Written questions by Collins.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42060 on Pathways to Work: Impact Assessments, whether her Department’s further programme of analysis will include a disaggregation of data by category of (a) disability and (b) health condition.

A breakdown of the impact of the reforms on disability overall has been published as part of an Equality Analysis of the Spring Statement package of measures (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper/spring-statement-2025-health-and-disability-benefit-reforms-equality-analysis). Data on the health conditions of UC claimants being placed in the LCWRA has been published (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-work-capability-assessment-statistics) and will continue to be taken into account in the future programme of analysis. Analysis of those who do not score 4 points in at least one daily living activity for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has now been undertaken and is provided in the table below. This shows the volume of claimants with the 18 most common disabling conditions in receipt of the PIP daily living component in January 2025, as well as the volume and proportion of these claimants who were awarded less than 4 points in all ten daily living activities. Health condition categoryVolume of PIP Claimants in receipt of Daily Living componentClaimants awarded less than 4 points in all daily living activitiesVolume in each condition groupProportion in each condition groupCancer70,00023,00033%Anxiety and Depression587,000282,00048%Autistic Spectrum Disorders206,00013,0006%Learning Disabilities188,0007,0003%ADHD / ADD75,00014,00019%Psychotic Disorders112,00026,00023%Other Psychiatric Disorders90,00025,00028%Arthritis279,000214,00077%Chronic Pain Syndromes173,000118,00068%Back Pain194,000154,00079%Other Regional Musculoskeletal Diseases136,00097,00071%Cerebrovascular Diseases56,00019,00034%Epilepsy36,00011,00030%Multiple Sclerosis and Neuropathic Diseases80,00038,00048%Cerebral Palsy and Neurological Muscular Diseases47,00011,00024%Other Neurological Diseases97,00035,00036%Respiratory Diseases83,00045,00055%Cardiovascular Diseases61,00038,00062%All Other Conditions272,000126,00046% Source: PIP Administrative DataNotes:Figures are based on the PIP caseload at end January 2025.Data only includes claimants awarded Daily Living component.Data only includes claimants living in regions under DWP policy ownership (England, Wales and Abroad).Data only includes working age claimantsData includes normal rules claimants only and excludes special rules for end of life (SREL) claimants as they typically receive maximum or very high scores.Data may show minor differences to published award level information due to missing or poor quality score data for a small amount of claims.Health condition category is based on primary health condition as recorded on the PIP Computer System at time of latest assessment. Many claimants have multiple health conditions but only primary condition is available for analysis.Only the 18 disabling condition groups which make up the highest proportions of the PIP caseload are displayed in this table.Other disabling condition groups which cover smaller proportions of the PIP caseload are covered in the "Other Conditions" category. This includes:- Visual Diseases- Other General Musculoskeletal Diseases- Endocrine Diseases- Hearing Disorders- Gastrointestinal Diseases- Genitourinary Diseases- Skin Diseases- Autoimmune Diseases (Connective Tissue Disorders)- Infectious Diseases- Diseases of the Liver, Gallbladder or Biliary Tract- Haematological Diseases- Metabolic Diseases- Multisystem and Extremes of Age- Diseases of the Immune SystemAnxiety and Depression includes the following conditions recorded in the PIP Stat Xplore data:- Anxiety disorders - Other / type not known- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)- Stress reaction disorders - Other / type not known- Generalised anxiety disorder- Phobia - Specific- Phobia - Social- Agoraphobia- Panic disorder- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)- Anxiety and depressive disorders - mixed- Conversion disorder (hysteria)- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)- Dissociative disorders - Other / type not known- Somatoform disorders - Other / type not known- Depressive disorder- Bipolar affective disorder (Hypomania / Mania)- Mood disorders - Other / type not knownFigures may not sum due to rounding.Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 for volumes and the nearest percentage point for proportions.

If she will make it her policy that claimants of (a) Personal Independence Payment and (b) Universal Credit with sight loss conditions that have no prospect of improvement will be exempt from reassessment under proposed changes to the benefits system.

Our wide-ranging package of reforms to health and disability benefits, set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, will improve experiences of the system for those who need it. The functional impact and severity of a condition can significantly vary across individuals, so we are not planning to exempt specific conditions, but we are planning to reduce reassessments for those with the most severe conditions. We aim to guarantee that for both new and existing Universal Credit claims, those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will not need to be reassessed in the future. Our plans to improve experiences of Personal Independence Payment also include reducing assessments for this group. We are exploring ways we could use evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce need for some people with very severe health conditions and disabilities to undergo a full PIP functional assessment.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the take-up of means-tested benefits in households with children in poverty.

The Department provides extensive information on Universal Credit including on GOV.UK that supports customers to identify what support may be available. Additionally, we signpost potential customers to external benefit calculators where they can identify what they are likely to be eligible for. We also work closely with Citizens Advice who provide Help to Claim support by phone and on-line for customers to apply for Universal Credit. Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government. The Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy looking at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

What steps her Department is taking to help protect people with (a) multiple mental and physical health disabilities and (b) chronic health conditions from financial hardship.

The social security system will always be there for those who can’t work. As part of making changes to the rates in Universal Credit, we will ensure that the incomes of those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work have their incomes protected. We will also guarantee that for both new and existing claims, those in this group will not need to be reassessed in future.We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits as set out in the Green Paper. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through 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.

What steps her Department is taking to help support (a) unpaid and (b) disabled carers in the context of her proposed changes to Personal Independence Payments.

Our recent Pathways to Work Green Paper announced a broad package of reforms which included changes to Personal Independence Payment. We will focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, ensuring that those who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them, still get support. For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes to disability benefits, including for linked entitlements such as Carer’s Allowance, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that unpaid carers are adequately supported during the transition to the new disability benefits system.

Our recent Pathways to Work Green Paper announced a broad package of reforms which included changes to Personal Independence Payment. We will focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, ensuring that those who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them, still get support. For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes to disability benefits, including for linked entitlements such as Carer’s Allowance, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

If her Department will take steps to (a) update the basic rate of Universal Credit annually inline with inflation and (b) introduce an essentials guarantee to reflect the cost of living.

We will bring in a permanent, above inflation, rise to the standard allowance in Universal Credit for the first time ever by raising the standard allowance above inflation from 2026/27 until 2029/30. This is in stark contrast to a freeze between 2016/17 and 2019/20 and crucially, this is a permanent increase so we can give families certainty. To the lowest income and working families up and down the country this will be crucial. We have also uprated benefit rates for 2025/26 in line with inflation and are introducing a new Fair Repayment Rate, allowing 1.2 million households to keep more of their Universal Credit.

What fiscal steps her Department is taking to support pensioners with the cost of living in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) England.

The Government is honouring its commitment to the Triple Lock with a recent 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension, the new State Pension, and the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit. Over this Parliament (2029/30), the OBR forecasts that the Government spending on the State Pension will rise by over £31 billion. Pension Credit provides extra money to help with living costs for people over State Pension age and on a low income. The Government is taking significant steps to raise awareness and maximise take-up. We want to ensure as many people as possible have access to this support and urge pensioners to check their eligibility. Pension Credit will passport them to receive other benefits – including help with rent, council tax, fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. Our drive to increase Pension Credit take up has successfully boosted applications with the Department receiving around 235,000 Pension Credit applications in the 30 weeks since July 2024 and making 117,800 new Pension Credit awards over the same period, a 64% increase or 45,800 extra awards compared to the same period in the previous year. Low-income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what further support may be available to them. They may be able to receive support from energy support programmes or through the Household Support Fund, a scheme providing discretionary support to those most in need towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water. The Government has extended the Household Support Fund in England by a further year, (until 31 March 2026) – with funding of £742 million provided to enable this extension in England, plus additional funding for the devolved Governments to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

With reference to the Work and Pensions Select Committee report entitled Defined benefit pension schemes, published on 26 March 2024, HC 144, whether her Department plans to implement pre-1997 indexation for members of the (a) Financial Assistance Scheme and (b) Pension Protection Fund.

The PPF and FAS rules on indexation have been the subject of much discussion. I am aware of the concerns surrounding the matter and understand the problems experienced by Defined Benefit pension scheme members adjusting to an income in retirement which may be less than they were expecting. I will continue to consider this issue, and the valuable report referred to (by the Work and Pensions Select Committee) and will respond fully to its recommendations in the coming months.

What steps she is taking to help tackle poverty experienced by older people, in the context of changes to the eligibility criteria for the winter fuel payment.

The Government is honouring our commitment to the Triple Lock with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension and the new State Pension; and we are also increasing the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit by 4.1%. As such, according to the latest ...

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of Universal Credit rules for young people living in supported housing on their ability to find work.

People on a low income living in supported housing, can claim Universal Credit for help with their daily living costs and Housing Benefit for help with their housing costs. Customers living in supported housing are also able to access more housing support...

What recent discussions her Department has had with stakeholders on the future of the two child limit.

Ministers meet regularly with stakeholders to discuss a broad range of topics relating to Universal Credit. Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to ...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of paying carers at national living wage rates.

Many people will care for friends or family members at some point in their life, and it is right that we recognise the vitally important role of unpaid carers. That is why we are expecting to spend around £4.2 billion this year to support them through Car...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) increasing the carer's allowance and (b) introducing a taper to ensure unpaid carers are not subject to any removal of benefits.

The Secretary of State undertakes a statutory annual review of benefit and pensions, and the value of Carer’s Allowance is protected by up-rating it each year in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). This Government will keep eligibility criteria and...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for Carer's Allowance to carers in full-time education.

This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by all unpaid carers. We think it is right that people in full-time education should be supported by the educational maintenance system, rather than the social security benefit system....

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the number of hours of care per week required to qualify for Carer's Allowance.

It is a long-standing principle, under successive Governments, since Carer’s Allowance was introduced, that the threshold for the number of hours spent caring is 35 hours a week. Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting elderly or disabled relatives ...

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the two-child limit in Universal Credit on affected families' long-term (a) health, (b) social and (c) economic outcomes.

There are no plans to make such an assessment. The Child Poverty Taskforce will explore how we can harness all available levers to reduce child poverty, including by listening to stakeholders on potential changes, before publishing a strategy in Spring 20...

If she will make an estimate of the number of children who will be (a) affected by the two-child limit, (b) living in poverty and (c) both affected by the two-child limit and living in poverty in each o

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce, co-chaired by the Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, has started ...

What steps her Department is taking to reduce child poverty in families affected by the two-child limit in Universal Credit claims.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce, co-chaired by the Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, has started ...

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice

We will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation. We need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides including the points raised by representatives from the WASPI Ca...