Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

What assessment he has made of the potential financial impact of maintaining Local Housing Allowance at current levels for another year on low income renters in Poole constituency.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the Pupil Premium to students aged 19.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of maintaining Local Housing Allowance at its 2024/25 level in the current financial year on levels of homelessness among Universal Credit claimants.

Awaiting answer.

Whether the impact of reforms to Personal Independence Payments on levels of homelessness will be included as part of the Timms Review.

The steering group has established its ways of working, themes for the Review and has launched a Call for Evidence. It will continue to meet regularly over the course of this year to determine the Review's strategic direction, priorities and its recommendations. The Terms of Reference give the group a broad remit to set out its strategic direction, priorities and workplan.

What estimate has his Department has made of how many individuals who receive Personal Independence Payments use this income to cover (a) rent (b) other housing costs, and (c) transport to and from work.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a non‑means‑tested benefit intended as a contribution towards extra costs arising from a long‑term health condition or disability, and recipients are free to use it in the way that best meets their individual needs. The Department does not routinely collect data on how PIP is spent.

What impact assessment has been made of the proposed removal of the health element of Universal Credit for under 22s.

We have launched The Young People and Work Report to investigate the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training, with a holistic view of the welfare, health, skills and employment system. Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, it will also identify areas for reform. The report will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun - with a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disability.  The Author will produce an interim Report this May, with a full and final report in September. To ensure we can take a decision in the round we are awaiting the Young People and Work Reports conclusions before making any decisions on access to Universal Credit Health Element for those under the age of 22.

What assessment has been done as to the potential impact on employment prospects for under 22s who will no longer receive the health element of Universal Credit.

I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 2 March 2026 in response to Question UIN 114204.

How many people with a Personal Independence Payment Special Rules award reached the end of their three-year award period and had their benefits award reviewed in each of the last 12 months for which data is available.

Over the past 12 months, 30 individuals with a Personal Independence Payment Special Rules award reached the end of their three-year award period and had benefits reassessed. Monthly breakdowns cannot be provided due to disclosure control. In the majority of months over the last 12-month period, there were fewer than 5 Special Rules for End of Life claims which reached their award period’s end and were reassessed. Notes:- The figure provided is rounded to the nearest 10.- The figure is for claimants under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales and abroad) and exclude claimants where PIP has been devolved to the Scottish Government in Scotland or the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.

How many people that were claiming Personal Independent Payment and in receipt of the both enhanced components died (a) in total and (b) who had accessed PIP under the Special Rules for terminal illness route in the last year for which information is available.

The information requested can be found in the table provided below. Table 1: People who have died who were recipients of Personal Independence Payment Enhanced Daily Living and Mobility components Special Rules for End of LifeTotalFeb-251,4903,900Mar-251,5904,180Apr-251,4603,930May-251,5204,000Jun-251,4603,790Jul-251,6204,060Aug-251,5603,880Sep-251,5303,860Oct-251,5904,210Nov-251,5404,080Dec-251,6404,620Jan-261,7004,760 Notes:- Values have been rounded to the nearest 10.- Figures are for claimants under DWP Policy Ownership (England, Wales and Abroad) and exclude claimants where PIP has been devolved to the Scottish Government in Scotland or The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.- Figures include people of both working age and those who are aged above state pension age.

How many people have been assessed at a Personal Independence Payment assessment as having a terminal condition; how many of those people were in receipt of a fixed-term award; and what was the length of these fixed-term awards in each of the latest 12 months for which data is available.

The Department does not collect information centrally for analysis about whether a claimant’s condition is terminal. However, claimants claiming under the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) are terminally ill and we can provide information about their awards. A PIP claimant is currently regarded as being end of life if they “suffer from a progressive disease, and the person’s death in consequence of that disease can reasonably be expected within 12 months.” [S.82 Welfare Reform Act 2012] Claims by people with end of life are fast tracked – currently 3 days for new claimants; in the last five years to January 2026, 99% of special rule claims were successful, excluding withdrawn claims. The majority of awards are made for 3 years. The three-year awards given to SREL claims strikes a balance that recognises making a prognosis is not an exact science. Someone already in receipt of PIP under the normal rules, where there is a wide variety of award lengths, can report a change in their circumstances that they are now terminally ill. This change of circumstances is similarly fast tracked. The tables below detail the number or SREL claimant assessments for PIP over the last 12 months and fixed-term awards for SREL claimants for the same period. Table 1: Volume of SREL claimant assessments over time VolumeFeb-251,500Mar-251,500Apr-251,190May-251,470Jun-251,870Jul-251,540Aug-251,480Sep-251,510Oct-251,720Nov-251,430Dec-251,390Jan-261,570 Table 2: Volume of SREL fixed-term awards by duration Less than 1 year1 year to less than 2 years2 years to less than 3 years3 years to less than 4 years4 years to less than 5 years5 or more yearsTotalFeb-2510X201,2200101,260Mar-2510X301,1700X1,210Apr-2510X20970X101,010May-2510X301,1400201,200Jun-2520X401,470X101,540Jul-2520X201,2200101,270Aug-251010101,200X101,230Sep-2510X101,230X201,260Oct-2510X101,400X101,440Nov-2510X101,130XX1,160Dec-251010201,110XX1,150Jan-2610X201,2600X1,300Total1303024014,5101010015,020Notes:- Values have been rounded to the nearest 10. Where a value is less than 5 but not 0 it has been replaced by an X for disclosure control.- Figures are for claimants under DWP Policy Ownership (England, Wales and Abroad) and exclude claimants where PIP has been devolved to the Scottish Government in Scotland or The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.

How many people assessed at a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment as having a terminal condition did not receive PIP under the Special Rules in each of the latest 12 months for which data is available.

The Department does not collect information centrally for analysis on whether a claimant’s condition is terminal. The Special Rules for End of Life allow people nearing the end of their life to get faster and easier access to PIP at the highest rates. The Department considers anyone likely to have fewer than 12 months to live as nearing the end of life.

What is the scope of the baseline report on child poverty; and whether it will outline what reduction in child poverty his Department aims to achieve for the 10 year strategy period.

The baseline report will provide further details on our approach to monitoring and evaluating the Child Poverty Strategy, as initially set out in the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework published alongside the Strategy, alongside the latest statistics and evidence. Our Child Poverty Strategy fulfils our commitment to reducing poverty this Parliament, lifting 550,000 children out of poverty, and sets out our ambition to tackle its structural drivers as part of a long-term, 10-year strategy. This Government has taken decisive action, with the interventions in the Strategy set to lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began. From the very beginning of our time in government we have done what is needed to tackle child poverty – we have increased the minimum wage, expanded Free School Meals, invested in social and affordable housing, funded more Best Start Family Hubs, and removed the two-child limit.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of laying the provision relating to frozen pensions as a standalone instrument.

The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026 are in general consequential on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 and can only be laid once the Up-rating Order has been approved by Parliament. The Up-rating Regulations were laid on 6 March 2026 and will come into force on the same date as the Up-rating Order on 6 April 2026. This is a convention that has been in place for a number of years.

Whether his Department has produced (a) written advice and (b) guidance setting out the rationale for laying the provision relating to frozen overseas state pensions under the Negative procedure.

The provisions in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026 cannot be included in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 because the powers on which the Up-rating Order relies are insufficiently wide to include these provisions. The Regulations are subject to the negative procedure, and this is a convention that has been in place for a number of years.

With reference to Regulation 3 of the Social Security Up-Rating Regulations 2026 laid on 6 March, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the provision relating to frozen overseas state pensions by Order rather than Regulations.

The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026 are in general consequential on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026. The provisions in the Up-rating Regulations cannot be included in the Up-rating Order because the powers on which the Up-rating Order relies are insufficiently wide to include these provisions.

What steps are being taken to ensure those being migrated onto Universal Credit will receive transitional protection.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all eligible customers moving from legacy benefits to Universal Credit receive the Transitional Protection to which they are entitled. Transitional Protection is a safeguard designed to support a smooth financial transition from legacy benefits to Universal Credit for those required to move. Customers who make a Universal Credit claim in response to a Migration Notice, and who would otherwise receive a lower award on Universal Credit than they received on their legacy benefit, will receive Transitional Protection. To be eligible for Transitional Protection, customers must claim Universal Credit by the deadline set out in their Migration Notice, or within one month of that deadline (the “grace period”). The Department keeps detailed records of all customers who have been issued with a Migration Notice and their associated deadlines to ensure eligible customers are correctly identified.

What assessment his Department has made of the extent to which the Timms Review steering group includes people with recent lived experience of disability and of claiming Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the composition of the group commands confidence among disabled people and stakeholders.

Almost all steering group members have lived experience of disability, and the group is diverse in terms of geography, ethnicity, and sexuality. However, no single group can be fully representative of the UK’s disabled community. This is why the steering group will not work alone and will design a broader programme of participation to bring together the full range of views and voices to contribute to the Review. We are committed to transparency and there will be regular updates on the Review’s work as it progresses.In regard to type of disability, employment status, and benefit claimant status, it is for steering group members to decide whether they want to share their own sensitive personal information. Some of our steering group members have shared this information in their public facing biographies, and some have not. It is important their choice and privacy is respected. Further information on steering group members can be found here: The Timms Review: Co-Chair Update, February 2026 - GOV.UK

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Timms Review steering group reflects diverse representation across (a) types of impairment, (b) geographic region, (c) race and ethnicity, (d) gender, (e) sexual orientation, (f) age and (g) employment status.

Almost all steering group members have lived experience of disability, and the group is diverse in terms of geography, ethnicity, and sexuality. However, no single group can be fully representative of the UK’s disabled community. This is why the steering group will not work alone and will design a broader programme of participation to bring together the full range of views and voices to contribute to the Review. We are committed to transparency and there will be regular updates on the Review’s work as it progresses.In regard to type of disability, employment status, and benefit claimant status, it is for steering group members to decide whether they want to share their own sensitive personal information. Some of our steering group members have shared this information in their public facing biographies, and some have not. It is important their choice and privacy is respected. Further information on steering group members can be found here: The Timms Review: Co-Chair Update, February 2026 - GOV.UK

If he will set out his methodology for determining the future funding of leadership and management apprenticeships.

The Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, backed by an additional £725 million of investment, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers, more opportunities for young people and support the industrial strategy. We have been working intensively with business on the next stages of reform and will announce plans for the development of the Growth and Skills Levy soon.

What recent discussions he has had with prime contractors in the Connect to Work programme on their use of charities and smaller organisations in gaining job and learning outcomes.

Connect to Work is our voluntary, locally led Supported Employment programme that will help around 300,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and individuals with more complex barriers to employment by the end of the decade, across England and Wales. Mayors and Local Authorities have been funded to design and deliver local Connect to Work programmes. It is delivered through a higher number of smaller delivery areas than has been the case for recent national DWP contracted employment programmes. This approach aims to support better integration with local services and enable more smaller local organisations to have the opportunity to be involved in delivery. Areas choose how the programme is delivered, for example, in house or through external providers; and how any external provider is selected. DWP has not mandated the type of provider, but the grant guidance includes the voluntary and charitable sector as examples of potential local partners and supporting organisations. Areas have been encouraged to ensure any delivery organisation has good local knowledge, as well as the ability to deliver Supported Employment.