Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mary Kelly Foy this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 20 · Department for Work and Pensions
What estimate he has made of the further legal costs that may be incurred by the Department in relation to ongoing litigation concerning compensation for women affected by maladministration in State Pen
Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd (WASPI) are seeking permission from the High Court to bring a Judicial Review on our response to the Ombudsman’s report. We do not comment on live litigation.
If the Department has considered participating in Alternative Dispute Resolution or mediation in relation to the ongoing legal proceedings associated with the WASPI campaign.
Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd (WASPI) are seeking permission from the High Court to bring a Judicial Review on our response to the Ombudsman’s report. We are not able to comment on live litigation, but full details of our decision in this cas...
What assessment he has made of the comparative cost to the public purse of compensating women affected by maladministration in State Pension Age communications.
Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd (WASPI) are seeking permission from the High Court to bring a Judicial Review on our response to the Ombudsman’s report. We are not able to comment on live litigation, but full details of our decision in this cas...
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Child Maintenance Service’s (a) call-back performance and (b) adherence to its own service level agreements regarding telephone communication with constituents; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that caseworkers return calls to parents within 48 hours.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) monitors telephony performance daily, including call-back requests and the age of outstanding calls. As of March 2026, over 65% of call backs are completed within the Department’s 48 hour target. Performance is reviewed regularly to maintain service standards and identify where additional support may be required. CMS is progressing its Service Modernisation Programme, expanding digital, online and telephony channels to improve access and reduce demand on advisers. Increased uptake of online self-service is helping free up resources so caseworkers can focus on customers who need telephone support. CMS are also part of the DWP Digital’s Contact Centre Modernisation Programme which is introducing state of the art contact centre technology. CMS are currently scheduled to onboard to DWPs new telephony platform in Q2 26/27. The Department continually seeks to review, evaluate, and enhance tools and training material to support staff in delivering a quality customer service and takes timely action to further train and support staff where further improvements can be made. CMS are also addressing some of the known divers of repeat contact. With initiatives taken to enhance information available to caseworkers to enable them answer customer queries more fully during the initial call, thereby reducing the need for follow up contact.
What steps the Child Maintenance Service is taking to rectify technical errors in its automated billing system that result in paying parents receiving multiple, conflicting requests for different payment amounts within a single billing cycle; and what compensation is available to parents who have overpaid or underpaid as a result of these errors.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has not identified any errors in our accounting system. For each case CMS maintain a full record of what is owed, what has been paid, and any balances outstanding. It ensures any over- or under-payments are fully reconciled. The CMS acknowledges receiving multiple letters may be confusing for a parent. CMS is legally required to issue written confirmation of every maintenance calculation generated, meaning where multiple changes occur in quick succession or when there is a change which impacts a previous calculation a letter must be issued. Each letter is dated and will include an accurate record of the changes made and an updated calculation. In addition, customers can check the position of their case at any time through their online My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC). CMS is taking steps to improve communications with parents, including retiring outdated letters and updating current letters, with a view to making them more user friendly. Financial redress is not automatic but may be considered where there is evidence of maladministration that has caused financial loss or significant distress.
Whether his Department plans to restore public funding for union-led workplace learning programmes.
The previous government ended the standalone Union Learning Fund (ULF) on 31 March 2021. The Adult Skills Fund funds a very broad range of provision, including to support the effective operation of Trade Unions such as for Trade Union Health & Safety Representatives. The Department is committed to working with employers, providers, and trade unions to ensure that high quality qualification and training pathways are meeting skills needs.
What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of its internal review process for fraud investigations in cases where a claimant provides evidence of (a) identity and (b) location that contradicts the Department's initial findings.
The Department has robust investigation processes in place to address allegations of identity and residency fraud. The Department is also bringing in additional inspection of our end-to-end investigations following the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 through His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in England and Wales and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMICS) in Scotland.
How many Universal Credit fraud prosecutions were (a) withdrawn by his Department and (b) dismissed by a judge before trial in each of the last three financial years; and if he will provide a breakdown of these cases by (i) region and (ii) the primary reason recorded for the withdrawal of the prosecution.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) do not make decisions on whether to prosecute individuals and cannot make the decision to withdraw a prosecution. The DWP will complete the investigation and when appropriate hand the case files to the Crown Prosecution Service (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for Scotland), who will make the decision on whether to prosecute.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May to Question 904060 on Personal Independence Payment: Reform, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed PIP changes on people in the North East.
Estimates of the impact of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reforms are made for England and Wales only and not on region or any other geographic area.The department does not forecast benefit receipt at a regional level, nor have estimates of the behavioural impacts of the policy been produced at a regional level.There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility and rebalancing of UC aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026 for UC and November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.No one will lose access to PIP immediately. The changes, subject to parliamentary approval, would be brought in from November 2026. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years. Someone who didn’t score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment – not least as many conditions tend to get worse, not better, over time.After taking account of behavioural changes, OBR predicts that 370,000 people who will be receiving PIP at the point of implementation of the four point requirement in November 2026, will have lost their PIP Daily Living entitlement by 2029/30. Of all PIP recipients at the point of implementation, 9 in 10 will not lose PIP during the subsequent 3 years from this change.The number of people currently on PIP and did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious.We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and 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.Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment on people in the North East.
It is vital that our social security system, including PIP, is sustainable now and into the future.That is why we are reforming the system, so we protect those who can never work and so that those who can work get the help they need and deserve – including by investing an additional £1 billion in our new Pathways to Work employment programme.
What steps her Department is taking to support women born in the 1950s affected by State Pension age changes in City of Durham constituency.
We are committed to supporting pensioners – with millions set to see their yearly basic State Pension rise by around £1,500, or their new State Pension rise by around £1,900, over this parliament, through our commitment to the Triple Lock. Pension Credit provides vital financial support for pensioners, including women. It tops up state and private pensions to a guaranteed weekly minimum - the Standard Minimum Guarantee, which, for single pensioners, is set to increase from £218.15 to £227.10 in April 2025. In order to maximise take-up, we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit campaign because we want all eligible pensioners to claim what they are entitled to. The Government offers further direct financial help to low-income pensioners through the Warm Home Discount – and the Department for Work and Pensions provides Cold Weather Payments (in England & Wales), and discretionary support through the Household Support Fund in England to support those most in need. For those people who are unable to work but who are not yet eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age, financial support is available through the welfare system.
What support is available for claimants unable to complete her Department's forms.
The Department is committed to pursuing a just, equal and inclusive society, ensuring independence and control for all customers, including all disabled people and those with complex needs. This means we need to ensure that our customers have access to re...
If she will have discussions with local authorities on ensuring that older people living in poverty in County Durham receive financial support for which they are eligible.
The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement. Immediate support for pensioners includes our commitment to the Triple Lock, with over 12 million pensioners set to benefit through the course of this parliament, with the full yearly rate of th...
With reference to the Answer of 21 February 2024 to Question 14064 on Universal Credit: Disqualification, if she will direct her Department to begin collecting statistics on the number of children livin
In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, the Chief Statistician determines the need for new official statistics, and the development of existing statistics. User engagement is at the heart of our considerations for future statistics. These develo...
What steps her Department is taking to allow the sharing of relevant information with police forces to help identify potentially fraudulent benefit claims.
DWP has a close working relationship with the police and other law enforcement agencies to enable the Department to investigate fraud. This joint working allows full exchange of information from the police to DWP and the DWP to police, under data sharing legislation.
What assessment she has made of the potential health impact of the two-child benefit cap on children's (a) mental and (b) physical health.
No formal assessment has been made. We recognise the wide-ranging causes of child poverty, and we will explore how we can use all the available levers we have across government and wider society to drive forward the change our children need.
Whether she plans to (a) reform or (b) replace the Work Capability Assessment.
The government is committed to reforming or replacing the Work Capability Assessment, alongside putting in place a proper plan to support disabled people into work. We will also give disabled people the confidence to start working without fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out. More disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve. These plans are central to our missions of kickstarting economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity. This government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and to the principle of working with them, so that their views and voices will be at the heart of all that we do.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential mental health impact of benefit sanctions.
Under the previous administration, no assessment was made of the mental health impacts of benefits sanctions. The new government will reform labour market policy and operations with the aim of increasing employment and integrating work and health support. Sanctions are not applied to those with a severe medical health condition or disability where they have been found to have Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity following their Work Capability Assessment (WCA), or where they have a specified condition or are undergoing certain treatments ahead of their WCA. Those subject to work-related requirements will only be sanctioned if they fail to meet the labour market requirements that they’ve agreed to with their work coach without demonstrating good reason for doing so. To ensure these requirements are realistic and achievable, they are discussed and agreed with the claimant and based on their individual capabilities and household circumstances, including any health issues, caring responsibilities, earnings, and ongoing work or volunteering. We acknowledge that there will be times when a claimant’s circumstances are such that there their ability to carry out their labour market requirements is disrupted due to their personal circumstances. In these cases, an easement can be applied to lift these requirements completely for an agreed period of time. To support those who demonstrates that they cannot meet their most immediate and essential needs as a result of receiving a sanction, we have a system of recoverable hardship payments. These needs can include heating, food, and hygiene.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of not including military compensation as an income on means-tested benefit applications.
There are already special rules in place for how War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with State Pensions and benefits. These payments are already fully ignored in the State Pension and in Universal Credit.The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and Income Support. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in these benefits and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount. Furthermore, these are legacy benefits, in the process of being replaced by Universal Credit, in which War Pensions and AFCS are ignored.By default, the first £10 per week of a War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to fully disregard them.In relation to Pension Credit, the first £10 of any War Pension payments or AFCS award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded. Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her/his partner. War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.
Whether her Department plans to meet with representatives from the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.
As a newly formed Government, we need time to review the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation. We will listen to all views, including those of 1950s-born women as we take this work forward. The WASPI organisation has written to me and I intend to meet with their representatives in due course.