Every parliamentary written question tabled by Manuela Perteghella this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 29 · Department for Work and Pensions
In relation to the statutory guidance on fiduciary duties announced during Report stage of the Pension Schemes Bill on 3 December 2025, when he will consult on the guidance; and when the guidance will take effect.
The Government intends to consult formally on draft guidance later this year.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent changes to Apprenticeship Levy funding on Level 7 Senior Leader apprenticeships.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.
What steps he plans to take to ensure that planned guidance on fiduciary duties for the trust-based private pensions sector provides effective clarity to trustees.
I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 22 January 2026 to PQ 106678.
With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the Report Stage of the Pension Schemes Bill on 3 December 2025, whether the guidance on fiduciary duties will cover the (a) ability to consider system-level risks, (b) ability to consider the impacts of investments and the organisations in which schemes invest, including on members' standard of living, (c) ability to consider members' views and (d) duty to cover matters when they are financially material.
The Government is committed to ensuring that private pension trustees have a clear, range of guidance, with the objective of supporting consideration of wider factors within their existing legal obligations. This will include clarification and practical support on their ability to take account of system level risks, such as climate related risks, and the impacts of investments where these affect members’ long-term outcomes, including their standard of living. The guidance will also explore how trustees may consider members’ views, provided this remains consistent with investing in members’ best interests, and will reaffirm that trustees should take account of all financially material matters, where appropriate in their investment decision making. Our objective is for guidance to be delivered in partnership with the pension sector and other interested parties. Work will commence shortly beginning with an industry roundtable to gather views and technical expertise to ensure the guidance meets the identified need.
If he will introduce flexibility in the Apprenticeship Levy to allow NHS staff who are made redundant to (a) continue, (b) pause, and (c) re-enter levy-funded leadership apprenticeships, particularly where redundancy occurs immediately prior to the start of a programme.
If an apprentice is made redundant and their training provider can continue to deliver their government funded apprenticeship training, we will continue to fund the apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy. This is to give the individual time to find alternative employment in order to continue with the apprenticeship. If the apprentice is unable to secure a new employer, they may still be able to finish their apprenticeship training and assessment if they have less than 6 months of training left to complete or have finished 75% or more of their training. If an individual has been made redundant prior to the commencement of the apprenticeship, then they are not eligible for funding.
Whether he plans to review the definition of income used in the Child Maintenance Service 2012 Scheme to ensure that it includes income derived from (a) investments, (b) dividends, (c) rental income, (d) director’s loans and (e) other company-based income arrangements.
A review of the child maintenance calculation is currently underway. As part of this work, my Department has already announced plans to include gross unearned income automatically within the calculation, removing the need for either parent to request a variation in order to have this income included within their calculation.Gross unearned income, as envisaged, will include taxable income from investments, dividends and rental property recorded by HMRC for the individual. Income taken through other company-based arrangements, such as a director’s loans, will continue to be considered under existing diversion of income powers where appropriate. Implementation of the changes to unearned income will be taken forward once the consultation has concluded.
What estimate his Department has made of the contribution of UK pension funds to fossil fuel expansion in (a) the UK, (b) Europe and (c) other international markets.
The Department has not produced specific estimates on the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuel-related activities, such as coal-fired power generation or fossil fuel production. As part of the 2024 Mansion House reform package, the Government consulted on UK Sustainability Reporting Standards aligned with international sustainability standards, and our manifesto commitment to mandate climate transition plans. The Government are now analysing stakeholder feedback. Together, these initiatives will support the UK’s net-zero goals and broader green agenda and are expected to influence the investment landscape in which pension schemes operate.
Whether his Department has made an estimate of the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in (a) thermal coal-fired and (b) other fossil fuel-fired power generation capacity.
The Department has not produced specific estimates on the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuel-related activities, such as coal-fired power generation or fossil fuel production. As part of the 2024 Mansion House reform package, the Government consulted on UK Sustainability Reporting Standards aligned with international sustainability standards, and our manifesto commitment to mandate climate transition plans. The Government are now analysing stakeholder feedback. Together, these initiatives will support the UK’s net-zero goals and broader green agenda and are expected to influence the investment landscape in which pension schemes operate.
What estimate his Department has made of the value of UK pension fund assets invested in fossil fuels that are at risk of becoming stranded.
The Department has not produced specific estimates on the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuel-related activities, such as coal-fired power generation or fossil fuel production. As part of the 2024 Mansion House reform package, the Government consulted on UK Sustainability Reporting Standards aligned with international sustainability standards, and our manifesto commitment to mandate climate transition plans. The Government are now analysing stakeholder feedback. Together, these initiatives will support the UK’s net-zero goals and broader green agenda and are expected to influence the investment landscape in which pension schemes operate.
Whether his Department has made an estimate of the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in (a) thermal coal and (b) other fossil fuel production.
The Department has not produced specific estimates on the proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in fossil fuel-related activities, such as coal-fired power generation or fossil fuel production. As part of the 2024 Mansion House reform package, the Government consulted on UK Sustainability Reporting Standards aligned with international sustainability standards, and our manifesto commitment to mandate climate transition plans. The Government are now analysing stakeholder feedback. Together, these initiatives will support the UK’s net-zero goals and broader green agenda and are expected to influence the investment landscape in which pension schemes operate.
If she will take steps to extend the consultation entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, for disabled people.
I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 20 May 2025 to PQ 51603 [Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament].
What steps her Department is taking to reduce call waiting times for claimants.
DWP reviews forecasted telephony demand and plans resourcing accordingly to keep wait times down. Wait time performance is frequently reviewed and where DWP’s telephony is delivered by an outsourced provider we use the Key Performance Indicator of percentage of calls answered. All DWP customer telephone lines are Freephone numbers. The Department is investing in a new capability that aims to better route customers to the right offer at the right time. This will help to reduce waiting times by supporting customers to utilise digital alternatives where appropriate, which enables telephony agents to speak to our customers that really need to speak to someone. If a customer indicates they may be at risk of physical or mental harm e.g. suicide, terminal illness, homelessness, and clinical mental health, they will be routed to a telephony agent in as short a journey as possible.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Child Maintenance Service does not allow economic abuse through missed payments by the paying parent.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) takes the issue of domestic and economic abuse extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring that victims of abuse get the help and support they need. The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) possess robust enforcement powers and use them effectively in the collection of arrears. CMS has also implemented significant improvements to speed up action when payments break down, targeting enforcement actions more effectively. A consultation on proposed reforms to the CMS was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. This included proposals to remove the Direct Pay service. These measures will allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster as monitoring all payments would enable the CMS to immediately identify any missed, late or partial payments and take swift enforcement action.The consultation was extended by this Government at the end of July and ran until 30 September 2024. We are currently analysing the responses we have received, and the Government will publish a response in due course.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of false complaints to social services by parents paying child maintenance on the well-being of receiving parents and their children.
The Child Maintenance Service is committed to ensuring that it delivers a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all the parents that use its service. We recognise that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly at a time of separation. All caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support vulnerable clients, including those facing domestic abuse. However, the department has no jurisdiction relating to Social Services investigations. The CMS has access to a list of resources which helps caseworkers provide signposting to supporting organisations, which is regularly reviewed and strengthened on the basis of customer insight.
What steps she is taking to improve enforcement against paying parents who repeatedly miss Child Maintenance Service payments.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring separated parents support their children financially, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not. The CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that can be used against those who consistently refuse to meet their obligations to provide financial support to their children including deducting directly from earnings, bank accounts and forcing the sale of a property. The Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023 proposed regulations to support the introduction of administrative liability orders (ALOs), removing the requirement to obtain a court issued liability order. Introducing this process should enable the Child Maintenance Service to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities and get money to children more quickly. We are working with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government to establish a process for implementing ALOs and plan to introduce regulations to Parliament by the end of this year.
What steps she is taking to ensure the adequacy of Personal Independence Payment assessments in ensuring support for people in need.
It is important that all people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are able to access our services and that they do not face obstacles in applying and communicating with the Department and its providers. In the Green Paper Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working published on 18 March we outline plans to improve the experience for people who use the health and disability benefits system, including recording more assessments to improve people’s trust in the assessment process through greater transparency and using recordings as a learning opportunity to consider potential improvements to the quality of the assessment process and to be available to people who are appealing the initial award given. We also announced plans to launch a process to review the PIP assessment. We will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress. The Health Transformation Programme is also transforming the entire PIP service, including introducing the option to apply and track applications online. The transformed service will improve how we gather health information, and tailor the process to the customer’s needs and circumstances, offering a better customer experience and improving trust in our services and decisions.
Whether she plans to provide additional support for young people with lifelong conditions following reforms to the Universal Credit health top-up.
The Pathways to Work Green Paper is an important staging post on a journey of reform. It sets out our vision, strategy and proposals for change. Before any decisions are made, we are consulting on the design options for a work, health and skills support package. We are specifically seeking input on the proposal to raise the age of eligibility for the health element of the Universal Credit (UC) award to 22. The government will actively engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including young people with health conditions and disabilities. This consultation is now open and will close on 30th June.As we set out at point 256 in the Pathways to Work Green Paper: “Delaying access to the UC health element would remove any potential disincentive to work during this time. Proceeding with this change would be on the basis that resources could be better spent on improving the quality and range of opportunities available to young people through the [Youth] guarantee, so they can sign up to work or training rather than long-term benefits.” Such a change could support the establishment of a distinct and active transition phase for young people, based on learning or earning for all.
What steps she is taking to ensure that disabled people receive support following reforms to PIP.
There will be no immediate changes. Our intention is that the new eligibility requirement in Personal Independence Payment in which people must score a minimum of four points in one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component, will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. The department already has processes in place to support and safeguard people who use our services, and we will continue to provide this support as changes are taken forward. We are mindful of the impact of this change and, as such, in the Green Paper Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working published on 18 March we are consulting on how best to support those who lose entitlement due to the reforms, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.
What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce child poverty in Stratford-on-Avon constituency.
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 levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, 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 vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside our commitments to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, create 3,000 additional nurseries, and increase the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour from April 2025 to boost the pay of 3 million workers.
If she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on the potential for data sharing with the DVLA to enable applications for reduced rate vehicle excise duty to be made (a) online and (b) in post offices.
The Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues on a range of issues affecting those receiving social security benefits, including those which may bring with them an entitlement to additional support from other Departments, and how such services can be delivered more effectively.