Written questions by Arthur.

What discussions her Department has had with the Pensions Regulator on the effectiveness of the steps it is taking to ensure the independence of pensions trustee bodies.

The Department works closely with the Pensions Regulator (TPR) to ensure that pension scheme trustees always act in the interests of all beneficiaries. All pension scheme trustees have the same duties and responsibilities and must comply with the law and the rules of their scheme. All pension schemes are required by legislation and the Regulator’s General Code of Practice to have processes in place to identify and manage conflicts of interest. TPR’s corporate plan outlines the importance of good governance as a foundation of the pensions system and their priority to raise standards of trusteeship. The plan outlines their core delivery objectives in 2025 to 2026 to develop a new strategy for raising the standards of trusteeship and expand their market oversight to the largest professional trustee firms. DWP continues to regularly review TPR’s delivery against its corporate plan through its sponsorship arrangements. The Government recognises the vital role trustees play in running occupational pension schemes and will consult on matters to improve trusteeship and governance later this year.

What steps she is taking to (a) reduce pensioner poverty and (b) increase pension benefit uptake.

The Government is committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the financial security and dignity they deserve. The State Pension is the foundation of support for older people and together with the private and workplace pensions system provides for security in retirement. That’s why we have made a commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament which will see the forecast annual spend on people’s State Pensions rise by around £31 billion. In April this year, the basic and new State Pensions increased by 4.1%, benefitting 12 million pensioners by up to £470 this year. That’s up to £275 more than if pensions had been up rated by inflation. The standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit, which provides a vital safety net for around 1.4m pensioners on the lowest incomes, also increased by 4.1%. Pension Credit can passport pensioners to a range of extra support including help with rent, council tax reduction, fuel bills (via the Warm Home Discount scheme and Cold Weather Payments) and a free TV licence for those over 75. We have been running the biggest Pension Credit campaign since Autumn 2024. Our drive to maximise Pension Credit take-up has seen the Department receive around 285,600 claims from July 2024 to May 2025 with almost 60,000 extra awards on the comparable period the previous year. Further promotional activity is planned from this Autumn through to the end of the financial year with the campaign aimed at eligible pensioners, their friends and their family.

What steps she is taking to support unemployed women back in to work.

Tackling child poverty and reaching an 80% employment rate are key Government objectives. The Get Britain Working White Paper outlines plans to transform the jobs and careers service into a more inclusive, skills-focused system that helps people find and progress into meaningful work. Women are more likely to have the main childcare responsibility in the family and more likely to provide care for loved ones who have a disability or health condition, which can be barriers to moving into work. Supporting more women into work is essential to increasing household income, reducing child poverty and reaching an 80% employment rate. This is supported by the work of the Child Poverty Taskforce. Lead carers and part-time carers receive personalised support from work coaches who tailor expected work or job search hours based on individual circumstances including the age of their youngest child or other circumstances which limit the customer’s ability to work, for example a health condition. Employment support includes skills assessments, training referrals, careers advice, job search assistance, volunteering opportunities and financial help for the costs of moving into work through the Flexible Support Fund. The Government also provides a range of support for childcare costs for eligible working parents including the upfront costs. We also take seriously the impact of menopause as a barrier to work, so on World Menopause Day, the Government appointed Mariella Frostrup as the new Menopause Employment Ambassador. The Menopause Employment Ambassador is working closely with employers across the country to improve workplace support for women experiencing the menopause.

What steps she is taking to (a) simplify the benefits system and (b) increase its accessibility for claimants.

Our wide-ranging package of reforms to health and disability benefits, set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, will improve experiences of the system for those who need it. We are simplifying the system by abolishing the WCA and instead using the PIP assessment to determine what financial support people receive on Universal Credit. Going through the WCA is complex, time consuming and stressful for customers, especially if they also have to go through the PIP process. It is right that we move to one assessment and do not put millions of people through two, similar and lengthy functional assessments. We are taking further action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes exploring ways to improve trust and transparency in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Work Capability Assessments through reviewing our approach to safeguarding, recording assessments to increase trust in the process, and moving back to having more face-to-face assessments while continuing to meet the needs of people who may require different methods of assessment. We have also launched a review of the PIP assessment, which I am leading. Through the review, we want to make sure the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future in a changing world and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence. We have committed to co-produce the review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard.

What steps she is taking to ensure that under-25s are adequately supported by the benefits system.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill legislates for the first sustained above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced. This increase will be for new and existing customers and will benefit millions of households. DWP 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. As part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we are launching 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.

What assessment she has made of the (a) efficacy of Universal Credit sanctions and (b) potential impact of those sanctions on claimants.

The most relevant work was published by DWP on 6th April 2023 and can be found here: Impact of Benefit Sanctions on Employment Outcomes: draft report. It is right that there should be conditions and consequences to labour market support. We will continue to ensure that claimants who need support receive it and consider how to best tailor this support to their individual needs.

What discussions she has had with the (a) the Secretary of State for Defence and (b) Office for Veterans’ Affairs on the potential impact of welfare reform on former service personnel.

This Government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions and our mission-driven approach relies on regular cross-government collaboration. We are working across government to further consider the impacts of the Green Paper, including on veterans, and will continue to do so as the package is developed in detail. I will continue to engage closely with my Ministerial colleagues and other stakeholders throughout the consultation period and beyond. We are also providing detailed briefings on the proposals to Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA). Once we have completed the consultation we will be building up to a White Paper, and we will continue to engage with MoD and the OVA. We have welcomed veterans and representative organisations to respond to our Green Paper consultation to share their views on how wounded, injured and sick veterans can best be supported. To promote further engagement, we held a specific consultation event for Armed Forces and veterans’ organisations, at which I spoke, to hear their experiences and thoughts directly.

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, what steps she is planning to take to ensure that the £1 billion investment in employment support specifically caters to the needs of (a) injured veterans and (b) those transitioning from military service.

We are providing tailored support to help people get into and on at work, including the biggest investment in employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions in at least a generation - £1 billion a year by the end of the scorecard. Our Pathways to Work Guarantee will provide tailored work, health and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions claiming out of work benefits, including injured veterans.This additional investment begins in 26/27 to ensure all those affected by the Universal Credit health element reduction and the PIP changes are offered support from one of 1000 Pathways to Work advisers. This support will include access to a conversation about needs, goals and aspirations; an offer of one-to-one follow-on support; and help to access additional work, health and skills support through dedicated programmes. These programmes include Connect to Work, which will support around 100,000 people with health conditions, complex barriers to employment or disabilities in 2026/27, Trailblazers and WorkWell, which join up health and employment support at a local level.Additionally, veterans and military personnel will continue to have access to support services that recognise their particular needs and circumstances. These includes initiatives that help current and former Armed Forces personnel and their families. There are also Armed Forces Champions in every Jobcentre who provide specialist support to Jobcentre staff, building and maintaining relationships with local organisations and services to connect veterans and military personnel with them.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the reintroduction of face-to-face benefit assessments does not negatively impact veterans with (a) PTSD and (b) mobility impairments.

We already undertake a number of face-to-face benefit assessments. However, as announced in Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, we intend to do more while preserving alternative health assessment channels to meet the specific needs of people who require a different channel, for example as a reasonable adjustment. In all cases, the Healthcare Professional (HCP) aims to complete the assessment using the customer’s health questionnaire and any supporting medical evidence provided. Should this not be possible the customer is invited to a consultation. Before sending an invitation to a consultation, the HCP considers whether a specific assessment channel is needed due to the customer’s health or circumstances. Otherwise, customers are offered the next available appointment, which can be changed if they inform us that a reasonable adjustment is appropriate in their circumstances.We are committed to ensuring equal access to our services, in line with the Equality Act 2010. Customers are encouraged to inform us of any reasonable adjustments at any stage. If notified, the assessment provider will consider an alternative assessment method.On 25 June, I attended an online event with veterans, as one of the series of consultation events on the proposals in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of statutory maternity pay.

Government spends approximately £3 billion a year on parental payments. When considering calls to increase the level of parental benefits, the Government must balance a range of factors including the needs of parents, the impact on employers, and affordability for taxpayers. This is particularly true in today’s challenging economic climate. As such, any changes would need to be carefully considered, taking into account views from businesses and other stakeholders. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of benefits and State Pensions, including Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance. She announced her decision from the latest review of benefits in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 30 October. From April 2025, the rate increased by September 2024's CPI figure of 1.7%, from £184.03 to £187.18 per week. Depending on individual circumstances, additional financial support, for example, Universal Credit, Child Benefit and the Sure Start Maternity Grant (a lump sum payment of £500) may also be available.

Whether she has considered exempting Lifetime ISAs from Universal Credit capital rules.

There are no plans to change the way savings held in a Lifetime ISA are treated in the assessment of Universal Credit. It is appropriate that means tested benefits, including Universal Credit, take all forms of savings into account. This includes investments where the Government provides a contribution to encourage saving such as the Lifetime ISA. People will not be required to cash in these ISAs in order to claim Universal Credit, but they will be taken into account as part of their capital. If a person has capital over £16,000, they will be expected to rely on their savings until their capital reduces to £16,000 before they can claim Universal Credit.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's Green Paper entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, published on 18 March 2025, on people with Parkinson's Disease.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’. A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

How many households in Edinburgh South West constituency claimed the Winter Fuel Payment in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and how many of those were new claimants in each of those years.

The vast majority of Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically without the need to claim. Linking Winter Fuel eligibility to Pension Credit and other means tested benefits for pensioners ensures the least well-off pensioners still receive the help they need.In winter 2023-24, there were around 11,500 pensioner households in the Edinburgh South West constituency receiving the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024. We do not yet hold data on the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients through winter 2024-25. These figures will be released as part of the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for Winter 2024 to 2025. Powers to pay winter heating assistance in Scotland have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government have replaced Winter Fuel Payment with Pension Age Winter Heating Payment from 2024/25. It is up to the Scottish Government how it operates these payments. Information on new recipients of Winter Fuel Payments in 2023-24 is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

How many (a) male and (b) female pensioners in Edinburgh South West will receive the 2025 increase in the state pension.

All State Pension recipients in Edinburgh South West will receive an increase in their State Pension from April 2025. At the quarter ending May 2024, the latest published State Pension caseload data, there were (a) 7,040 Male and (b) 8,501 Female State Pension recipients in Edinburgh South West. Source: DWP Stat-Xplore.

What estimate she has made of the cost of increasing the State Pension for people in Edinburgh South West constituency in 2025.

No such estimate has been made for Edinburgh South West. In April 2025, the basic and new State Pension will increase by 4.1% as confirmed in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2025. In 25/26, it is estimated the total State Pension expenditure, covering Great Britain and including State Pension paid outside UK, will increase by around £9bn. This estimation is available in the latest Benefit Expenditure and Caseload tables published at Autumn Statement 2024. Geographical breakdowns are not available. Source: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2024 - GOV.UK