Written questions by Gilbert.

What steps his Department is taking to simplify the Pension Credit application process.

The Department is committed to modernising the Pension Credit service and regularly reviews the user experience to balance simplification with ensuring accurate awards. We are streamlining application routes by using information held internally to reduce the number of questions customers need to answer. Claims can be made online, by telephone, or by post. The most popular method is online, where claims can be made 24/7 with help from a family member, friend, or third party. The online form now requires a maximum of 48 questions, and for some customers as few as 35. On average, it takes just 16 minutes to complete, with around 90% of new customers applying online or by phone. For telephone claims, callers are guided through the process by an agent. We will continue to keep the Pension Credit application process under review to ensure it remains simple and accessible.

What guidance he provides on whether JobCentre Work Coaches can accept (a) discounts and (b) similar benefits from clients.

Job Centre Work Coaches must uphold the highest standards of propriety and regularity. Under the Bribery Act 2010, it is a criminal offence to offer, give, request, or accept any financial or other advantage intended to improperly influence official duties. This includes gifts, cash, discounts, or hospitality.As a general rule, staff should decline all gifts, including cash, vouchers, goods, or services.All offers must be reported and recorded in the Departmental Gifts and Hospitality Register.

How many training materials (a) produced and (b) utilised by his Department include examples of income from OnlyFans creating.

DWP technical learning is only available internally to DWP staff. Work coach role-specific learning includes examples to illustrate various self-employed income streams. This learning supports work coaches to build competence, assessing income for customers’ benefit award. Two references to income from OnlyFans creating were produced as part of wider learning but were subsequently removed from utilisation.

Whether his Department has issued guidance to work coaches on (a) suggesting and (b) requiring job seekers to become Only Fans creators.

The Department has issued no such guidance.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) improve enforcement and (b) reduce the number of non-payments for child maintenance.

Most payments where a parent is unwilling to pay are collected regardless, via either a deduction from earning order (DEO) or a deduction from benefit. Only where these options are not available are other mechanisms needed. Nevertheless, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to ensuring all separated parents within the statutory scheme support their children financially, taking robust enforcement action against those who do not. If someone chooses not to pay their maintenance themselves, the CMS has administrative powers which means CMS officials can deduct maintenance directly from a paying parent’s wages, from their bank account, or from their benefits.The CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that can be used against those who consistently refuse to meet their obligations to provide financial support to their children including deducting directly from earnings, bank accounts and forcing the sale of a property. The Child Support (Enforcement) Act 2023 proposed regulations to support the introduction of administrative liability orders (ALOs), removing the requirement to obtain a court issued liability order. Introducing this process should enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities and get money to children more quickly. We are working with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government to establish a process for implementing ALOs and plan to introduce regulations to Parliament as soon as possible.

What steps her Department plans to take to reform the Child Maintenance Service.

The Government has set out plans to introduce a single service where all payments will be monitored, enabling the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to identify missed, late, or partial payments in real time. This will enable swift enforcement action to restore compliance and increase the amount of money reaching children. We expect the reforms will make hidden non-compliance within Direct Pay visible, enabling the CMS to intervene earlier to ensure children receive the financial support they are entitled to. Where cases are currently working well under Direct Pay, those families can move to a family-based arrangement or opt into Collect and Pay if they require the added security of enforcement. Where compliance cannot be achieved, the CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that are designed to get money flowing quickly, prevent the build-up of arrears and ensure children get the financial support they deserve. The Government is also conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose and secures the best outcomes for children who are within scope of the scheme. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends. Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, which we plan to publish late this year, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

What proportion of pensioners were claiming pension credit in (a) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (b) Scotland on 31 December 2024.

In Winter 2023 to 2024, there were 10,051 pensioner households living in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 751,246 pensioner households living in Scotland. This is based on winter-fuel-payments-household-2023-to-2024.ods. At that point in time, 1,659 pensioner households received Pension Credit in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 125,136 pensioner households received Pension Credit in Scotland. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-Xplore. Based on these figures, 16.5% of pensioner households in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 16.7% of pensioner households in Scotland received Pension Credit in February 2024. The latest Pension Credit statistics were published in November 2024 and cover the period up to May 2024. The next iteration of Pension Credit caseload statistics will be released on 18th February 2025, as part of the DWP Benefits Statistics quarterly release. This will contain data for the period from June 2024 to the end of August 2024. Following release, the data can also be accessed at Stat-Xplore - Home.

How many people were claiming Pension Credit in (a) Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and (b) Scotland on 31 December 2024.

In Winter 2023 to 2024, there were 10,051 pensioner households living in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 751,246 pensioner households living in Scotland. This is based on winter-fuel-payments-household-2023-to-2024.ods. At that point in time, 1,659 pensioner households received Pension Credit in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 125,136 pensioner households received Pension Credit in Scotland. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-Xplore. Based on these figures, 16.5% of pensioner households in the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency and 16.7% of pensioner households in Scotland received Pension Credit in February 2024. The latest Pension Credit statistics were published in November 2024 and cover the period up to May 2024. The next iteration of Pension Credit caseload statistics will be released on 18th February 2025, as part of the DWP Benefits Statistics quarterly release. This will contain data for the period from June 2024 to the end of August 2024. Following release, the data can also be accessed at Stat-Xplore - Home.

What steps she is taking to support British pensioners residing overseas.

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, based on a person’s National Insurance record and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. People move abroad for many reasons and may have access to their host country’s benefit system or other sources of income such as an occupational pension. Information about the impact on State Pensions of moving abroad is available on Gov.uk.

Whether she plans to uprate the state pension for British pensioners residing overseas.

The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. Over many years, priority is given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.