Every parliamentary written question tabled by Seamus Logan this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 21 · Department for Work and Pensions
How many caseworkers working on Child Maintenance are available across (a) the UK and (b) the devolved nations in the last five years.
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.The Department is committed to delivering an effective Child Maintenance Service and ensures resourcing is regularly reviewed and deployed efficiently to meet customer needs.
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of women leaving the workforce due to menopause-related health issues.
Awaiting answer.
How many Access to Work reconsideration requests submitted by (a) blind and (b) partially sighted customers have resulted in the original decision being overturned in each of the last three years.
We do not hold this data in a way that can be extracted. Determining this information would require a manual review of all individual reconsideration cases, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of State Pension age changes on 1950s born women in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency.
All women born since 6 April 1950 have been affected by changes to State Pension age. Estimates can be made with ONS 2022 Census Data of how many women born in the 1950s were resident in each constituency in that year.
Whether he plans to publish a fuller equalities impact assessment of the Child Poverty Strategy, including its impact on groups at highest risk of poverty.
A full summary Equalities Analysis was published alongside the Strategy and is available at: Child Poverty Strategy: Summary Equalities Analysis - GOV.UK.The impacts of policies contributing to the Child Poverty Strategy will be kept under review and monitored on an ongoing basis by departments using their own established approaches to considerations made under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). The ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation of the Child Poverty Strategy will also continue to assess the poverty risk and prevalence for groups with protected characteristics, as far as the data and evidence gathering allow. The Monitoring and Evaluation framework published alongside the Strategy set out that a baseline report will be published in Summer 2026, with annual reporting on progress thereafter, this can be found here: Child Poverty Strategy: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework - GOV.UK.
What steps he is taking to increase the take-up of Pension Credit amongst older households in Scotland; and what consideration he has given to the potential merits of an all entitlements take-up strategy.
The Government is committed to ensuring that all pensioners receive the support to which they are entitled. That is why we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit taken-up campaign across the whole of Greater Britain, promoting Pension Credit to eligible pensioners and their family and friends through adverts on television and radio; on social media and on digital screens in GP surgeries and Post Offices, as well as in the press. The latest burst of the campaign began in September, and further promotional activity is planned until the end of the financial year. We are also focusing on a range of other actions to increase the take-up of Pension Credit, including targeted communications and partnership working as well as engaging with all councils, both directly and through the Local Authority Welfare Direct bulletins. In Scotland, 19 councils have actively supported the Pension Credit campaign by promoting it on social media and distributing promotional materials, including posters and leaflets. We are also making better use of data to reach potentially eligible households. For example, since February, all new Housing Benefit claimants who may be eligible have been invited to apply for Pension Credit and we are testing whether it is possible to identify potentially eligible households using HMRC and DWP data.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of retaining the freeze on Local Housing Allowance on older private renters in Scotland who are living in poverty.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State confirmed in his Written Statement (HCWS1101) that Local Housing Allowance rates will not be increased for 2026/27. He considered a range of factors, such as rental levels and impacts across Great Britain, including in Scotland, the wider fiscal context and UK government social security priorities.For private renters who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. DHPs have been fully devolved to Scotland who are responsible for the allocation and payment to Scottish local authorities.
What estimate she mas made of the number of women born in the 1950s who have died since the publication entitled Government response to PHSO’s Investigation into Women’s State Pension age, published on 17 December 2024.
The Department has made no assessment.
Whether she plans to establish an alternative disputes resolution process for people affected by changes in state pension age for women.
We have no such plans.
If she will issue guidance on how disabled people can maintain their national insurance contributions needed to qualify for full state pension if (a) their household income is above the Universal Credit threshold due to a partner’s income and (b) they can only claim the replacement for new style Employment and Support Allowance for 6-12 months.
As part of the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper published in March 2025 we are consulting on establishing a new “Unemployment Insurance” benefit through the reform of contributory working-age benefits. Unemployment Insurance would be a new non-means tested entitlement for people who have contributed into the system and replace existing NS JSA and NS ESA. Policy on the new Unemployment Insurance is being developed, and we will be considering the detailed contributory related entitlement conditions with further detail to be published in a White Paper in Autumn..
Whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The Government will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027. The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed reforms to the personal independence payment on the employment (a) rights of and (b) obligations of employers to disabled employees.
PIP is a non-means tested benefit that can be paid to those in or out of work, it therefore does not directly link with employment rights.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed reforms to the personal independence payment on children living in families in receipt of that benefit.
The publication ‘Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts’ provides some information on the numbers affected by the proposed changes to the disability benefits system. In particular, table B2 on page 12 shows the estimated impact of the benefit change alone on the proportion of children living in poverty. More information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published shortly. A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed reforms to the personal independence payment on the NHS.
As part of the mission led government, regular cross government collaboration takes place at both Ministerial and official level. DWP will work across Government, including with the Department for Health and Social Care, to address any impacts caused by reforms made to the Social Security system.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed reductions in the welfare budget on local government services.
No assessment has been made.A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
When she will reply to correspondence sent from the Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East on pensioner poverty of (a) 25 November 2024 and (b) 14 January 2025.
I replied to the Hon.Member on 6 March. I apologise for the delay.
If her Department will review the name of the Attendance Allowance.
There are no plans to change the name of Attendance Allowance in England and Wales. Attendance Allowance is a devolved matter in Scotland. The Scottish Government is currently replacing it with Pension Age Disability Payment.
Whether her Department has targets for the time taken to process Attendance Allowance.
The Actual Average Clearance Time for Attendance Allowance claims for January 2025 was 23 working days. There is a quick application process for people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and aren't expected to live more than 12 months. These claims are fast tracked. Attendance Allowance is currently undergoing a significant modernisation reform through the piloting of an on-line digital claim process as a part of the department’s wider Service Modernisation plans. Please note, the Average Actual Clearance Time figures shown is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. It is rounded to the nearest working day.
What (a) the scope and (b) her planned timeline is for the upcoming review into Universal Credit; whether this review will make an assessment of whether Universal Credit enables claimants to afford essential goods and services; and what steps she is taking to reduce dependence on emergency food aid.
The Government is committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to, to make work pay and tackle poverty. We have already begun this work with the announcement of the Fair Repayment Rate in the Budget, giving 1.2 million of the poorest households an average of £420 per year. I will lead the review work, engaging with people over the coming year and inviting views on how to improve UC. We will regularly update Parliament on findings and progress. We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. This will be the foundation of our approach to tackling poverty, including reducing dependence on emergency food parcels. The Get Britain Working White Paper has set out how the Government will seek to grow the economy, using work as a route out of poverty and to improve living standards.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) introducing a protected minimum floor for Universal Credit and (b) limiting the benefit cap so it cannot reduce the Standard Allowance by more than 15%.
No such assessment has been made. As part of the Universal Credit (UC) review, at the Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced the Fair Repayment Rate will be introduced from April 2025, reducing the UC deductions overall cap from 25% to 15%. This measure will help approximately 1.2 million of the poorest households benefit by an average of £420 a year.