Written questions by Lowe.

What proportion of people in receipt of childcare support are claiming Universal Credit.

The proportion of people in receipt of childcare support claiming Universal Credit is not available as not all childcare support is the responsibility of this department. The latest statistics for Universal Credit households in receipt of Universal Credit childcare element are published and available here: Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 9 January 2025 - GOV.UK Universal Credit childcare element statistics, March 2021 to November 2024Universal Credit childcare element statistics, supplementary data tables

Whether she plans to simplify workplace health and safety requirements for small businesses while maintaining essential protections for workers.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) began a three-year project in 2024 to review its web guidance portfolio and improve accessibility, quality of content, ease of search and navigation, and declutter outdated materials. Improvements achieved after year-one are helping business find and access improved guidance materially more easily, saving them time and helping them better manage health and safety risk for themselves. HSE plans to continue this programme of work to modernise its websites and related guidance during 2025/2026 including commitments to design new content and user journeys so businesses can quickly and easily procure HSE services (training, consultancy) and products (digital tools and books).

What data her Department holds on suspected illegal migrants attempting to access welfare services.

The department does not hold data on illegal migrants attempting to access welfare services. People who are in the UK illegally (that is to say people without a valid UK immigration status) are not permitted access to DWP public funds benefits.

What information her Department holds on the proportion of Universal Credit recipients that are not proficient in English; and what support in learning English is provided.

The Department does not hold information about the proportion of Universal Credit recipients that are not proficient in English.Skills are essential to helping claimants get into and progress in work. Work Coaches offer all claimants a wide range of support, including referral to essential skills provision like English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). They engage in skills discussions with claimants to provide tailored, flexible advice and support.DfE funds ESOL provision for adults 19+ through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF). Individuals aged 19 and over can be fully funded or co-funded to study ESOL depending on their employment status and salary, and provided they meet the residency criteria set out in the ASF Funding and Performance Management Rules.

If they will make it their policy to not provide (a) translation and (b) interpretation for speakers of non-UK languages for services provided by their Department.

DWP has a statutory duty to provide language services to its customers in line with the Equality Act. The aim of the service is to provide spoken and written translation services for staff and customers who are deaf, hard of hearing or do not speak English as a first language in order to access DWP services. Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery. DWP has no plans to move away from this statutory duty.

What steps her Department is taking to increase (a) employment and (b) apprenticeships for young people in Great Yarmouth constituency

The Department understands the negative effects of unemployment can be particularly pronounced for young people and can have longstanding implications on their future earnings potential and life chances. That is why as part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will build upon and enhance existing entitlements and provisions with the aim of tackling the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training. DWP currently provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners. For example, In Great Yarmouth, Jobcentre Work Coaches refer 16- to 24-year-olds to the Mason Trust's 'Step Forward' programme for employability support, including CV drafting, confidence building, and interview preparation. They also refer 16- to 19-year-olds in Nelson Ward to the Matthew Project's 'On Track' programme, offering 1:1 coaching and community engagement for those NEET or at risk. Jobcentres host regular Job Fairs and Provider Events, showcasing employment and training opportunities, including local apprenticeships, with around 30 employers participating. Apprenticeships are a core part of the government’s skills agenda and a route to employment, open to everyone aged 16+, from career starters to those looking to upskill or retrain them. Work coaches nationwide, including Great Yarmouth, promote apprenticeships as a career path, and DWP employer-facing teams encourage businesses to develop suitable apprenticeship opportunities for customers. The Government is reforming the apprenticeships to be more flexible and aligned to the industrial strategy. The Department for Education is working to introduce new foundation and shorter apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors. These will help more people gain high-quality skills, fuel innovation in businesses across the country, and provide high-quality entry pathways for young people.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of non-UK nationals who are in receipt of (a) Universal Credit and (b) other welfare payments on 22 April 2025, broken down by nationality.

Non-UK / Irish citizens can only access benefits like Universal Credit if they have an immigration status that provides recourse to public funds. Those without immigration status or with a no recourse to public funds condition on their status are not entitled. An individual’s specific nationality is not relevant to their claim.The Department is exploring the feasibility of developing suitable statistics related to the immigration status of non-UK / Irish Universal Credit customers.

Whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers should note and follow the ruling.It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.The Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC), as Britain’s Equalities watchdog, is developing updated guidance to support service providers. Ministers will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it following further work in light of this ruling.The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.

Whether benefit fraud statistics are disaggregated by (a) nationality and (b) immigration status.

The Monetary Value of Fraud and Error Statistics are not disaggregated by nationality and immigration status.

What (a) religious and (b) cultural holidays are observed by their Department.

The UK Civil Service formally observes only the government-set bank holidays.

What the cost to the public purse was of Universal Credit payments made to foreign nationals in 2024.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The Department is exploring the feasibility of developing suitable official statistics related to the immigration status of non-UK / Irish Universal Credit customers.

How many people used Access to Work support in 2024; for what reasons; and what the cost to the public purse was of this.

The most recent complete financial year of data available in the published Access to Work official statistics is 2023/24: Access to Work statistics: April 2007 to March 2024 - GOV.UK. In 2023/24, around 61,630 people received a payment for any Access to Work provision and total expenditure across all provision was £257.8 million. We have interpreted reasons for using Access to Work as being the primary medical condition reported by the individual. In 2023/24, the largest Access to Work customer group in terms of number of payments, by primary medical condition was those with a ‘Mental health condition’, who account for 27% (16,560) of the total number of customers. Those with the primary medical condition ‘Learning disability’ are the second most common group and make up 11% of customers (6,720 people). Those who are ‘Deaf or hard of hearing’ are in receipt of the highest proportion (30%) of total Access to Work expenditure. The Department intends to publish data for the financial year 2024/25 in the next official statistics publication which has a provisional publication date of September or October 2025.

How many people claiming Universal Credit received fit notes in 2024.

The number of people on Universal Credit in Great Britain who submitted an accepted fit note to the Department from January 2024 to September 2024 is 805,890. Notes:Numbers are rounded to 10.Statistics have been provided to September 2024 in line with latest published statistics on fit notes.Although most will have submitted Statements of Fitness for Work (fit notes), other forms of medical evidence that the Department accepts (e.g. hospital discharge letters) will be included in the totals.Data was taken from Universal Credit analytical systems but results have not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standard.The Department regularly publishes Universal Credit Health Journey caseload statistics on Stat-Xplore including the monthly number of people on UC Health with a current fit-note.

If she will publish a list of mental health conditions that qualify for the access to work scheme.

There is no list of mental health conditions that qualify for the Access to Work Scheme. Access to Work is available for all disabled people and those with a health condition who require workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the Access to Work scheme.

The Department has not assessed the potential merits of conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the Access to Work scheme and currently does not have plans to do so.

What proportion of interviews for the access to work scheme took place (a) remotely and (b) in person in 2024.

Customers applying for support from Access to Work can submit an online or written application. Interviews are only conducted for those customers requiring an assessment of their needs through one of our Holistic Assessment Providers. Customers are offered the choice of a virtual or face-to-face interview. In 2024, around 16,180 workplace assessments were held remotely and around 2,380 were held in person. Please note:The data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2025 to Question 30518 on Department for Work and Pensions: Translation Services, what the spend in social security benefits was on people receiving those interpretation services by language of interpretation.

This information is not collected by DWP, and thus is not available.

What the total cost of Universal Credit benefits accessed by refugees was in 2024.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The Department is exploring the feasibility of developing suitable official statistics related to the immigration status of non-UK / Irish Universal Credit customers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 28401 on Translation Services, what the spend was on interpretation for people contacting his Department excluding (a) British Sign Language and (b) all native languages in 2024.

The spend on interpretation for people contacting her department excluding (a) British Sign Language and (b) all native languages in 2024 was £6,345,260.60 For clarity and transparency of spend:Spoken Face to Face interpretation in 2024 = £393,690.08 For additional informationTotal British Sign Language Interpreting costs Face to Face = £1,505,061.80Total Additional costs for native UK language interpretation (e.g., Welsh or UK dialect) = £14.40

If she will publish the total cost to the public purse for the provision of diversity, equality and inclusion courses for staff in her Department in 2024.

In the Department for Work and Pensions diversity with regard to employees is defined as valuing difference, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring fairness and opportunity for all. This includes promoting diversity, inclusion, and equality of opportunity, respecting differences and external experiences, and welcoming the views and challenges of others. DWP is committed to being an inclusive employer and is committed to creating an environment where everyone belongs and can be at their best, and our workforce is representative of the customers and communities that we serve. To support with these ambitions, we have invested a total of £69,198 in supporting our employees with specific equality and diversity related training needs and external memberships within the 2023-2024 financial year.