Written questions by Darling.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of replacing the Work and Health programme that last took applicants in September 2024.

The decision to end the Work and Health Programme was made by the previous Administration. The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap. We have a clear ambition to raise the overall employment rate to 80%. We are delivering the biggest employment support package for disabled people and people with health conditions in more than a generation as part of our Pathways to Work Guarantee, which will provide work, health and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions claiming out of work benefits. The Pathways to Work Guarantee is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by 2030 and a total of £2.2 billion over four years. Separate to this, our new, voluntary, locally led, Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work, is rolling out across England and Wales. Over the five-year duration of the programme, it will provide specialist employment support to over 300,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment. This is on top of our Jobcentre core offer, which includes the extended Restart Scheme, Disability Employment Advisers and 1000 Pathways to Work Advisers providing additional work coach support for disabled benefit recipients and those with work-limiting health conditions.

What estimate she has made of the number of people who are (a) incapable of ever working and (b) will no longer have Universal Credit reassessments.

The Department for Work and Pensions has not made a formal estimate of the number of people who are incapable of ever working. However, we recognise that a proportion of claimants receiving health-related benefits have severe or lifelong conditions that significantly limit their ability to engage in work. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill sets out that those who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria (SCC) will not be called for future reassessments for Universal Credit (UC). We estimate that over 200,000 people will be covered by this exemption in 2029/30. This comprises:106,000 people in the ESA Support Group, who have met the SCC as of January 2025, but some will move to UC over the coming years.56,000 people who are existing recipients of the UC Health element, 6,000 of whom are also in receipt of ESA, as of January 2025. This number will fluctuate prior to implementation of the policy in April 2026.71,500 people who we expect to flow on to the UC Health element and meet the SCC after April 2026. Further details can be found in The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill: Impact Assessment (May 2025).As outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, the Department intends to make changes to both the UC health element and the reassessment process. While final decisions are yet to be made, the Government has committed to ensuring that people with severe or terminal health conditions, such as those meeting the SCC or the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL), will not be subject to routine reassessments. The Department is currently consulting on these proposals, and further detail will be provided following the conclusion of the consultation period on 30 June 2025.

What criteria her Department plans to use to determine when to end Universal Credit reassessments for people who are incapable of ever working.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill legislates that those who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria (SCC) will not be called for reassessment for Universal Credit (UC). The Severe Conditions Criteria are set out in the Bill, which was introduced to the House on 18 June 2025 and can be found here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0267/240267.pdf

If she will provide an estimate of the number of people eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment in 2025-26 who did not receive it in 2024-25, broken down by constituency.

The next release of Official Winter Fuel Payment statistics will cover this period and will be published on 16 September 2025. The majority of pensioners in England and Wales – around 9 million individuals – will now benefit from Winter Fuel Payments, making it better targeted than the previous near-universal payment. This is in line with our wider welfare reforms – ensuring support is targeted and that it is a responsible use of taxpayers’ money. Winter Fuel Payments are £200 for a household with someone of State Pension age and £300 for a household with someone aged 80 or over. They will be paid automatically to anyone who has not opted out. Individuals with a taxable income above £35,000 a year Winter Fuel Payments will be recouped via HMRC.

What steps she is taking to help prevent homelessness among people that receive Personal Independence Payment.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is there to help people, now and into the future, with the extra costs of living with a disability.PIP is not intended to cover housing costs, which are paid through Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, but my department is committed to identifying and preventing homelessness amongst all customers.Tailored support is available to those at risk of and experiencing homelessness. This includes easements for those with work-related requirements, to give the space to resolve housing issues; referrals to local authority housing teams under ‘duty to refer’ legislation; and signposting to money advice services.We are continuing funding this year for local authorities to provide additional financial support for people struggling with housing and other essential living costs through the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments. Through the Spending Review, we announced £1bn a year including Barnett consequentials from 2026 to reform crisis support in England.The Pathways to Work Green Paper announced a broad package of plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. Our reforms will ensure the most vulnerable and severely disabled people are protected, so they can live with dignity and security, while supporting those who can work to do so. As we develop detailed proposals for change, we will continue to consider the potential impacts of reforms.Ending all forms of homelessness is a priority for this Government. £1 billion has been invested in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year. DWP is fully committed to playing its part in homelessness prevention and supporting MHCLG to develop a new cross-government strategy to get us back on track to ending homelessness.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposed changes to eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment on the number of job vacancies in each constituency.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper sets out our plans for reform to stop people from falling into inactivity, restore trust and fairness in the system and protect disabled people.We do not hold the data to assess the impact of the proposed changes to PIP eligibility on the number of job vacancies on a national level or by parliamentary constituency. The Office of Budget Responsibility has committed to produce an assessment of the labour market impacts of the proposals in the Pathways to Work Green Paper at the time of the autumn budget.Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

What steps her Department plans to take to help support people with (a) mental health problems and (b) psychiatric disorders following the implementation of her proposed reforms to eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment.

PIP provides a cash contribution to support people with the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability. Claimants have freedom and choice to spend their PIP as they see fit and the Secretary of State has been clear this should be maintained.We are aware there is increased anxiety relating to the Green Paper changes resulting in people seeking health related support. We want anyone who is currently in receipt of PIP and who, under the new eligibility criteria, loses their entitlement to have their health and eligible care needs met. DWP and DHSC are working together and will continue to do so as the package of reforms is developed in detail.We also want to reassure people that the changes to PIP will not come into effect immediately. The changes will apply from November 2026 at a person’s next award review. If an existing claimant loses eligibility to PIP, they will continue to receive their full entitlement for 13 weeks after their award review. This will provide time for individuals to respond to their new situation, including accessing employment support if appropriate. This transitional cover is more than three times the length of protection provided for the transition from DLA to PIP.The department has processes in place to support and safeguard people who use our services, and we will continue to provide this support as changes are taken forward.If someone within a job centre is identified as being at risk of suicide, our 6-point plan will be invoked. We also have robust safeguarding processes in place during assessments where our trained health care professionals can make contact with the claimant’s GP or mental health team if they are concerned there has been or is a risk of deterioration to the mental or physical health of an individual.We want to go further so that there is a clear and transparent process in place to ensure vulnerable individuals are adequately supported. In the Green Paper Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working published on 18 March we have committed to undertaking a thorough review of our current approach to safeguarding, with the aim of developing and implementing a new departmental-wide approach.We have also already issued guidance strongly encouraging Local Authorities in England to support disabled people using the Household Support Fund. We will explore how Local Authorities can support disabled people through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund which starts from April 2026.

What information her Department holds on the number of job vacancies there are in each constituency.

There are no published statistics on the number of job vacancies by constituency. However, the number of online job adverts by local authorities can be found here: Labour demand volumes by Standard Occupation Classification (SOC 2020), UK - Office for National Statistics

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) carers and (b) family members of people with (i) mental health problems and (ii) psychiatric disorders are supported, in the context of proposed changes to disability health benefits.

We will consider potential impacts of our reforms on people with all health conditions, including mental health conditions, as part of our wider consideration of responses to the consultation and as we develop our detailed proposals for change. This includes any impacts on unpaid carers, who provide invaluable support to people with health conditions, are frail or disabled, and who this government is committed to supporting.As we introduce changes to PIP eligibility, we are mindful of the potential impact on unpaid carers. The recently published Bill commits to providing a 13-week run-on for existing claimants who – at their next award review – are no longer eligible for PIP as a result of this change. This will include passporting to other entitlements such as Carers Allowance, allowing the carer a longer period of adjustment. We are also taking action to improve Carer’s Allowance separate to the Green Paper. We have pegged the weekly Carer’s Allowance earnings limit to 16 hours’ work at National Living Wage (NLW) levels, and in future it will increase when the NLW increases. The Carer’s Allowance earnings limit increased to be £196 a week net earnings on 7 April 2025, compared to £151 in 24/25. This is the largest ever increase in the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976 and the highest percentage increase since 2001. Over 60,000 additional people will be able to receive Carer’s Allowance between 2025/26 and 2029/30 as a result. We will also continue to work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care to further assess the impacts of reforms and to see how best health and care needs can continue to be met

Whether her Department plans to provide support for people with mental health problems who need to (a) stop and (b) reduce spending on (i) therapy, (ii) counselling, (iii) personal care and (iv) other support following the implementation of her proposed changes to eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment.

PIP provides a cash contribution to support people with the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability. Claimants have freedom and choice to spend their PIP as they see fit and the Secretary of State has been clear this should be maintained.We are aware there is increased anxiety relating to the Green Paper changes resulting in people seeking health related support. We want anyone who is currently in receipt of PIP and who, under the new eligibility criteria, loses their entitlement to have their health and eligible care needs met. DWP and DHSC are working together and will continue to do so as the package of reforms is developed in detail.We also want to reassure people that the changes to PIP will not come into effect immediately. The changes will apply from November 2026 at a person’s next award review. If an existing claimant loses eligibility to PIP, they will continue to receive their full entitlement for 13 weeks after their award review. This will provide time for individuals to respond to their new situation, including accessing employment support if appropriate. This transitional cover is more than three times the length of protection provided for the transition from DLA to PIP.The department has processes in place to support and safeguard people who use our services, and we will continue to provide this support as changes are taken forward.If someone within a job centre is identified as being at risk of suicide, our 6-point plan will be invoked. We also have robust safeguarding processes in place during assessments where our trained health care professionals can make contact with the claimant’s GP or mental health team if they are concerned there has been or is a risk of deterioration to the mental or physical health of an individual.We want to go further so that there is a clear and transparent process in place to ensure vulnerable individuals are adequately supported. In the Green Paper Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working published on 18 March we have committed to undertaking a thorough review of our current approach to safeguarding, with the aim of developing and implementing a new departmental-wide approach.We have also already issued guidance strongly encouraging Local Authorities in England to support disabled people using the Household Support Fund. We will explore how Local Authorities can support disabled people through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund which starts from April 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2025 to Question 47378 on Personal Independence Payment, how many working-age people are in receipt of the PIP daily living component at (a) regional, (b) constituency and (c) local authority level by whether those people receive the (i) standard or (ii) enhanced rate; and what proportion of each of those (A) standard and (B) enhanced rate claims were awarded fewer than four points in all daily living activities.

Table 1 in the attached excel file contains data, at the regional level, of claimants in receipt of the Enhanced or Standard Daily Living award for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities by award rate. Table 2 contains data, at the Parliamentary Constituency level, of claimants in receipt of the Enhanced or Standard Daily Living award for PIP and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities by award rate. Table 3 contains data, at the Local Authority level, of claimants in receipt of the Enhanced or Standard Daily Living award for PIP and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities by award rate. The number of people currently on PIP and did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious. We will always protect the most vulnerable people. The OBR has determined that 9 in 10 people currently on PIP will still be receiving it by the end of this Parliament. No one will lose access to PIP immediately. The changes, subject to parliamentary approval, would be brought in from November 2026. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years. Someone who didn’t score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment – not least as many conditions tend to get worse, not better, over time. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result. We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment, to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I will lead. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress. Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.

If she will make an estimate of the number of disabled people in specialist education colleges who could be affected by the proposal to change the eligibility criteria for the (a) Limited Capability for Work and (b) Work-Related Activity group to people aged 22 and over.

The Department has not yet made such an assessment and does not hold the requested information. We will consider the impacts of our changes for groups which may be affected as part of our wider consideration of responses to the consultation as we develop detailed proposals for change. Following the consultation, we will bring forward a White Paper in autumn 2025 to set out our full proposals.We are clear in the Green Paper that the social security system will always be there for those who cannot work. As part of making changes to the payment rates in Universal Credit, we will aim to guarantee that those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work have their incomes protected.

With reference to the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the limited capability for work and work related activity element of Universal Credit on disabled people in residential care aged under 22.

The Department has not yet made such an assessment and does not hold the requested information. We will consider the impacts of our changes for groups which may be affected as part of our wider consideration of responses to the consultation as we develop detailed proposals for change. Following the consultation, we will bring forward a White Paper in autumn 2025 to set out our full proposals.We are clear in the Green Paper that the social security system will always be there for those who cannot work. As part of making changes to the payment rates in Universal Credit, we will aim to guarantee that those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work have their incomes protected.

How many working-age people are in receipt of the PIP daily living component at (a) regional, (b) constituency and (c) local authority level by primary health condition; and what proportion of those claims were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities.

Table 1 in the attached excel file contains data, at the regional level, of claimants in receipt of the Daily Living award for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) by primary health condition and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities. Table 2 contains data, at the Parliamentary Constituency level, of claimants in receipt of the Daily Living award for PIP by primary health condition and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities. Table 3 contains data, at the Local Authority level, of claimants in receipt of the Daily Living award for PIP by primary health condition and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities.

How many working-age people are in receipt of the PIP daily living component at (a) regional, (b) constituency and (c) local authority level; whether those people receive the (i) standard and (ii) enhanced rate; and what proportion of those claims were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities.

Table 1 in the attached excel file contains data, at the regional level, of claimants in receipt of the Enhanced or Standard Daily Living award for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities. Table 2 contains data, at the Parliamentary Constituency level, of claimants in receipt of the Enhanced or Standard Daily Living award for PIP and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities. Table 3 contains data, at the Local Authority level, of claimants in receipt of the Enhanced or Standard Daily Living award for PIP and the proportion of those claims which were awarded less than four points in all daily living activities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 3854 on Pension Credit: Armed Forces, if her Department will review the treatment of Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments in means-tested benefits.

The receipt of War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards is already fully ignored when calculating eligibility for Universal Credit. The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and Income Support. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in these benefits and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount. This contrasts with a benefit like Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit where there is no weekly disregard. Furthermore, these are legacy benefits, in the process of being replaced by Universal Credit, in which War Pensions and AFCS are ignored. By default, the first £10 per week of a War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to disregard them fully. There are no plans to change the ways in which War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with means tested benefits.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 3854 on Pension Credit: Armed Forces, if she will review the treatment of Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments in means-tested welfare benefits.

The receipt of War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards is already fully ignored when calculating eligibility for Universal Credit. The first £10 per week of a War Pension or AFCS award is disregarded in: income-related Employment and Support allowance; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; and Income Support. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in these benefits and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount. This contrasts with a benefit like Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit where there is no weekly disregard. Furthermore, these are legacy benefits, in the process of being replaced by Universal Credit, in which War Pensions and AFCS are ignored. By default, the first £10 per week of a War Pension or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is disregarded in Housing Benefit. Furthermore, a discretionary scheme allows local authorities to disregard them fully. There are no plans to change the ways in which War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards interact with means tested benefits.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of consulting on the introduction of changes to the eligibility requirement for the daily living part of the Personal Independence Payment.

Since the pandemic, the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) awards has more than doubled – up from 13,000 a month, to 34,000 a month. Action is needed now to target support better, so that we can protect this important safety net for future generations. That is why we are introducing a new eligibility requirement in PIP so that people must score a minimum of four points in one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component. We are bringing this forward via Primary Legislation so that Parliament can fully debate and vote on these changes. The changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.

If her Department will produce an impact assessment of the proposals outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, published in March 2025.

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.

With reference to her Department's Pathways to Work Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what definition her Department plans to use to identify people with severe lifelong health conditions who will be protected from reassessment.

We will ensure that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected, and that this group will face no future reassessment. We will set out further information on this in due course.