Written questions by Bedford.

How many employee settlement agreements there were in her Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

In each year since 2020, HM Treasury signed zero settlement agreements.

How many employee settlement agreements there were in her Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

This information can only be obtained for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

How many employee settlement agreements there were in her Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

Exit packages are published in the DfT Annual Reports and Accounts and all redundancy, severance and other department costs, are paid in accordance with the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (except where instances are detailed in the accounts as otherwise) e.g. see Page 141 of 2023/24 DfT Annual Report and Accounts https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a7690649b9c0597fdb0617/dft-annual-report-23-24-print.pdf.

Communities and Local Government, how many employee settlement agreements there were in her Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

The Department has not entered into any employee settlement agreements in any of the years since 2020.

How many employee settlement agreements there were in her Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

The Attorney General’s Office has not entered into any employee settlement agreements since 2020.

Media and Sport, how many employee settlement agreements there were in his Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

The number of settlement agreements issued by the department in the last five years are listed below:2020 - 02021 - 02022 - 02023 - 02024 - fewer than 5Due to the low number of settlement agreements issued by the department we cannot disclose the total value to ensure individuals are not identifiable.

Innovation and Technology, how many employee settlement agreements there were in his Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

DSIT was established in February 2023 and we therefore do not hold date for the full period in question.There has been less than 5 instances of settlement agreements being used since the department's creation. We are unable to share the precise number and value of agreements without individuals potentially being identifiable.

How many employee settlement agreements there were in his Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

I can confirm that since 2020 to date, the Department has had one settlement agreement in 2024. The settlement agreement was for the value of £20,000.

How many employee settlement agreements there were in his Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

The Department for Business and Trade issued less than 5 settlement agreements in the years 2020 and 2022. We withhold the exact figures and the total value of these agreements under Section 40(2) (Personal information) of the Data Protection Act.  Due to a Machinery of Government change, data prior to 1st July 2023 relates to the Department for International Trade. No settlement agreements were made in the other years requested.

How many employee settlement agreements there were in her Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

The table below shows the number of employee settlement agreements since 2020. Number of employee settlement agreementsTotal value (£)2020/21002021/22002022/23<5<£10,0002023/24<5£25,001 - £50,0002024/25*<5£10,000 - £25,000 *Until 30 November 2024 For 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 details where numbers are five or fewer are being withheld under section 40(2) of the Act that relates to Personal Information, as releasing the numbers may potentially lead to the identification of individual(s).

Food and Rural Affairs, how many employee settlement agreements there were in his Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

Between 2020 and 2024 to date, Defra has agreed six settlement agreements: one in 2021, two in 2022, two in 2023 and one in 2024 to date. The total cost of these settlements is £234,200.

How many employee settlement agreements there were in his Department in each year since 2020; and what the total value of such agreements is.

The below table details the number of employee settlement agreements and amounts for the years where data is available. All information prior to 2023 has now been archived and would incur disproportionate cost to obtain. Calendar YearNumber of settlement agreementsTotal Value202313£357,366.32202412£822,729.11 The year in which a case is settled does not reflect the year in which the claim was made or proceedings on the case started.

What steps her Department is taking to improve financial education in schools.

Financial education currently forms a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for mathematics (at key stages 1 to 4) and citizenship (at key stages 3 and 4). The primary mathematics curriculum includes arithmetic knowledge that supports pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money, including, for example, calculations with money and percentages. In secondary mathematics, pupils are taught topics such as how to calculate compound interest, which is relevant for personal finance. In citizenship, pupils are taught the function and uses of money, how to budget and manage credit and debt, as well as concepts like insurance, savings and pensions.High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The government‘s ambition is for a broad, rich and cutting-edge curriculum that equips children and young people with the essential knowledge and skills required to thrive as citizens, in work and throughout life. That is why the department has established an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will seek to deliver an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics, and a broader curriculum that readies young people for life and work, and reflects the diversities of our society. The review group ran a call for evidence, receiving over 7000 responses, and held events over the autumn term to gather the views of education professionals and other experts, parents, children and young people, and other stakeholders. The feedback received will help the review group to consider its next steps and recommendations. The review group will publish an interim report early in 2025 setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work and the final report with recommendations will be published in autumn 2025.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a Pension Credit uptake target.

The Government is committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to. That’s why we have been running a nationwide communications campaign to promote Pension Credit since September. The latest phase of the campaign takes a new approach targeting friends and family - asking them to tell people they know about Pension Credit, encourage them to check their eligibility, as well as help them make a claim. It is running on TV, radio, social media such as Facebook and Instagram, on YouTube and on advertising screens, including on GP and Post Office screens. As part of our wider stakeholder outreach campaign and in order to get the message out through as many channels as possible, we have engaged with key stakeholders and partners, including other government departments, local councils, housing associations, community groups, local libraries and service providers as well as charities and third sector organisations. We have also directly targeted 120,000 pensioner households in receipt of Housing Benefit, identified as being potentially entitled to, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We do not believe that setting targets for take-up of Pension Credit would be helpful or that they would work. However, we have committed to bringing together the administration of Pension Credit and pensioner Housing Benefit for new claimants as soon as operationally possible in order to ensure pensioners receive all the benefits to which they are entitled

What estimate she has made of the time taken to (a) recruit and (b) train 3,000 additional staff in fraud and error.

Currently the time taken from the job advert being created to the individual being onboarded is between 7 to 20 weeks. Training time varies by function with the majority of new staff needing three to six months to fully consolidate learning, whereas special investigator roles can require up to 18 months – although these only make up a small proportion of the 3,000 specified.

What estimate she has made of the cost of hiring 3,000 additional staff in fraud and error.

His Majesty’s Treasury allocated DWP £110m to deliver on the fraud, error and debt Autumn Budget measures over the next financial year. As part of this, the Department is hiring an additional 3,000 staff to expand DWP’s Fraud, Error and Debt (FED) operations.

How long it takes to train a new staff member to process pension credit applications.

The current training for staff on Pension Credit New Claims is 10 days. The training includes focus on the steps to process an application, with more activities to help with engagement and understanding. The training has been designed using experience, advice, observations, and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

Whether the additional 500 staff deployed to process Pension Credit applications were new employees.

Since the announcement to means test Winter Fuel payments, to date we have increased the resource in Pension Credit claims by approximately 500 staff through a combination of internal redeployments, use of external providers and external recruitment. This is in line with the overall resourcing plan for Pension Credit claims and Winter Fuel payments.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund in supporting pensioners with the cost of living in winter 2024-25.

No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund in supporting pensioners with the cost of living in winter 2024-25 and no estimate has been made of the amount local authorities will spend on supporting pensioners this winter.

What estimate her Department has made of the amount local authorities will spend on supporting pensioners with the cost of living in winter 2024-25.

No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund in supporting pensioners with the cost of living in winter 2024-25 and no estimate has been made of the amount local authorities will spend on supporting pensioners this winter.