Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rebecca Smith this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–14 of 14 · Department for Work and Pensions
What the average waiting time was between approval of an Access to Work application and commencement of support in each of the past two years, broken down by region.
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
What assessment he has made of differences in waiting times for Access to Work, including (a) initial assessment, (b) approval and (c) commencement of support between regions.
Awaiting answer.
How many Access to Work applicants waited more than (a) six months, (b) nine months and (c) one year for approval of their application in each of the past two years, broken down by region.
Awaiting answer.
What the (a) mean and (b) median average waiting time was between application for Access to Work and an initial assessment, in each of the past two years, broken down by region.
Access to Work does not record the information requested in a way that allows data to be extracted by region. Providing this would require manual examination of individual case records and would therefore incur disproportionate cost. Access to Work applications are managed through a national queue and processed in chronological order, meaning that a customer’s region does not determine waiting time.
With reference o the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 75830 on Access to Work Programme, how many of the 118 staff remain assigned to Access to Work.
Awaiting answer.
With reference to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 125945 on Universal Credit, what data his Department holds on the relationship between hours worked and reductions in Universal Credit awards through the earnings taper.
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
How many Universal Credit claimants had their award reduced through the earnings taper in each of the last five years; and how many claimants experienced monthly reductions of (a) less than £100, (b) £100 to £249, (c) £250 to £499 and (d) £500 or more.
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
If he will publish figures for the percentage of Universal Credit claimants who are working, broken down by hourly increments, in each of the past five years.
Statistics on the number of people on Universal Credit are regularly published on Stat-Xplore, with the latest statistics by employment status available to February 2026. As there is no limit to how many hours a person can work and still get Universal Credit, information on the number of hours worked for those in employment is not collated.
What recent assessment he has made of the potential economic impact of levels of underemployment among refugees with a right to work; and what steps his Department is taking to improve skills recognition and employment matching for such individuals.
The government agrees that we need to make full use of the skills and qualifications of refugees. We want everyone who can to succeed in work, contribute to economic growth and have roles which align with their potential. That is why DWP work coaches are trained to support claimants, including refugees, into work looking both at how their existing skills can be best matched to employment vacancies as well as identifying any skill gaps and providing support to address these. For those who have qualifications obtained overseas, work coaches signpost to the European National Information Centre (ENIC), who provide guidance and advice on getting foreign qualifications recognised in the UK. In addition, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. As part of this, we will improve our support for employers to help them find the right candidates to fill their vacancies.
Whether his Department will publish (a) national and (b) regional breakdowns of under-occupied social rented housing.
The Department has not recently evaluated the effectiveness of the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy. Information on the number of households subjected to the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy, by nations and regions, is available on Stat-Xplore via the Housing Benefit and Universal Credit official statistics (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/). The information can be found in the Households on Universal Credit dataset, and the Housing Benefit – Data from April 2018 dataset, and are currently available to August 2025. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest, and if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.
Whether his Department has made a recent evaluation of the effectiveness of the under-occupation deduction policy for social rented housing.
The Department has not recently evaluated the effectiveness of the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy. Information on the number of households subjected to the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy, by nations and regions, is available on Stat-Xplore via the Housing Benefit and Universal Credit official statistics (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/). The information can be found in the Households on Universal Credit dataset, and the Housing Benefit – Data from April 2018 dataset, and are currently available to August 2025. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest, and if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of naming supported lodgings as specified accommodation under housing benefit regulations.
No such assessment is planned.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of disregarding payments from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme when calculating eligibility for Pension Credit.
I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 18 November 2024 to question UIN 14156.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Child Maintenance Service on the mental health of paying parents.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring that it delivers a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all the parents that use it. We recognise that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly at a time of separation. The CMS is well prepared to respond quickly and effectively if it becomes aware that the safety of any of its customers are at risk, and caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support vulnerable clients. The CMS also has a toolkit for its caseworkers, which includes clear steps to follow in order to support customers and signpost to support organisations, where appropriate. This Toolkit is regularly reviewed and strengthened on the basis of customer insight.