Written questions by Wilson.

What the average response time for a) Jobcentre Plus, b) Child Support Agency, c) Child Maintenance Service, and d) the Pension Service as of April 2026.

Awaiting answer.

What the average response time is for the a) Child Support Agency and b) Child Maintenance Service.

The Child Support Agency (CSA) does not publish a standalone Annual Report and Accounts. Information regarding the performance of the Child Maintenance Service can be found in the Annual Reports and Accounts 2024-25 linked here - DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 25

How many staff have (a) had their employment contract terminated and (b) resigned in (i) Jobcentre Plus, (ii) the Pension Service, and (iii) the Child Maintenance Service since January 2025.

The data relates to DWP leavers within Child Maintenance Service, Retirement Services, and Universal Credit Operations. It includes both paid and unpaid leavers and covers the period from 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2026. DirectoratesDismissalResignationGrand TotalCHILD MAINTENANCE SERVICE41206247RETIREMENT SERVICES53151204UC OPERATIONS44115792020Grand Total53519362471

What the average response time is for Jobcentre Plus.

Information on departmental performance, including measures, can be found in the Annual Reports and Accounts DWP annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK

What the average response time is for the Pension Service.

Information regarding the performance of The Pension Service can be found in the Annual Reports and Accounts 2024-25 linked here - DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 25

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the findings of the report by the Brain Tumour Charity entitled The Price You Pay: The Financial Impact of a Brain Tumour.

The welfare system is there to support people with their living costs in times of need. Universal Credit provides means-tested support including a standard allowance and additional amounts to provide for individual needs such as housing, children, disability, and childcare costs. Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment provide a contribution towards the extra costs that may arise from a long-term disability or health condition. These benefits are non-contributory, non-means-tested and can be worth up to £9,747.40 a year, tax free. Additionally, we have launched the Timms Review to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future. 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. More details about the Review’s scope can be found in its Terms of Reference, available here: Timms Review of PIP: Terms of Reference.

How many (a) Universal Credit and (b) Universal Credit health element claimants are (i) current and (ii) previous members of the UK Armed Forces.

Data is not held on the total number of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past. Data is held on those who have identified themselves so far. Therefore, data on Armed Forces status has only been recorded for a proportion of the UC claimants. Data coverage continues to improve over time and by September 2024 data was held on the armed forces status of approximately 77% of the GB UC caseload, as shown in the table below: UC caseload monthProportion of caseload with a recorded statusCurrently servingServed in the pastNot servedPrefer not to sayNo recorded statusSeptember 202477%4,70068,0005,400,00037,0001,700,000 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started collecting data on the Armed Forces status of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Great Britain (GB) in April 2021. At first only new claimants were asked about their Armed Forces status. From June 2021 onwards, other UC claimants reporting changes in their work and earnings have also been able to report their status. From July 2021 onwards, UC agents have also been able to record claimants’ Armed Forces status if they are told about this via other means such as journal messages, face-to-face meetings or by telephone. It should be noted that Armed forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans’ Affairs. A claimant’s status can be recorded as “currently serving”, “served in the past”, “not served” or “prefer not to say”.

What assessment has she made of the adequacy of (a) telephone and (b) online Work Capability Assessments in ensuring the needs of disabled people are (i) met and (ii) understood.

All Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) including paper-based, telephone, video and face-to-face are conducted by fully qualified, clinical professionals who have undergone a comprehensive training programme designed and approved by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The quality of their advice is continually assured internally by the assessment suppliers and externally by the department's independent audit function. DWP conducted a Health Assessment Channels Trial (HACT) to evaluate how well telephone and video assessments are working compared to face-to-face assessments. The Health Assessment Channels Research report, published on 7 October 2024, presents findings from mixed-method research conducted by Ipsos to understand the impact of the introduction of remote channels on claimant experiences. The HACT found that over three quarters of Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance claimants that participated in the trial felt that the channel was suitable after having attended their assessment. This was consistent across telephone, video and face-to face assessments. Moreover, when asked about their channel preference for future assessments, channel preference was closely correlated to the channel through which their most recent assessment had been conducted. We remain committed to enabling a multi-channel assessment approach ensuring the needs of all our customers, including those that are disabled, are met.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on care-leavers.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on care leavers. However, we recognise the challenges that care leavers may face in transitioning to independent living and navigating the welfare system, and remain committed to supporting them as with all vulnerable groups. Our care leaver offer provides additional support such as access to the higher one-bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate up to the age of 25, as well as tailored support through Jobcentre Plus. We review this regularly. The Department continues to engage with stakeholders and welcomes views on how best to ensure that care leavers are supported through future reforms to UC and PIP. As part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation, we are also inviting views on proposals to raise the age at which individuals can access the UC health element to 22. 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.Protecting those most in need is at the heart of our reforms. Our Green Paper outlines why we think removing the WCA and moving to using the PIP assessment as the single assessment for additional financial support, is the correct decision for the reformed system.

If she will take steps to ensure that care leavers are not disproportionately impacted by the proposed changes in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill.

On 18 June, the Government introduced the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill to Parliament, marking the next legislative step in delivering some of the reforms set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper. The changes in this Bill will put more money into the pockets of some of the poorest families, alongside more support for people to work. These reforms protect the most vulnerable in our society, ensure the future of our welfare state, and give disabled people equal choices and chances to work. We will consider the wider impacts of reforms including for care leavers as part of our wider considerations of responses to the Pathways to Work consultation as we develop our detailed proposals for change.

How many overseas voters from Twickenham constituency are impacted by frozen British Pensions; and what steps she is taking to support those overseas voters.

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only up-rated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. The policy on up-rating UK State Pension paid overseas is a longstanding one and has been in place for over 70 years, including under recent Conservative and Liberal Democrat governments. People move abroad for many reasons, and it is for individuals to weigh up the factors involved. Information regarding the effect of living abroad on State Pension entitlement is available on GOV.UK.The Department does not hold information on overseas voters from a specific constituency among those with frozen pensions.

What estimate she has made of the cost to the NHS as a result of the changes to PIP in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper.

No formal assessment has been made.We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and care needs are met, and we are working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care on this.At the heart of our reforms is a drive to protect the most vulnerable while ensuring disabled people and people with health conditions are given equal chances and choices to get jobs and stay in work. Through these reforms, we will be investing an extra £1bn a year in employment support by the end of the decade, in addition to work we have already begun. We know from evaluations and analysis that the department has published that good work is good for people’s mental and physical health, and that giving people support to get jobs provides an overall saving to the Exchequer and to society, including by reducing the costs and pressures on the NHS.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposals in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper on young people.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out a range of proposals and plans to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. Some information on the impacts of the reforms has been published in the evidence pack, impacts analysis and equality analysis at:[https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper]. The equality analysis examines a range of protected characteristics, including age. A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months. The reforms announced in the Green Paper, including our new employment support package, will help to provide the support that young people need to succeed. There are nearly one million young people (16-24) not in Education Employment and Training, and the number is rising. Our future depends on young people being able to achieve their full potential. The period when young people transition from full-time education to building their careers is critical in shaping their professional future. We know that disengaging from employment and learning during early adulthood can have a lasting and detrimental impact on both career prospects and health and well-being. The Government is launching the Youth Guarantee to ensure that all young people aged 18-21 in England can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we are consulting on raising the age someone can access the Universal Credit Health Element to 22, which would remove a potential disincentive to work during this time. It would also be on the basis that resources may be better spent on improving the quality and range of opportunities available to young people through the guarantee, so they can move towards a life of learning, training or work rather than a life on benefits.

What her Department's policy is on compensating people affected by the clawback feature of the Midland Bank pension scheme.

Integrated pensions are intended to provide people who retire before their State Pension age with a similar pension income before and after their State Pension comes into payment. A member’s scheme pension is calculated so that the scheme pays a higher pension before the person reaches State Pension age, which is then reduced at State Pension age to take account of their State Pension. If members of an integrated pension scheme believe that the scheme has not followed its rules or the relevant law (including clear communication what benefit the scheme provides), they should use the scheme’s internal dispute resolution service, which every scheme is required to have. If they are not satisfied with the outcome, they can take the matter to the Pensions Ombudsman who can consider if any redress is appropropriate.

What data her Department holds on the number of statutory maternity pay cases per constituency in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, and (d) 2024.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is delivered through HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), rather than the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). We do not hold information on SMP cases per constituency, however a breakdown by region, supplied by HMRC, is below. 2022/232023/242024/25East Midlands41,90040,90020,300East of England58,60057,10028,900London90,30089,50045,700North East21,10020,70010,500North West66,40064,50032,300Northern Ireland20,10019,90010,100Scotland45,40043,60021,900South East84,50082,90041,500South West47,60046,30023,000Wales26,00026,00012,900West Midlands51,00049,80025,100Yorkshire and The Humber46,80045,70023,000 Notes:Figures for Statutory Maternity Pay are rounded to the nearest hundred.Figures for Statutory Maternity Pay were collected using HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) and were extracted in August 2024. RTI is subject to revision or updates. The location of the claim is based on the taxpayers’ residential address as recorded on RTI.Figures are the number of individuals in receipt of SMP in a given financial year. A significant number of cases will be active across two financial years, and therefore counted in both. As the 2024-25 financial year is still ongoing, figures are correct up until May 2024.