeding and discuss any concerns they may have. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provide guidance on rest breaks and breastfeeding at work: Protecting pregnant workers and new mothers: employers - Rest and breastfeeding at work Acas also provide guidance on: Returning to work - Maternity leave and pay - Acas While Schools and Colleges are not legally required to provide dedicated breastfeeding or lactation facilities for students, they are expected to comply with broader obligations under the Equality Act 2010, which protects students from discrimination related to pregnancy and maternity. Many institutions choose to support student parents by offering private, hygienic spaces for breastfeeding or expressing milk, often as part of their commitment to inclusivity and wellbeing. However, it's important to note that colleges are autonomous bodies, meaning the availability and nature of such facilities can vary significantly between institutions. Students are encouraged to contact their college’s student services or equality office to inquire about available support and request reasonable accommodations where needed.
How many and what proportion of appeal Tribunals in relation to (a) PIP, (b) DLA and (c) ESA has the Department not contested in the last 12 months.
DWP does not contest appeals. Claimants have a legal right to dispute decisions made by the Secretary of State in relation to aspects of their Social Security entitlement. They do so by lodging appeals against those decisions with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), in most cases following a Mandatory Reconsideration. There are no cases in the First-tier Tribunal where DWP would bring an appeal against a claimant. DWP acts as a respondent to the appeal, and will provide a written response in all cases clarifying the current decision and the legal and evidential basis on which it was made. HMCTS considers the available evidence, including evidence provided in the hearing by the appellant, and will determine whether to overturn or uphold the decision. If the decision of the First-tier Tribunal contains a potential error in law, either party to the appeal may seek leave to challenge the tribunal’s decision. The decision may be set aside by a District Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, or go on to be considered by the Upper Tribunal.
What estimate she has made of the number of terminally ill people ineligible for PIP.
The Department does not hold the data requested.
How many people diagnosed as having less than 12 months to live were declined PIP in each year since 2015.
The Department does not centrally record if a claimant is terminally ill, unless they applied for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) under Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). Data on PIP clearances under SREL can be found on Stat Xplore. The requested data can be found in the ‘PIP Clearances’ dataset. You can use the ‘Month’ filter to select each month for the last five years and add it as a row or column. You can use the ‘Clearance Type Detail’ filter to select those who were disallowed. You can use the ‘End of Life Rules indicator’ filter to select SREL claimants. You can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore is also available here: Personal Independence Payment data on Stat-Xplore: user guide - GOV.UK.