Written questions by Savage.

What cross-departmental work is being undertaken to help ensure disabled people are not disadvantaged where one Government department requires telephone contact as the primary or sole method of progressing a case.

It is the responsibility of each government department to ensure that their communications meet the needs of the general population as appropriate. The Public Sector Equality Duty is a general duty at Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. It requires public authorities, and private and voluntary organisations carrying out public functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people. This applies to their day-to-day work, including in delivering services. In order to meet the Duty, Government departments routinely carry out equality assessments of policy and operational changes. These help policy makers to fully consider how decisions may affect different groups in different ways, and design their policies accordingly.

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of the removal of Level 7 apprenticeship funding on the supply of qualified accountants.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question UIN 57098.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of restricting access to Level 7 apprenticeship funding for small professional services firms on productivity, SME growth, and regional economies.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question UIN 57098.

Whether his Department has assessed the potential impact of the removal of Level 7 apprenticeship funding on mature entrants and career changers aged over 25 seeking to retrain in professions such as accountancy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question UIN 57098.

Whether he has considered retaining Level 7 apprenticeship funding for SMEs through a targeted exemption, capped support, or alternative funding mechanism.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question UIN 57098.

What assessment his Department has made of the affordability of self-funded Level 7 professional qualifications for SMEs.

Since January 2026, the government no longer funds level 7 apprenticeships, equivalent to master’s degree level, except for young apprentices under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan. As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 2 June 2025, this decision was informed by a wide range of evidence including Skills England’s analysis of official apprenticeship statistics and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. We considered impacts of the change on employers of all sizes, include SMEs. Given the benefits to businesses, as well as their employees, the government encourages employers to invest in upskilling their staff aged 22 and over to this level, where relevant, to enable levy funding to be re-balanced towards young people. The government's decision on defunding Level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 22 and over, including the full summary of the evidence that informed that decision, is published here: Written Statements - Hansard - UK Parliament

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of removing funding for Level 7 apprenticeships on small and micro-businesses, particularly independent accountancy practices.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question UIN 57098.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the frozen personal allowance on entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction for people in receipt of the pre-April 2016 State Pension.

The assessment of entitlement to Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support takes into account a person’s net income plus the value of any DWP benefits they receive. Taxation is a matter for HMRC. It treats pension income, whether State or occupational, in the same way as other taxable income. However, the Chancellor has said that over this Parliament those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax. The government will set out more detail in due course.No new guidance has been issued to local authorities on this matter.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Income Tax liabilities on the amount of (a) Housing Benefit and (b) Council Tax Reduction received by pensioners who retired before April 2016.

The assessment of entitlement to Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support takes into account a person’s net income plus the value of any DWP benefits they receive. Taxation is a matter for HMRC. It treats pension income, whether State or occupational, in the same way as other taxable income. However, the Chancellor has said that over this Parliament those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax. The government will set out more detail in due course.No new guidance has been issued to local authorities on this matter.

Whether his Department is taking steps to ensure pensioners issued with simple assessment tax demands are advised to contact their local authority to reassess their entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction.

The assessment of entitlement to Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support takes into account a person’s net income plus the value of any DWP benefits they receive. Taxation is a matter for HMRC. It treats pension income, whether State or occupational, in the same way as other taxable income. However, the Chancellor has said that over this Parliament those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax. The government will set out more detail in due course.No new guidance has been issued to local authorities on this matter.

Whether income tax liabilities arising from simple assessment tax demands are taken into account when calculating Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction for pensioners whose sole income is the pre-2016 State Pension.

The assessment of entitlement to Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support takes into account a person’s net income plus the value of any DWP benefits they receive. Taxation is a matter for HMRC. It treats pension income, whether State or occupational, in the same way as other taxable income. However, the Chancellor has said that over this Parliament those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax. The government will set out more detail in due course.No new guidance has been issued to local authorities on this matter.

Whether pensioners issued with a simple assessment are advised to notify their local authority so that their Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction can be reassessed.

The assessment of entitlement to Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support takes into account a person’s net income plus the value of any DWP benefits they receive. Taxation is a matter for HMRC. It treats pension income, whether State or occupational, in the same way as other taxable income. However, the Chancellor has said that over this Parliament those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax. The government will set out more detail in due course.No new guidance has been issued to local authorities on this matter.

Whether Income Tax liabilities arising from simple assessment are taken into account when calculating (a) Housing Benefit and (b) Council Tax Reduction entitlement for pensioners.

The assessment of entitlement to Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support takes into account a person’s net income plus the value of any DWP benefits they receive. Taxation is a matter for HMRC. It treats pension income, whether State or occupational, in the same way as other taxable income. However, the Chancellor has said that over this Parliament those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax. The government will set out more detail in due course.No new guidance has been issued to local authorities on this matter.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities are aware of the interaction between new tax liabilities for pre-2016 pensioners and the calculation of means-tested benefits.

The assessment of entitlement to Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support takes into account a person’s net income plus the value of any DWP benefits they receive. Taxation is a matter for HMRC. It treats pension income, whether State or occupational, in the same way as other taxable income. However, the Chancellor has said that over this Parliament those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax. The government will set out more detail in due course.No new guidance has been issued to local authorities on this matter.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) under-occupancy charge and (b) Local Housing Allowance on residents in almshouse accommodation who are in (i) low-paid and (ii) part-time employment.

We acknowledge the vital part that almshouses play in providing much needed low-cost affordable housing. Residents pay a weekly maintenance contribution which is usually much lower than the market rate, which can be paid for through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. It is the responsibility of the local authority to determine whether housing costs meet the definition to be paid for through Housing Benefit. This will depend on the type of landlord and whether the resident is being provided with care, support or supervision. The level of housing support which the resident will receive is determined by whether the almshouse is privately owned or managed by a social landlord. The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) applies to residents living in the private rented sector who are in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. LHA determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. Households in similar circumstances living in the same area are entitled to the same maximum rent allowance, regardless of the contractual rent paid. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. Claimants in receipt of housing support living in the social rented sector have their eligible rent paid in full, unless the level of housing support is reduced because of their income or savings, contributions from non-dependants, or limited by the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS). For those who require further support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities for low-income renters who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. From April 2026 DHPs for England will be incorporated into the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). DWP systems do not include almshouses as a specific residency type and therefore we cannot identify them in our data.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the levels of housing costs on the ability of working-age residents in almshouse accommodation in rural areas to remain (a) in employment and (b) financially independent.

We acknowledge the vital part that almshouses play in providing much needed low-cost affordable housing. Residents pay a weekly maintenance contribution which is usually much lower than the market rate, which can be paid for through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. It is the responsibility of the local authority to determine whether housing costs meet the definition to be paid for through Housing Benefit. This will depend on the type of landlord and whether the resident is being provided with care, support or supervision. The level of housing support which the resident will receive is determined by whether the almshouse is privately owned or managed by a social landlord. The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) applies to residents living in the private rented sector who are in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. LHA determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. Households in similar circumstances living in the same area are entitled to the same maximum rent allowance, regardless of the contractual rent paid. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. Claimants in receipt of housing support living in the social rented sector have their eligible rent paid in full, unless the level of housing support is reduced because of their income or savings, contributions from non-dependants, or limited by the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS). For those who require further support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities for low-income renters who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. From April 2026 DHPs for England will be incorporated into the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). DWP systems do not include almshouses as a specific residency type and therefore we cannot identify them in our data.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the eligibility criteria for benefits and trends in the level of housing costs on (a) social isolation and (b) loneliness amongst (i) older and (ii) low-income residents living in (1) almshouses and (2) charitable housing.

We acknowledge the vital part that almshouses play in providing much needed low-cost affordable housing. Residents pay a weekly maintenance contribution which is usually much lower than the market rate, which can be paid for through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. It is the responsibility of the local authority to determine whether housing costs meet the definition to be paid for through Housing Benefit. This will depend on the type of landlord and whether the resident is being provided with care, support or supervision. The level of housing support which the resident will receive is determined by whether the almshouse is privately owned or managed by a social landlord. The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) applies to residents living in the private rented sector who are in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. LHA determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. Households in similar circumstances living in the same area are entitled to the same maximum rent allowance, regardless of the contractual rent paid. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. Claimants in receipt of housing support living in the social rented sector have their eligible rent paid in full, unless the level of housing support is reduced because of their income or savings, contributions from non-dependants, or limited by the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS). For those who require further support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities for low-income renters who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. From April 2026 DHPs for England will be incorporated into the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). DWP systems do not include almshouses as a specific residency type and therefore we cannot identify them in our data.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) the removal of the Direct Pay option and (b) other changes to the Child Maintenance service on the affordability of the system for both parents.

The proposed reforms to remove Direct Pay could result in around 20,000 fewer children in poverty. The reforms will help ensure children receive the financial support they are entitled to by addressing issues with hidden non-compliance within Direct Pay. We know from Direct Pay Research that only 60% of receiving parents reported getting all their money, and only 40% report always getting it on time. Under these reforms, the CMS will manage payments between parents, enabling them to respond quicker where payments breakdown. As part of these changes, we also plan to modify the fee structure making them more affordable for parents already in the current Collect and Pay service. Our published liability data shows that paying parents in the Collect and Pay service tend on average to be on lower incomes that those in Direct Pay. Fees will reduce from 4% to 2% for receiving parents, and from 20% to 2% for compliant paying parents. Non-compliant paying parents will continue to pay a fee of 20%. The Government is also conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose, balancing affordability concerns for both parents with the best outcomes for children and ensuring the calculation is reflective of the costs of raising children today.Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation resulting from this review will be subject to extensive public consultation, which we plan to publish late this year, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that Access to Work grants for deaf and hard of hearing people are renewed without interruption; what steps he is taking to ensure that staff administering Access to Work grants provide reasonable adjustments when communicating with deaf and hard of hearing people; and whether he plans to maintain the current level of funding allocation in real terms for Access to Work grants in (i) 2026/27 and (ii) 2027/28.

To ensure Access to Work grants are renewed without interruption for our deaf and hard of hearing customers several measures have already been put in place, including streamlining our delivery processes and recruiting additional staff. We have also taken steps to modernise the Access to Work customer journey, with all core parts of the Scheme fully digital from April 2024. There is a variety of contact methods which customers can utilise. These include telephone, textphone, Video Relay Service and email as a reasonable adjustment. Where a customer would like to use email to contact the department as a reasonable adjustment, they should let the Access to Work team know so the Case Manager can follow the appropriate procedure to ensure we can try to accommodate the request. Details can be found at Access to Work: factsheet for customers - GOV.UK Funding has been secured to continue the Access to Work scheme throughout the Spending Review period.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking into account both parents’ income in Child Maintenance Service calculations.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates through broad rules set out in child support legislation which aim to provide the best overall outcome for all parents who use the CMS. However, we have to allow for sensible decision-making across a large range of cases and, therefore, the CMS cannot provide a bespoke service that is unique to a parent’s individual circumstances. The calculation represents an amount of money that is broadly commensurate with the amount that a paying parent would spend on the child if they were still living with them, irrespective of the income or assets of the receiving parent. The income of the receiving parent is not included as they are already discharging their parental responsibility through being the child’s primary care giver. The Government is conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends. Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, which we plan to publish late this year, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.