Written questions by Wrigley.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for MP caseworker teams contacting his Department's correspondence email address.

The Department treats correspondence from Members of Parliament as a high priority. We are committed to improving response times and have taken steps to enhance the timeliness of replies to MP emails sent to the Department’s correspondence address. Over the past six months, we have seen a significant increase in the volume of correspondence. To address this, the Ministerial Correspondence Team is deploying additional resource, streamlining processes and improving systems.

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

What information his Department holds on the number of complaints submitted by disabled service users to the Access to Work scheme which were not resolved within the 20-working-day target in the last 12 months.

The standard definition of a complaint across DWP is: Any expression of dissatisfaction about the service provided which is not resolved by operational staff as normal business. An ‘Official’’ complaint would be received in writing and usually via the local MP or authorised advocate on behalf of the customer. These complaints would be logged and dealt with in line with our official complaints policy. ‘Official’ complaints have a 20-working day target.During the period 01/11/2024 – 31/10/2025, 106 were received and 3 were not resolved within the target date. ‘Other’ complaints are also received but are dealt with informally as part of normal business and are usually handled in real-time by our DWP Telephony staff. Other complaints have a 15-working day target.During the period 01/11/2024 – 31/10/2025, 909 were received and 4 were not resolved within the target date. What is not a complaintabout government policy or lawthat have already been investigated or are currently being investigated by the Independent Case Examiner or the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsmanthat are, or have been, subject to legal proceedings, including legal settlementsdissatisfied with a benefit or pension decision Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.

What is His Department's standard response time for resolving official complaints submitted to Access to Work.

Complaints received about Access to Work are handled in line with the overall Departmental complaints process published on Gov.uk. We aim to contact customers within 15 working days to clear the complaint or agree how to investigate it if it will take longer.

If he will make an estimate of the number of Access to Work decisions that have not aligned with Access to Work guidelines in the last 12 months.

We have interpreted “Access to Work decisions that have not aligned with Access to Work guidelines” as cases where a customer has challenged a decision and requested a reconsideration.From November 2024 to October 2025:1,517 reconsideration requests were received.1,008 of these have been reviewed and cleared.Of those reviewed, 159 decisions were partially or fully overturned. Some overturned decisions will be due to customers providing additional information, rather than the decision not aligning with Access to Work guidelines. We do not hold data that identifies how many overturned decisions were specifically due to misalignment with the guidelines. The remaining 509 cases are still under consideration Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

If she will will make an assessment of the potential merits of forming a national digital verification tool such as a gas tag to allow only qualified professionals to purchase gas critical products and parts.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (1998) requires gas-fuelled appliances to be installed by a competent and Gas Safe Registered engineer. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no power to restrict online or physical sale of gas appliances or parts. HSE strongly advises that gas appliances, flues and pipework are installed, regularly maintained and serviced at least annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

When he will reply to the correspondence from the hon. member for Newton Abbot about case ref MW09732 / CMPT12025/78972 sent on 18 August 2025.

A response has been issued to the MP on 12th November 2025. We apologise for the delay and are committed to improving response times. We have taken a number of steps, including deploying additional resource, to improve the timeliness of responses to MP enquiries.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making it a legal requirement that all operatives entering a UK home to undertake gas work must display their Gas Safe Register accreditation and ID.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (1998) place a legal requirement on those who undertake gas work to be competent and Gas Safe Registered. The Gas Safe Register Rules of Registration require engineers to carry an in-date, valid ID card which displays who the holder is, and what gas work they are competent to perform. HSE continue to advise consumers to always verify the identity and credentials of engineers or persons entering their property.

If he will take steps to form a UK inventory of gas critical (a) parts and (b) products.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (1998) place a legal requirement on those who undertake gas work to be competent and Gas Safe Registered. The Gas Safe Register Rules of Registration require engineers to carry an in-date, valid ID card which displays who the holder is, and what gas work they are competent to perform. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continue to advise consumers to always verify the identity and credentials of engineers or persons entering their property. HSE has no power to form a UK inventory of gas critical parts and products or restrict online or physical sale of gas appliances or parts.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap on working class people in Newton Abbot constituency.

Statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children are published annually and provide various breakdowns including by households with someone earning. The latest publication, with April 2025 data, is published here: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK data by Parliamentary Constituencies can be found in tables 12A, 12B, 12C in the published spreadsheet. All previous releases of these statistics are published here: Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children - GOV.UK

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes in mobility awards on (a) disabled people’s ability to travel to employment and (b) local labour markets.

The government is committed to ensuring that Personal Independence Payment (PIP) remains a non-means tested cash benefit which is there for people in and out of work, now and into the future. The Timms Review aims to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment. The Review will take a comprehensive look at PIP and the PIP assessment criteria to consider whether these effectively capture the impact of long-term health conditions and disability in the modern world. Both the daily living and mobility elements of PIP are in scope. We will ensure that the Review hears from diverse sources of evidence and the full range of views and voices. To ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work, the Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts. We will not seek to make further changes to PIP eligibility until the Review has reported its findings.

How many people have had their mobility component of benefits (a) removed and (b) reduced and have (i) reported a reduction in hours worked and (ii) stopped working by parliamentary constituency since 1 January 2024.

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

How many PIP claimants in Newton Abbot constituency had (a) an award with a mobility component, (b) a mobility component (i) removed and (ii) reduced following a (A) decision and (B) reassessment and (c) an active Motability agreement (1) terminated and (2) not renewed in each month since January 2024.

The figures requested have been provided in the attached tables. Regarding part (b), PIP claimants do not undergo reassessments, but they do have award reviews. Therefore, figures have been provided for the most recent decision made during the award reviews of claims (after mandatory reconsiderations and appeals have been completed). Notes:- Values have been rounded to the nearest 10.- Figures provided are for claimants under DWP Policy Ownership (England, Wales or Abroad).- Figures include both Normal Rules and Special Rules for End of Life claimants.- A claimant's most recent award decision post-reconsideration or appeal at an award review was used to determine whether their mobility award had been reduced/removed.- Despite a contract with Motability having ended, a claimant may make a new contract in the future.- A Motability contract is considered to have ended if it has reached the natural end of its term. A Motability contract is considered to have been terminated if it was ended early for another reason.- Motability contracts are terminated for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, voluntary termination, claimant death, a change in entitlement, imprisonment, or moving abroad.

How many PIP claimants had (a) an award with a mobility component, (b) a mobility component (i) removed and (ii) reduced following a (A) decision and (B) reassessment and (c) an active Motability agreement (1) terminated and (2) not renewed since January 2024.

The figures requested have been provided in the attached tables. Regarding part (b), PIP claimants do not undergo reassessments, but they do have award reviews. Therefore, figures have been provided for the most recent decision made during the award reviews of claims (after mandatory reconsiderations and appeals have been completed). Notes:- Values have been rounded to the nearest 10.- Figures provided are for claimants under DWP Policy Ownership (England, Wales or Abroad).- Figures include both Normal Rules and Special Rules for End of Life claimants.- A claimant's most recent award decision post-reconsideration or appeal at an award review was used to determine whether their mobility award had been reduced/removed.- Despite a contract with Motability having ended, a claimant may make a new contract in the future.- A Motability contract is considered to have ended if it has reached the natural end of its term. A Motability contract is considered to have been terminated if it was ended early for another reason.- Motability contracts are terminated for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, voluntary termination, claimant death, a change in entitlement, imprisonment, or moving abroad.

Whether his Department has updated (a) internal guidance, (b) decision-maker scripts, (c) assessor training materials and (d) scoring matrices used to assess the PIP mobility component since 1 January 2024.

There have been no substantive changes to departmental training or guidance materials relating specifically to the mobility component of Personal Independent Payment (PIP) since 1 January 2024. Departmental instructions are regularly updated to ensure they remain accurate. The PIP Assessment Guide, and the PIP new entrant training for health professionals (HPs) who conduct assessments were updated in September 2024 to coincide with the start of the new Functional Assessment Service (FAS) contracts, and responsibility for all other HP training and guidance materials was also transferred into DWP at this time. All training and guidance material is currently undergoing a comprehensive review, with updates being made to ensure content is accurate and aligns with national best practice standards, and our policy intent. There have been no changes to the criteria or thresholds used to assess entitlement to the PIP mobility component. To ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future, the Government has launched the Timms Review. The Timms Review aims to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment. The Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts. This means the Government will share ownership and responsibility for how the Review runs and what it recommends. The Review will report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by autumn 2026.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing PIP claimants to be able to claim support via the Motability Scheme when there is less than 12 months on their PIP mobility component.

Motability Foundation is independent of government and regulated by the Charity Commission so is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme. The Department does however work closely with Motability Foundation, and is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme The Motability Scheme supports those in receipt of a qualifying mobility allowance including the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the enhanced rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). We will continue to work with Motability to ensure the Scheme meets the transport needs of disabled people.

What changes to the Access to Work scheme have been made during this parliamentary session.

No changes have been made to Access to Work policy, and we will announce any changes prior to them being implemented. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation has closed and the collaboration committees have been completed.

When his Department plans to respond to correspondence from the Hon. Member for Newton Abbot sent on 19 August 2025, case ref MW09609.

A reply was sent to Martin Wrigley MP by the Minister of State for Social Security and Disability on 22 October 2025.

If he will take steps to fund the access to work programme for the rest of this parliament.

We are pleased to confirm continued funding for the Access to Work Scheme, which helps disabled people and those with health conditions to stay and remain in the workplace. Funding has been secured to continue the scheme for the entire Spending Review period. Following the close of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation at the end of June, we are considering all responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. 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. In addition to the consultation itself, we also established ‘collaboration committees’ that brought groups, including disabled people and other experts, to inform the design of the support we offer.

When his Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot of 26 August 2025 with case reference MW09650.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member by the Minister of State for Social Security and Disability, on behalf of the Secretary of State, on 17 October 2025.