Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

Pursuant to the Answers of 14 October 2025 to Questions 77787, 77788 and 77789 on Pension Funds: Fossil Fuels, what estimate The Pensions Regulator has made of the (a) proportion of UK pension scheme assets invested in (i) thermal coal-fired and (ii) other fossil fuel-fired power generation capacity, (b) contribution of UK pension funds to fossil fuel expansion in (i) the UK, (ii) Europe and (iii) other international markets and (c) value of UK pension fund assets invested in fossil fuels that are at risk of becoming stranded.

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has not produced such estimates.Occupational pension schemes are required to set out how they consider financially material environmental, social and governance factors in their Statements of Investment Principles and to report annually on implementation. Larger schemes must also disclose their climate related risks and opportunities in line with the Task Force on Climate related Financial Disclosures framework. A 2024 TPR review found that more than 60% of sampled schemes had set a net zero goal for 2050 or earlier. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is currently undertaking a Post Implementation Review of the TCFD regime. We will report our findings this year.In parallel, Government is working on the adoption of UK Sustainability Reporting Standards aligned with international standards and on mandating climate transition plans. TPR’s Transition Plan Working Group, which includes representatives from across the pensions industry, will report to the DWP in the spring. These initiatives will continue to strengthen transparency around scheme exposures to climate related risks and support the UK’s net-zero goals and broader green agenda.

What information his Department holds on the number of pensioners whose sole income is the (a) basic and (b) full new State Pension.

Findings from the Pensioners’ Incomes Series show that, in 2023/24, around 1.1 million pensioner families (i.e. singles or couples) in the UK received the State Pension together with other state benefits as their sole sources of income. However, this does not indicate the amount of State Pension received or whether the State Pension received was the basic or new State Pension. This information is published in the Pensioners' Incomes series.

Whether eligible (a) prospective claimants not currently in receipt of Universal Credit and (b) existing Universal Credit claimants who do not receive the health element would be entitled to the rate of the health element of Universal Credit in force before 6 April 2026 where an application for that element is received by the Department for Work and Pensions on or before 5 April 2026, including in cases where eligibility is confirmed, a Work Capability Assessment is completed, or a decision on entitlement is made on or after 6 April 2026.

The Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (Rates of Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were laid in Parliament on 9 February 2026. The Regulations provide further detail on the application of the Universal Credit Act 2025 including the definition of a pre-6 April 2026 claimant confirming that claimants who declare a health condition or disability on or before 5 April 2026 and are found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) will receive the higher rate of LCWRA. This applies even if their decision on entitlement is made on or after 6 April 2026.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes for 1950s-born women living in Poole constituency.

All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age. Estimates can be made using ONS 2021 Census Data on how many women born in the 1950s resided in each constituency in that year.

How many individuals are currently in receipt of (a) the old state pension and (b) the new state pension.

As of the quarter ending May 2025 (latest available data for pensions accrued in Great Britain), around 8.3 million individuals were receiving the State Pension under the pre‑2016 system, and around 4.8 million were receiving the new State Pension. Source: DWP Stat-Xplore.

If he will set out the annual uprating arrangements for (a) both parts of the old state pension (basic and second) and (b) the new state pension.

Legislation requires that both the basic State Pension (pre-2016 system) and the new State Pension should rise annually at least in line with earnings. The Government has made a manifesto commitment for this Parliament to maintain the Triple Lock for the basic and new State Pensions. This goes further, increasing them by the highest of growth in earnings, growth in prices, or 2.5%. The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefit and pension rates. This year the rates considered included the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation in the year to September 2025 which was 3.8%, and the average weekly earnings (AWE) figure (including bonuses) for May to July 2025 which was 4.8%. The AWE rate was the highest of the Triple Lock measures, meaning that, subject to Parliamentary approval, the basic and new State Pensions will be increased by 4.8% from April 2026. In the pre-2016 State Pension system, the Triple Lock applies to the basic State Pension. The additional State Pension (also known as the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme, or SERPS, or from April 2002 the State Second Pension) and most other State Pension components are uprated by prices (CPI). This enables them to retain their real value over time, mirroring occupational pension schemes which typically uprate by prices. Subject to Parliamentary approval, these elements will be increased by 3.8% from April 2026. Protected Payments in the new State Pension (transitional amounts in excess of the full rate) are also increased by CPI. Although the uprating approaches in the pre-2016 and new state Pension systems operate slightly differently, there are many other elements in each of the pre 2016 and new State Pension system which all need to be taken together in the round.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the removal of the Mercedes Vito as a vehicle available through Motability on the availability of vehicles with a) dropped floors b) hand controls.

Motability’s decision to remove luxury vehicles from the Scheme will help ensure that tax reliefs are not subsidising luxury vehicle leases and services that non-scheme users could not afford, so that the Scheme focuses on its core aim and is more in line with the retail leasing offer. Motability Operations will continue to prioritise customer needs, ensuring vehicles remain affordable, meet a range of accessibility needs - including dropped floors and hand controls - and offer vehicles which require no advance payment, meaning that people will be able to access a suitable vehicle using only their qualifying disability benefit. Support for specialist adaptations will remain at the heart of the Scheme and the Scheme will continue to cover the cost of standard adaptations.Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to those most in need of financial help. These grants support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Motability Scheme.

What assessment has been made as to the (a) merits of and (b) funding for retrospective indexation arrangements for all pre 1997 pensions scheme members.

Most defined benefit schemes pay some indexation on pensions earned before 1997. The Government recognises that the absence of indexation on pre-1997 rights in pension schemes can erode the value of pensions over time and affect members who rely on these benefits in retirement. Reforms in our Pension Schemes Bill will enable more trustees of well-funded defined benefit pension schemes to share surplus with employers, deliver better outcomes for members, and benefit the wider economy. As part of any agreement to release surplus funds to the employer, trustees will be better placed to negotiate additional benefits for members, including discretionary indexation.

How many individuals have migrated from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit in the last 12 months.

The Department regularly publishes monthly Move to Universal Credit statistics, with the latest statistics available for July 2022 to end September 2025. The next publication on 17 February 2026 will include data up to and including December 2025.

How many individuals that have migrated from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit in the last 12 months have had the amount of council tax support they receive reduced.

The Department does not administer the Council Tax Reduction scheme and therefore does not hold the data required to answer this question.

If he will consider introducing legally-binding child poverty targets to reduce child poverty within this Parliament and beyond.

The Monitoring and Evaluation framework published alongside the Strategy set out that a baseline report will be published in Summer 2026 with annual reporting on progress thereafter and Government already has a statutory duty to publish poverty statistics annually. We have put these clear reporting arrangements in place so that the progress we make is transparent for all.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of children in Poole constituency who will become newly eligible for support measures introduced under the Child Poverty Strategy.

The Department does not hold data on the number of children in the Poole constituency who will become newly eligible for support measures introduced under the Child Poverty Strategy. Estimates are available for the number of children and households that are expected to gain from the removal of two-child limit at constituency level here Poverty impacts of social security changes at Budget 2025 - GOV.UK.

Whether his department has made an assessment of the causes and impact of financial insecurity for people at the end of life.

This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it including for those nearing the end of their life. For these claimants, the Government’s priority is to provide financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way this is applied 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 certain welfare benefits without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods, and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.

What steps his department is taking to prevent people from dying in poverty.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 December 2025 to Question UIN 96586.

What support will be offered to disabled young people not currently in education, employment or training.

Pathways to Work is a guaranteed offer of tailored work, health and skills support for all disabled people, including young people, and those with health conditions on out of work benefits. We are rolling out our new support offer, backed by new funding building to £1bn a year by the end of the decade, with much of our plan already in motion. There are now over 1,000 FTE Pathways to Work Advisors in Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales who are helping disabled people and people with health conditions towards and into work. We are also testing how best to deliver and integrate work, health and skills support locally – including through Mayoral Strategic Authorities with 9 Economic Inactivity and 8 Youth Guarantee Trailblazers live across England and Wales. We are delivering the NHS 10 Year Plan, and have introduced WorkWell in 15 sites across England, testing a new way to integrate health and work support.We are also expanding our support for all young people, by expanding Youth Hubs to every local area across Great Britian. These Hubs will provide comprehensive support, such as mental health, housing, skills training, and employer engagement, to all 16-24 year olds, regardless of their benefit status. Finally, we are considering how we might go even further. The Right Honourable Alan Milburn will lead an investigation into the rise in young people not in employment, education, or training, with findings to be published by Summer 2026. The report launched its formal call for evidence this week, on 16 December, and will remain open until 30 January.

What estimate he has made of the number of young people on universal credit in Poole constituency who have been looking for work for 18 months who will benefit from the government’s planned job guarantee.

This Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy.Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning, including:Support to find a job: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we are introducing a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, which over the next three years will offer nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds a dedicated session, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support with a Work Coach. This new support will identify specific work, training, or learning opportunities locally for each young person and ensure they are supported to take those up. This support could be delivered at a Youth Hub.Further expansion of Youth Hubs: We are expanding our network of Youth Hubs to over 360 locations so that all young people – including those not on benefits – can access opportunities and wider support in every local area of Great Britain. Youth Hubs will bring together partners from health, skills and the voluntary sector, working closely with Mayors and local authorities to deliver joined-up community-based support.c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers – Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment. This will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years. We know young people need support quickly and that is why we will begin delivery of the Jobs Guarantee in six areas from spring 2026 in: Birmingham & Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire & Essex, Central & East Scotland, Southwest & Southeast Wales. We will deliver over 1,000 job starts in the first six months. This will be followed by national roll-out of the Jobs Guarantee across Great Britain.Prevention: We are also making it easier to identify young people who need support, by investing in better data sharing for those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), further education attendance monitoring, and new risk of NEET data tools giving local areas more accurate insights to target support where it's needed most. We are also investing in work experience opportunities for young people at particular risk of becoming NEET, focused on pupils in state-funded Alternative Provision settings, (education provided outside mainstream or special schools for children who cannot attend a regular school, often due to exclusion, health needs, or other circumstances). This builds on measures announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper earlier this autumn. The Growth and Skills Levy’s £725 million investment will deliver more apprenticeships for young people and help match skills training with local job opportunities. Young people will benefit from:increased access to training with full cost of apprenticeships at SMEs covered by Government.A new wave of foundation apprenticeships in sectors such as retail and hospitality sectors to get young people into work.Thousands more apprenticeship starts through a £140 million partnership with local leaders. 50,000 young people across the country will be better equipped for jobs of the future through a major investment to create more apprenticeships and training courses. As this programme is across Great Britian, my honourable friend will be assured that it will have an effect on his constituency. Specifically in Poole, we also have a project supporting Youth Skills and Careers Builders, delivering through DWP and local organisations. Young people can also access the local Wellbeing Hub.

How many training and workplace opportunities will be offered to young people in Poole constituency.

This Government is investing in young people’s futures. At the Budget, we announced more than £1.5 billion of investment over the next three years, funding £820 million for the Youth Guarantee to support young people to earn or learn, and an additional £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy.Through the expanded Youth Guarantee, young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning, including:Support to find a job: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we are introducing a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, which over the next three years will offer nearly 900,000 16–24-year-olds a dedicated session, followed by four weeks of additional intensive support with a Work Coach. This new support will identify specific work, training, or learning opportunities locally for each young person and ensure they are supported to take those up. This support could be delivered at a Youth Hub.Further expansion of Youth Hubs: We are expanding our network of Youth Hubs to over 360 locations so that all young people – including those not on benefits – can access opportunities and wider support in every local area of Great Britain. Youth Hubs will bring together partners from health, skills and the voluntary sector, working closely with Mayors and local authorities to deliver joined-up community-based support.c300,000 additional opportunities for workplace experience and training: For young people on Universal Credit who are looking for work, we will create up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers – Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). At the end of each SWAP, employers offer a guaranteed job interview to participants.Guaranteeing jobs: For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment. This will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years. We know young people need support quickly and that is why we will begin delivery of the Jobs Guarantee in six areas from spring 2026 in: Birmingham & Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire & Essex, Central & East Scotland, Southwest & Southeast Wales. We will deliver over 1,000 job starts in the first six months. This will be followed by national roll-out of the Jobs Guarantee across Great Britain.Prevention: We are also making it easier to identify young people who need support, by investing in better data sharing for those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), further education attendance monitoring, and new risk of NEET data tools giving local areas more accurate insights to target support where it's needed most. We are also investing in work experience opportunities for young people at particular risk of becoming NEET, focused on pupils in state-funded Alternative Provision settings, (education provided outside mainstream or special schools for children who cannot attend a regular school, often due to exclusion, health needs, or other circumstances). This builds on measures announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper earlier this autumn. The Growth and Skills Levy’s £725 million investment will deliver more apprenticeships for young people and help match skills training with local job opportunities. Young people will benefit from:increased access to training with full cost of apprenticeships at SMEs covered by Government.A new wave of foundation apprenticeships in sectors such as retail and hospitality sectors to get young people into work.Thousands more apprenticeship starts through a £140 million partnership with local leaders. 50,000 young people across the country will be better equipped for jobs of the future through a major investment to create more apprenticeships and training courses. As this programme is across Great Britian, my honourable friend will be assured that it will have an effect on his constituency. Specifically in Poole, we also have a project supporting Youth Skills and Careers Builders, delivering through DWP and local organisations. Young people can also access the local Wellbeing Hub.

What safeguards will be put in place to help ensure that jobs under the new youth employment guarantee will pay the living wage and lead to long-term secure employment.

Too many young people are spending the first years of their adult life out of work or education. Long periods of unemployment in these early years have lifelong negative impacts.As part of the Youth Guarantee, we are breaking the cycle of unemployment by guaranteeing paid work for every eligible 18-21 year-old who has been on Universal Credit, looking for work, for 18 months.The Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment, for 25 hours a week, at the relevant minimum wage, with the government covering 100% of employment costs. This, will help young people take that crucial first step into sustained employment, supporting the government’s long-term ambition for an 80% employment rate.The Jobs Guarantee will also provide wraparound support to further develop the required skills and experience needed for the move into sustained employment.Appropriate safeguards will be built into the scheme to ensure that opportunities are high quality, fair and deliver the intended outcomes for young people.The Jobs Guarantee will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years.

Pursuant to the answer of 4 December to question 94564, whether he made an assessment of the potential impact of those policy changes on people with fluctuating conditions like MS before the policy was announced.

Before any announcements were made, Motability Operations confirmed it will continue to offer a broad range of vehicles without an Advance Payment, ensuring that people who elect to join the Scheme can access vehicles suited to their needs, whatever their health condition or disability, in exchange for all or part of their mobility allowance.

How much new leases for Motability vehicles without advance payments will increase in end user cost from July 2026 as a result of the addition of insurance premium tax in the Autumn Budget 2026.

We are protecting the taxpayer through changes to the Motability scheme, ensuring it supports disabled people whilst delivering efficient use of taxpayers’ money. As is the case now, Motability will determine which vehicles will require an advanced payment and the price. There will still be cars available through the scheme which require no advance payment. This means that customers will still be able to lease a car just with their qualifying disability benefit.