Written questions by Kumaran.

If she will ensure that consideration of (a) maternity pay and (b) pregnancy poverty are included in the work of the child poverty taskforce.

The Child Poverty Taskforce is considering all children across the United Kingdom and is exploring all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. The Taskforce is listening to experts and campaigners and ensuring the voices of families and children with experience of poverty are brought into policy thinking and decision making as part of the development of the Child Poverty Strategy. This programme of work has ensured people’s experiences have been shared with Ministers and senior decision makers, and the findings are directly informing the development of the Strategy.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of mandatory reconsideration for assessing Personal Independent Payment decisions.

The Department is committed to making the right decision as early as possible in the claim journey. Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) is a valuable process that supports the resolution of disputes as early as possible, so that customers do not need to appeal, reducing unnecessary demand on His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). At the MR stage, a different Decision Maker will thoroughly review the decision, taking into account all available evidence and contacting the customer for further information where necessary. Decisions will be changed at the MR stage where the evidence supports this.