Every parliamentary written question tabled by Samantha Niblett this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–19 of 19 · Department for Work and Pensions
What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service in ensuring its processes remain gender‑neutral, particularly in relation to evidential requirements where people liable to pay maintenance are more frequently required to provide documentary evidence than the receiving parent.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of mileage restrictions applied to Motability scheme vehicles on disabled people and families living in semi‑rural and rural areas, particularly those reliant on their vehicle to travel longer distances to work, education settings and schools, healthcare appointments and other essential services; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that such restrictions do not create geographic inequality for disabled people.
Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the minimum income floor on farmers.
The government is currently undertaking a review of Universal Credit to ensure it is delivering on its core objectives of tackling poverty and making work pay. As part of that review, we have been engaging with our stakeholders, including those who represent the interests of farmers and have listened to their views and are reflecting on that feedback as part of the review.
What steps he is taking to recognise the principles of (a) legitimate expectation, (b) adequate notice and (c) procedural fairness in its response to women born in the 1950s affected by delayed notification of state pension age changes.
The Secretary of State announced in his oral statement of 11 November 2025 that we will retake the decision made in December 2024 as it relates to the communications on State Pension age. Retaking the decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress. The process to retake the decision is underway and it is important that we give this full and proper consideration. We will update Parliament on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached and on 2 December 2025 we committed to re-take the decision within three months.
What assessment his Department has made of the UK’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in relation to women born in the 1950s affected by changes to the state pension age.
The UK is fully compliant with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, including in relation to women born in the 1950s affected by changes to the State Pension age.
How their department can work with others across Government to ensure there are the right skills and workforce in place to support local authorities in developing careers in amenity horticulture and parks.
DWP is working alongside sector-owning departments to ensure people have access to training to acquire the skills needed by employers, including Local Authorities.Local agencies and local government are well placed to understand their local labour market, build connections with employers, and help knit together local services to address the barriers their citizens face to securing and succeeding in good work.To achieve this, we are already delivering Local Get Britain Working plans in all areas of England. Led by local government and co-developed with local NHS, Jobcentre Plus and wider stakeholders, these plans will identify local labour market challenges/priorities and support the integration of locally-delivered services.We know that a key part of unlocking local growth is ensuring that skills provision is matched to employer need at all skills levels. Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), overseen by Skills England, bring together employers, local leaders, colleges, universities and independent training providers to identify and address skills gaps from entry level to postgraduate qualifications. They are three-year Plans, with the second cycle now in development.Your constituency is covered by the East Midlands LSIP. The designated Employer Representative Body is the Federation of Small Businesses, who are working closely with Skills England and the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA). This will ensure employer views continue to shape the LSIP whilst drawing on the deep local economic insight of EMCCA and its ability to influence and implement key interventions across priority local sectors.Skills England have developed several occupational standards, apprenticeships and technical qualifications that support career development in horticulture, landscaping, parks management, and associated technical services. These span entry-level through to advanced management roles and include,level 2 Horticulture or landscape construction operativelevel 2 Arboristlevel 3 Horticulture or landscaping supervisorlevel 4 Arboriculturistlevel 5 Horticulture and landscaping technical manager.There are qualifications and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQ) available that are developed and approved by Skills England based on the above occupational standards. These include the T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production, which has a specific occupational specialism in Ornamental and Environmental Horticulture and Landscaping, and a Higher Technical Qualification in Horticulture and Applied Science.
Whether he plans to ensure parity in the pension contributions made by employers.
The Pensions Act 2008 sets out the legal minimum requirements for workplace pension contributions under automatic enrolment (AE). The total minimum level of contributions required is 8% of an eligible employee’s qualifying earnings, of which at least 3% must come from the employer.Although the Pensions Act 2008 sets these statutory minimums, some employers may choose to pay contributions at a higher rate.The Government have recently revived the Pensions Commission which will consider the broader questions of adequacy, fairness, and sustainability to guide the long-term future of our pensions system.
Whether the Child Maintenance Service plans to pause (a) enforcement and (b) judicial review while recalculations are made.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) enforcement powers are designed to get money flowing quickly, prevent the build-up of arrears and ensure children get the financial support they deserve. There are already some exceptional circumstances where enforcement action may be placed on hold pending the outcome of an appeal/review. In general, whilst a case is under review the CMS continue to encourage paying parents to pay their maintenance on time, to avoid accrual of arrears. Where parents fail to take responsibility for paying for their children, the CMS can use the range of enforcement powers available. The CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.A judicial review is generally raised by a parent against CMS. Where this happens any action on the case would be reviewed and decisions made on a case-by-case basis regarding whether they should continue.
If he will issue guidance to the Child Maintenance Service on recognising up to six months of prior payments made by a paying parent to a receiving parent when calculating new payment plans.
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. We have to allow for sensible decision-making across a large range of cases. When a change happens that means the amount of money to be paid rises or falls, until a new maintenance calculation is completed and a replacement payment schedule issued, the Paying Parent is required to continue to make payments in accordance with the existing payment schedule. Once the calculation is finalised, any overpayments or underpayments will be adjusted for in the updated payment schedule.
What steps the Child Maintenance Service is taking to support paying parents with intermittent long-term disabilities.
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring it delivers a safe service which is sensitive to the needs of all customers that use it. In line with the Equality Act 2010, DWP staff from all areas of the department have a legal duty to make sure every customer can access our services. This means ensuring they have access to the appropriate channel of communication to suit their needs. The CMS completes Equality Impact Assessments on all changes which covers all protected characteristics.Through the Service Modernisation Programme, we are ensuring customers have a greater choice of how they communicate with us and access our service. The CMS has made significant improvements to customer communications, through more use of SMS text and email, and a full review of its letters making them easier for customer to understand. The online digital service 'Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance ' through GOV.UK is open to any parent who needs unbiased advice and support to make an arrangement. My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC) offers customers the ability to update their information and request changes, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Although online communication is the preferred option CMS fully recognise digital is not suitable for all customers. For those customers who have to contact us by telephone steps have been taken to update the service through efficient call routing. We have freed up resources to deliver a more responsive service which allows caseworkers more time to better assist customers who need to reach out to us via telephone. The CMS telephony opening hours are regularly reviewed based on the demand requirements, CMS have extended their telephony service to 6pm on weekdays to meet this demand. The Customer Experience Strategy equips caseworkers with the tools, skills and support to respond quickly and effectively if we become aware the mental health and wellbeing of any customer is at risk. Caseworkers have received extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps, support tools and procedures to support vulnerable customers. This includes the National District Provision Toolkit and Affordability Hub which provides invaluable information to allow caseworkers to signpost to national and local support organisations for debt help and mental health assistance across the UK.The maintenance calculation is designed to be affordable for paying parents and is based on their personal income. It uses income information from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to quickly set up new cases and allows us to capture a wide range of income types, including income from property, savings and investments (including dividends) and other miscellaneous income. A flat rate of £7.00 per week protects those paying parents on the lowest incomes, for example, those claiming disability benefits. We also take into account if there is a 25% different than the income figure held, the assessment can be updated to reflect the paying parents most up to date income information.
For what reason Access to Work funding is not provided for overtime.
Access to Work aims to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people in employment. The grant supports 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. To ensure that grants provide adequate support for customers in the majority of circumstances, grant awards for employed customers are based on the number of hours they are contracted to work. We always encourage people to speak to their employer about any workplace adjustments in the first instance, including in instances where a customer requires additional support beyond their contracted hours. As part of our Plan for Change, and as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published in March, we are consulting on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the programme to help more disabled people into work and support employers, ensuring value for money for taxpayers. We will review all aspects of the Scheme following the conclusion of the consultation, and carefully assess the impact of any proposed changes. We encourage people to have their views and voices heard on how they think the programme and the welfare system could be improved.
What guidance is available for young people where a temporary break in post 16 education due to mental health leads to the removal of the child and disability element of Universal Credit.
There is no guidance available for the young person, however, their parent or guardian who loses the child element and any disabled child addition payable can speak to colleagues in their local Jobcentre or use their UC Journal to ask about how a temporary break in education may affect their Universal Credit. Jobcentre colleagues may be able to signpost customers to local provision for additional support with mental health or financial advice. Guidance for customers is available at GOV.UK
In what circumstances benefits are paid to foreign nationals.
It is the expectation of the Government that, in general, migrants coming to the UK should be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to ‘public funds’ (such as Universal Credit). Access to benefits flows from an individual’s immigration status, which the Home Office grants. If an individual holds a valid immigration status that also allows them to access public funds benefits (i.e., they do not have a “No Recourse to Public Funds” condition), then they are subject to the same eligibility criteria as any other customer. This usually includes meeting the requirements of the Habitual Residence Test (for income-related benefits), the Past Presence Test (for disability benefits), and / or necessary National Insurance contributions (for contributions-based benefits). People who are in the UK illegally (i.e. those without immigration status) cannot access DWP public funds benefits. Asylum seekers also cannot access DWP public funds benefits whilst their application is being processed and decided by the Home Office. People the UK has welcomed as refugees or under special Afghan and Ukraine visa schemes can access benefits as soon as they have been granted their immigration status (provided they meet the other relevant eligibility criteria). This ensures that can access the support they need quickly, given the unusual and difficult circumstances of their arrival.
Whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to provide (a) funding and (b) advisory support to employers to help increase the (i) recruitment and (ii) retention of neurodivergent people.
Neurodivergent people bring many positive benefits to businesses but face particular barriers to employment, which is reflected in a poor overall employment rate. We understand the importance of encouraging employers to adopt neuro-inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work. On 29th January, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work.In keeping with the Government’s pledge to bring disabled voices closer to decision-making, at least half of the panel are neurodiverse themselves. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. They will make recommendations in the Summer which consider likely mechanisms for change. In parallel, we are working with other areas of government to promote awareness of neurodiversity amongst employers, and we recently announced Keep Britain Working, a major independent review of the employer’s role in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, led by the former Chair of John Lewis, Sir Charlie Mayfield.
What steps her Department is taking to (a) support disabled people seeking to enter or return to work and (b) ensure those unable to work continue to receive financial support.
Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Disabled people and people with health conditions, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also work to reduce poverty for disabled people and people with health conditions and support disabled people to live independently. It is also vital to ensure that the system is financially sustainable in the long term. We are working to develop proposals for reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper in spring. In the UK, there are over 1.9 million people who would like to work but are not participating in the labour market. Connect to Work is a new, voluntary Supported Employment programme, co-designed with Local Authorities and led by local areas, to help those disabled individuals, those with health conditions or complex barriers to employment, who want to work, to find sustainable jobs. Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. We have launched “Keep Britain Working”, a review into the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, led by the former Chair of John Lewis, Sir Charlie Mayfield. The Terms of Reference were published on 24 January. The intention is for this review to partner with business and employers on how best to meet workforce needs and increase productivity by supporting more inclusive workplaces and the wider labour market. We are fully committed to ensuring adequate support in the social security system for those who – through ill health or disability – are unable to work. Statutory sick pay is the statutory minimum that employers are required to pay employees when off work sick. Those who need additional further financial support while off sick are able to claim more help through the welfare system, for example Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on their individual circumstances.
What steps she is taking to promote the recruitment and retention of people who have a learning disability in the (a) private and (b) public sectors.
Our specialist initiatives to support people with learning disabilities and other disabled people into work include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres. £12.3 million has also been invested into 23 lead Local Authority areas to provide support to autistic people and people with learning disabilities, under the Local Supported Employment Programme. Under the Government’s new Get Britain Working Strategy, the forthcoming voluntary, locally led Supported Employment programme ‘Connect to Work’ will support disabled people, those with health conditions and other complex barriers including people with learning disabilities, to get into and on in work. Employers play a key role in our efforts to supporting disabled people into work, including those with learning disabilities. Our support to employers includes a digital information service for employers to help them support disability at work, and the Disability Confident scheme. At present, there are over 900 public sector organisations signed-up to the scheme in total.
What steps she is taking to increase the number of people signing up for pension credit in South Derbyshire constituency.
Our nationwide communications campaign to promote Pension Credit has been running 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. The campaign is featured on Greatest Hits Radio East Midlands, Hits Radio East Midlands, and Smooth Radio East Midlands as well as in the Derby Evening Telegraph and across a dozen Post Office and Pharmacy screens in the Derbyshire area. In order to get the message out through as many channels as possible, we have also 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 – including over 600 in the Derbyshire area – who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and whom we have identified as being potentially entitled to, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We have invited these pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of pensioners signed up to receive pension credit in South Derbyshire constituency.
Our nationwide communications campaign to promote Pension Credit has been running 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 also 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 – including over 600 in the Derbyshire area – who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and whom we have identified as being potentially entitled to, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We have invited these pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.
What plans she has to widen access to (a) educational and (b) career opportunities for people with disabilities in Derbyshire.
Too many people across our country do not get the chance to succeed. We want to ensure people of all ages and backgrounds can undertake activities which provide them with the skills and learning which will support them into work and offer excellent career development and progression opportunities. Our Disability Employment Adviser’s (DEA) across Derbyshire provide a range of specialist support for individuals to help them move closer to, secure and stay in work, ensuring customers are confident with their Health Adjustment Passports, are accessing Access to Work support, as well as ensuring those working with Work and Health Programme are fully engaged and gaining the most from the programme. The Jobcentre network works closely with a range of external providers offering a wealth of individual outreach support which includes monthly meetings at P3 individual living (local housing charity), Collective Community Hub and Sharps pottery. The DEA’s are also able to attend to provide more personalised support by offering group or one to one sessions in a safe space for our customers. Our teams also collaborate with the local NHS teams to refer to and deliver NHS Talking Therapies and link with Individual Placement and Support Organisations in Primary and Secondary Care as well as the Social Prescribers Network. The DEAs have a close working relationship with our Employer Advisers which continues to build a strong Disability Confident employer network to offer advice, resource and guidance onto employers to enhance their support for disabled customers in their workplace. Jobcentres across Derbyshire hold monthly group sessions on site. These are site specific sessions depending on the needs of the customer base at the time. Sessions include Mental Health awareness, access to work support and volunteering opportunities. All education and training providers, and other related service providers, have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. This includes people with a learning difficulty. This duty is set out under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010. We also want providers to play a stronger role in expanding access and improving outcomes for disadvantaged students, making sure they are delivering strong and ambitious Access and Participation Plans. It is critical that all students should be supported with good advice, quality options and fair and transparent processes which ensure there are no barriers to them accessing high-quality courses suited to their ability, interests and aspirations. Through grant arrangements with Disability Rights UK, the Department for Education (DfE) provides advice and guidance activities which increase awareness, access to and participation in DfE programmes and services for disabled young people. These activities help DfE identify and overcome barriers faced by disabled people in accessing and progressing through their post-16 pathway on their route towards employment