Written questions by Wrigley.

If he will take steps to ensure that PIP assessments prioritise reports from specialists relevant in the field that the individual has a disability from.

Awaiting answer.

If he will take steps to ensure that speech and language therapists do not undertake PIP assessments for people without disabilities related to speech and language.

Awaiting answer.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling people below the retirement age with a terminal diagnosis to claim their pension earlier.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department plans for any changes made as a consequence of the Timms review to be either laid as a negative, or positive, statutory instrument, or as a bill.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions he has had with the Department for Education on assessing the potential impact of reducing assistive technology support during higher education on disabled people’s employment outcomes.

The Department for Work and Pensions maintains regular dialogue with the Department for Education (DfE) to ensure disabled students are supported as they transition into the labour market. Assistive and accessible technology (ATech) is key to enabling independence, greater inclusion, and participation for disabled people. While this technology is already creating opportunities, this government believes there is potential to do much more.The Access to Work Scheme has been operating in Great Britain since June 1994 and provides grant funding to disabled people, as well as those with a health condition. The grant supports workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. The grant cap was increased in April 2024 to £69,920. To further support sustainable employment, the DWP is also investing in the “Connect to Work” initiative, which is expected to support around 100,000 disabled people and those with health conditions in 2026/2027.

What steps she is taking to support 18-25 year olds in Devon accessing apprenticeships.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer that will give greater flexibility to employers and support young people, including those in Devon, at the beginning of their careers. In August, 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 up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. More recently, we have announced our ambition is to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and backed this with an additional £725 million of investment. This will enable us to expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people. It also provides £140 million to pilot new approaches, with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to better connect young people aged 16–24, especially those who are NEET, to local apprenticeship opportunities. We also announced that the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially small and medium sized enterprises), for all eligible people aged under 25. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. In addition, we provide £1,000 to both employers and training providers 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. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year. 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, including in Devon through nine regional networks which provide buddying and mentoring support to small businesses to help them recruit and retain apprentices.

What processes his Department has in place for people to escalate complaints where no response has been received after the standard timeframe for people contacting Access to Work during application and when finalising the details of a grant.

Customers who are unhappy with the service they receive from Access to Work, including delays or lack of response, can raise a complaint directly with the team handling their case.If the issue is not resolved, the complaint can be escalated through the Department’s formal complaints process. This includes: Stage 1: Contacting the business area or team directly to resolve the concern.Stage 2: Asking for the complaint to be referred to the DWP Complaints Team for review, who will aim to resolve it within 15 working days.Stage 3: If still dissatisfied, customers can escalate their complaint to the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) within six months of the final response.

What steps his Department is taking to consult with (a) service users and (b) providers when changing (a) hours and (b) hourly rates for Access to Work grants after an application.

We have interpreted service users as Access to Work (AtW) customers and providers as support workers, third parties, and stakeholders who deliver support to AtW customers.AtW provides tailored support to help disabled people overcome workplace barriers that go beyond an employer’s reasonable adjustments. Awards are based on an assessment of the customer’s individual needs.When hours or hourly rates are changed the AtW case manager consults directly with the customer to explain the reasons for the change. As the customer is the recipient of the grant, the case manager does not consult with providers such as support workers or organisations delivering services. It is for the customer to liaise with their chosen provider regarding any changes.If a customer is dissatisfied with a change to their hours or hourly rates, they may request that their award is reviewed by a different AtW case manager.

What steps she is taking to support people with a terminal illness who are in poverty.

This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age. For those nearing the end of their life, the Government’s priority is to provide people with financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way the Department does this is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Attendance Allowance, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit. The Department is committed to ensure that eligible claimants at the end of life have their claims processed as quickly as possible. Latest figures show that In Great Britain, new claims to PIP under the Special Rules are being cleared in 3 working days on average.

What are the current wait times for mandatory reconsideration claims over PIP decisions in Devon.

The median time taken for a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) decision to be reached for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Devon is 70 calendar days. The median time taken is measured from the date an MR is registered to the date an MR decision is reached. The 70 calendar days is for new claims and reassessments made under normal rules between August 2024 and July 2025. Each PIP claim can have more than one MR registered against it over time. The above includes all MR decisions (excluding withdrawn and cancelled MRs).

What steps she is taking to reduce the time taken by her Department to make decisions relating to disability benefits.

To reduce decision times for disability benefits, we have deployed additional staff and we continue to prioritise urgent cases while monitoring demand and addressing backlogs where necessary. These actions have led to faster processing of new claims, with clearance times for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children reducing significantly. We have also increased staffing in Access to Work (AtW) and we are prioritising urgent applications. This is alongside reviewing our policy framework to explore opportunities to further reduce processing times for AtW applications. We are also allocating additional resource to disputes activity to improve processing times for Mandatory Reconsiderations and Appeals across PIP and DLA.

What steps he is taking to ensure people with (a) learning disabilities and (b) mental health challenges receive (i) adequate and (ii) consistent support through Access to Work.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. Since Access to Work was first designed, the style, scope and cost of the support that people require has changed significantly, yet Access to Work has stayed broadly the same. There is a strong case for looking at the future role and purpose of Access to Work, as part of the wider changes to Get Britain Working. We have recently concluded (end of June) the Access to Work Collaboration Committees, in which we engaged with a range of stakeholders, including Disabled People’s Organisation representatives and lived experience users, to provide discussion, experience, and challenge to the design of the future Access to Work Scheme. Whilst the committees have now ended, we will seek opportunity to engage with stakeholders as we move forward with policy development, recognising the value of their input and expertise. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation has closed.

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of changes to Access to Work funding on job coaching and support service providers.

No changes have been made to Access to Work policy, and we will announce any changes prior to them being implemented. The Department faces significant challenges assessing the effectiveness of Access to Work due to the difficulty in establishing a counterfactual. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation has closed. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives, on all aspects of our proposals.

What information his Department holds on the number of providers that have ceased offering Access to Work services due to (a) systemic delays and (b) insufficient funding since January 2025.

We have interpreted “providers” to mean support workers, third parties, and stakeholders who deliver support to Access to Work customers.The Department does not hold data on how many providers may have ceased offering Access to Work services due to (a) systemic delays or (b) insufficient funding since January 2025.Access to Work operates as a reimbursement grant, the service or support must be provided before payment is made. The customer is the recipient of the grant and claims for the support they have used, not the provider. As such, the Department does not monitor providers or track whether they have ceased offering Access to Work services.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme in supporting disabled people into (a) sustained employment and (b) meaningful work experience.

No changes have been made to Access to Work policy. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation has closed. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives.

What guidance his Department has provided to access to work administrators on communication with (a) service users, (b) employers and (b) providers.

Access to Work guidance is publicly available on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-staff-guide/access-to-work-staff-guide). All requisite information is contained therein. Access to Work staff receive training and coaching on the Access to Work principles and processes to ensure their communication is clear, effective in managing expectations and supported by explanations and signposting where necessary. In addition, the Department provides other mandatory learning including understanding responsibilities with customer equality and accessibility.

How many work placements have been (a) delayed or (b) cancelled due to delays in processing Access to Work applications in the past 12 months.

We are committed to reducing the time taken to process Access to Work applications and are considering the best way to deliver that for customers. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work applications. We prioritise applications from customers who are about to start a job or are renewing existing support. The Department does not hold data on how many work placements may have been (a) delayed or (b) cancelled due to delays in processing Access to Work applications in the past 12 months.

Who is able to reduce agreed hours for (a) self-employed job coaches and (b) support providers who have both (i) an agreed support plan under Access to Work and (ii) not had a consultation on the reduction of these hours.

The support that a customer will receive from Access to Work is dependent upon their needs and circumstances at the time they make an application. Case managers will use the current guidance to ensure Access to Work principles are considered when making a decision on support.

What information his Department hold on the average processing time for Access to Work grant applications for work experience placements.

The Department does not hold data on the average processing time for Access to Work grant applications specifically for work experience placements. These applications are included within the overall processing times for Access to Work.For details on the average processing time for Access to Work grant applications from April to June 2025, please refer to the answer I gave on 3 July 2025 to Question UIN 63906.

What information his Department holds on the (a) methodology and (b) benchmarks used to determine hourly rates for self-employed job coaches under the Access to Work scheme; and whether these are shared with the providers affected.

The hourly rates for payment were developed following research into wages paid to support workers, including job coaches, based on live job listings and a job listing aggregation website. The hourly rates are used as a guide and if a customer is unable to secure a job coach within the published hourly rates then case managers have discretion to award an appropriate rate. The rates can be viewed in the Access to Work staff guide which is available here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-staff-guide/access-to-work-staff-guide