Written questions by Osborne.

What steps his department is taking to help ensure that the Access to Work scheme supports people with multiple sclerosis in employment.

The support that a customer will receive from Access to Work is dependent upon their needs and circumstances at the time they make an application. Case managers will use the current guidance to ensure Access to Work principles are considered when making a decision on support. All assessments are done on an individual basis with all conditions, including Multiple Sclerosis where applicable, considered as part of an individual’s application. We continue to engage disabled people’s organisations and individuals with lived experience, drawing on their insights alongside the National Audit Office’s recommendations as we take forward improvements to the scheme.

Whether the Department is aware of (a) any loss and (b) compromise of personal data held by the Pension Protection Fund affecting pension scheme members; and whether communications requesting updates to beneficiary information are part of routine administration rather than a response to any such incident.

The Pension Protection Fund’s recent communications to members about nominating beneficiaries relates to the introduction of its new online beneficiary nomination service, which allows members to nominate or update their beneficiary details directly via the member website. It is a service that’s designed to make the bereavement process faster and more efficient and is not in response to any loss or compromise of members’ personal data.

Whether apprentices who commenced a Level 7 apprenticeship before 1 January 2026 will continue to have government funding protected through to completion under the apprenticeship funding rules; what guidance he has issued to providers and employers to ensure this protection is applied; and what arrangements exist where a provider discontinues a programme or must transfer apprentices to an alternative provider.

Level 7 apprentices, that started prior to 1 January 2026, will be funded through to completion. As with funding for all apprenticeships, this is subject to employer and training provider compliance with the apprenticeship funding rules and the apprenticeship employer and provider agreements. Apprentices concerned about ongoing training provision should contact customer.help@service.education.gov.uk.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the early release of prisoners on Job Centre operations.

To date, Jobcentres have been supporting customers through the early release schemes. We will continue to monitor, liaising closely with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and the Ministry of Justice. The Department deploys specialist resources to support individuals both in custody and upon release into employment. This includes around 200 Prison Work Coaches based in prisons, as well as additional specialist Work Coaches located in Jobcentres.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of 30 hours free childcare on (a) Job Centre operations and (b) levels of returns to employment.

The Department for Education 30 hours free childcare is one of several government childcare offers, including the Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare. DWP has not made an assessment of the impact of the Department for Education’s 30 hours free childcare on job centre operations or returns to employment. In March 2023, when the government announced the extension of 30 hours of free childcare for working age parents of nine-month to two-year-olds, the OBR assessed as a result they would expect around 60,000 parents of young children to enter employment by 2027/28. Economic and fiscal outlook - March 2023

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the revised Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment criteria accounts for (a) fluctuating and (b) hidden symptoms of multiple sclerosis; and if she will make an assessment of the accuracy of the PIP assessment process.

We have committed to introduce a new requirement that claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The PIP assessment considers the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability, not the health condition or disability itself. Therefore, the impact in each case will depend on an individual’s circumstances. For those already on PIP, the changes will only apply from November 2026 at their next award review, subject to parliamentary approval. People will be reviewed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional and assessed on individual needs and circumstance. More information on the impacts and equality analysis for these changes published on 26 March can be found: Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper - GOV.UK . In the Green Paper, Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, we have committed to exploring ways to improve the PIP assessment. We are exploring digitalising transfer of medical information, using evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce the need for people with very severe health conditions to undergo functional assessments, and improving communication with people receiving awards who are expected to remain on disability benefits for life. We have also committed to a full review of the PIP assessment. Alongside this, the Green Paper also includes plans to improve trust in the process. These plans include reviewing our approach to safeguarding, recording assessments to increase transparency, 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.