Written questions by Dillon.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the requiring claimants to score four points in a single daily living activity to be eligible for the Personal Independence Payment on people with learning disabilities.

As I set out to the House on 1 July 2025, the Government listened to concerns and withdrew its proposal to introduce an additional requirement to score a minimum of 4 points in a single activity to be eligible for the daily living element of PIP. Instead, we launched the Timms Review, the first full review of PIP since its introduction in 2013. The Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts, and aims to ensure that PIP is fair and fit for the future.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of delays in Access to Work decision-making on the ability of people with learning disabilities to enter and remain in employment.

We are committed to reducing waiting times in Access to Work so that people can access the support they need. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work applications and prioritise cases where someone is about to start a job or needs to renew existing support. Through the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we have consulted on how to improve Access to Work so it can support more disabled people. All elements of the scheme are now being reviewed as we develop plans for future reform.

What correspondence his Department has received from the WASPI campaign since 1 September 2025.

The Department for Work and Pensions receives a large volume of correspondence on a range of issues and we attach great importance to providing prompt and accurate replies.

Whether he plans to assess the impact of changes to the State Pension age on women born in the 1950s living in Newbury constituency.

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age. Estimates can be made with ONS 2022 Census Data of how many women born in the 1950s were resident in each constituency in that year.

When he plans to publish further details of apprenticeship units funded under the Growth and Skills Levy.

The department will publish this information shortly.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of employer investment in skills training since 2017.

According to the Employer Skills Survey, a biennial site level survey of tens of thousands of employers across the UK, total employer expenditure on training fell by 17% in the UK between 2017 and 2024. The apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017 to support employers to invest in high-quality apprenticeships training and to ensure sustainable funding for all employers of all sizes. We continue to engage with industry to support the upskilling and training of employees. The reforms set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper support adult skills training for industries across our economy through the Growth and Skills Levy (which received an additional £725m of investment at Budget 2025), the Adult Skills Fund, and the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), which will be available from academic year 2026/27. We will work with business and employers over the coming months to ensure that the Growth and Skills Levy offer is developed to help meet their needs and incentivise employer investment in training.

What evaluation has been carried out of the potential impact of fully funding apprenticeship training for under-22s in small and medium-sized enterprises on apprenticeship starts, prior to the announcement of an expansion to under-25s.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 101450.

What safeguards he plans to include in the Growth and Skills Levy to protect funding for small and medium-sized enterprises.

This government recognises the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises who are responsible for around 40% of apprenticeship starts and provide valuable opportunities for young people. That is why we have said that we will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for all eligible people aged under 25 from the start of the next academic year. This change will make it easier for those employers to engage with apprenticeships across the country by cutting costs and reducing bureaucracy for both them and their training providers. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16 to 21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. Small and medium-sized enterprises also benefit from a £1,000 payment when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care. The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which comprises 2,500 employers and apprentices who volunteer to promote the benefits of apprenticeships. It operates across all parts of England through nine regional networks. These networks provide buddying and mentoring support to small businesses to help them recruit and retain apprentices.

What steps he will take to ensure that apprenticeship opportunities for young people are protected under the Growth and Skills Levy.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people at the beginning of their careers. In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people, launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities, and fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from the next academic year. The government also facilitates the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), comprising around 2,500 employer and apprentice volunteers who go into schools and colleges to share their compelling stories and experiences of what apprenticeships can do for young people.

What discussions he has had with small businesses on the apprenticeship system.

This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers and learners in England and support the industrial strategy. We recognise the importance of ensuring that small and medium sized (SME) employers can benefit from these reforms and continue to access apprenticeships. The department engages regularly with employers and their representative organisations, including small businesses, to inform the ongoing development of the growth and skills levy. This includes regular sessions to explore how to simplify systems and processes as well as engagement with employers following the Budget on delivery of the next phase of the growth and skills levy. Skills England also works closely with employers, training providers, unions and other key partners to identify priority skills gaps, helping ensure that the growth and skills levy delivers value for money, meets the needs of business and helps kick-start economic growth. To ensure its work is shaped by real business experience, Skills England maintains regular dialogue with the B5 group of major employer organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses. It also has a dedicated SME sponsor on its board and an executive team actively engaging SMEs across the country, ensuring smaller firms have a strong voice in shaping the skills system.

What plans the Government has to uprate the Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of local rents.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are reviewed each year at Autumn Budget. In his Written Ministerial Statement following Autumn Budget, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions confirmed that LHA rates will remain at current levels in 2026/27. He considered a range of factors, such as rental levels across Great Britain and the challenging fiscal context. Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament For those renters who require additional support to meet a shortfall in rent costs, Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to decide on a compensation scheme for women impacted by State Pension age changes on those women.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in his Oral Statement of 11 November that we will retake the decision made last December as it relates to the communications on state pension age. Information that was not considered at the time of the original decision has come to light. In retaking the decision, we will review this evidence alongside evidence previously considered. The process to retake the decision is underway and we will update the House on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached.

When he plans to make a decision on a compensation scheme for women impacted by State Pension age changes.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in his Oral Statement of 11 November that we will retake the decision made last December as it relates to the communications on state pension age. Information that was not considered at the time of the original decision has come to light. In retaking the decision, we will review this evidence alongside evidence previously considered. The process to retake the decision is underway and we will update the House on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached.

What plans her Department has to help support the financial needs of families, including their (a) eligibility for benefits and (b) access to childcare support.

Universal Credit is designed to be a flexible benefit which offers support for both those in and out of work. It provides an invaluable safety net for millions of customers through the standard allowance and additional elements. The government recognises the value of this safety net to millions of people and has therefore legislated for the first ever sustained above-inflation uplift to the UC standard allowance. In September we launched the Best Start in Life website for carers and parents, providing information on the government childcare offers available and an eligibility checker. Independent, free and anonymous benefit calculators are available to help people check what benefits they may be entitled to. The calculators can be accessed on the Government website at: https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

What steps his Department is taking with businesses to help ensure that staff working in high street businesses have adequate safety measures in place when working alone on the shop floor.

I refer the Honourable Member to the previous answer 71094

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Housing Benefit taper rate on the number of young people living in supported accommodation who are in work.

We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that young people living in supported accommodation are not financially disadvantaged when increasing their working hours.

We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.

If she will publish a health and social care impact assessment of the decision to reduce disability benefits.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper was published on 18 March 2025. This paper sets out plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published in the impacts analysis and equality analysis on 26 March 2025 and the evidence pack on 2 May 2025 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. We will consider the wider impacts of reforms for disabled people or those with a health condition as we develop our detailed proposals for change. We will also continue to work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure health and social care considerations are built into our policies and to ensure everyone’s health and care needs are met.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact on disabled people of her decision not to hold a consultation on proposed cuts to disability benefits.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out our plans and proposals for reform to health and disability benefits and employment support. This includes some urgently needed reforms to PIP eligibility and Universal Credit rates that are not subject to consultation but on which Parliament will fully debate and vote.This government values the input of disabled people and people with health conditions, in addition to the representative organisations and people that support them. The Green Paper consults on many key elements of the reform package, including employment support and Access to Work, which are at the centre of our plans to improve the system for disabled people. We hope that a wide range of voices will respond to the consultation, and we are holding a programme of public consultation events across the country to help facilitate input.We are also continuing to develop other ways to facilitate the involvement of stakeholders and disabled people in our reforms. In addition to the consultation itself, we are establishing ‘collaboration committees’ that bring groups of people together for specific work areas and our wider review of the PIP assessment will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience. We are also in the process of establishing the Disability Advisory Panel we announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, which will be a strategic advisory panel of disabled people and individuals with long-term health conditions.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 21895 on Benefits for people with disabilities, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the benefits available for people with disabilities.

There are a wide range of studies and estimates for the extra cost of disability. As such, there is no objective way of deciding what an adequate level of the extra costs disability benefits should be, and everyone has different requirements reflecting their own circumstances and priorities. DWP pays close attention to the evidence base on the extra costs faced by disabled people; including academic research, analysis by Scope, and DWP’s own commissioned research.