Topical Questions 2025-10-27
2025-10-27
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The questioner highlights the proven track record of Access to Work in enabling disabled constituents to access employment and points out that there is a current shortfall in funding. He mentions £1 billion-worth of additional employment support funding has been announced this year.
Can the Minister reassure the House that Access to Work remains one of the potential avenues for that funding?
Demand for Access to Work has risen sharply, with spending increasing by 17% over the past year. However, Access to Work cannot replace a well-designed support programme, which is what we are determined to put in place. The Department’s new, independent disability advisory panel will help us work out the best approaches to employment support.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not directly reassure that Access to Work would receive funding from the £1 billion-worth of additional employment support announced this year
Did Not Commit
Refused To Confirm
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Q2
Partial Answer
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The questioner mentions that only 30% of people with autism are in work, compared to nearly 55% of disabled people. She provides an example of Charlie, a young adult with autism who has struggled to find employment.
What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that adults with autism and other special educational needs can find fulfilling and secure employment?
Transitional protection is available for people making the transition across to universal credit, and support is provided through the enhanced support journey for those whose transition may be particularly difficult. The Minister suggests sending details of specific cases if worried about particular individuals.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific steps or initiatives aimed at securing jobs for adults with autism and other special educational needs
Did Not Commit To Specific Measures
Offered Alternative Support
Response accuracy
Q3
Direct Answer
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Parents in Lee Pitcher's constituency are exploiting loopholes in the Child Maintenance Service to avoid their financial obligations. Online forums openly trade tips on how to evade child maintenance payments.
I still have parents in my constituency coming to me because they are not getting the money their children need. One constituent reports her ex repeatedly self-declaring employment until the CMS catches up with them, switching on to benefits for a few months, dropping to £7 a week and then returning to self-employment to restart that cycle. Online forums openly trade tips about how to avoid child maintenance. What will the Minister do to close these loopholes and ensure that every child gets the support they need?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The Government plan to consult on changes to the calculation that will automatically capture more income types within that calculation. Where parents wilfully avoid their financial obligations, the CMS financial investigation unit does have the powers to act and will investigate. Child maintenance is key to keeping children out of poverty, and we will use these powers wherever necessary.
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Q4
Direct Answer
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Context
A constituent of Helen Morgan's lost his leg due to a motorcycle accident and was awarded PIP and an adapted car. However, he recently received a letter stating that the support would be withdrawn.
The 25-year-old son of one of my constituents unfortunately lost his leg when it was amputated above the knee after a motorcycle accident, but he was awarded personal independence payment and a specially adapted car, and he has been able to rebuild his life. However, in August he was told that the PIP and the adapted car would be withdrawn from him. Sadly, he is clearly not going to get any better. How can we be in a situation where people whose condition is permanent are having their support withdrawn?
I would be very happy to look into the particular case the hon. Member raises. Of course, an appeal process is available, so I hope that her constituent has submitted an appeal. If she lets me have the details, I will gladly have a look at the case.
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Q5
Direct Answer
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The DWP data lab has found that the Spear programme in north Kensington significantly impacts young people's employment.
Earlier this month I visited the Spear programme in north Kensington, which is doing fantastic work in supporting young people back into employment through programmes that the DWP data lab has found to have a significant impact. Could the Secretary of State outline how evidence produced by units such as the data lab will help guide the trailblazer funding to get young people back into work?
The Spear programme was one of the first organisations to go through an evaluation with the data lab a few years ago. I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that the findings from that were really positive, and I am delighted that his constituency is located in one of the youth guarantee trailblazer areas. As we have reiterated several times, it is crucial that we do everything we can to help young people into work and address the issue, which we inherited, of people not in employment, education or training.
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Q6
Direct Answer
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Care leavers in supported housing often find themselves trapped by the benefits system when they want to increase their working hours.
Many young care leavers living in supported housing want to increase their hours at work but find themselves caught in the benefits trap. YMCA Eastleigh tells me that this is impacting care leavers in my constituency. What recent discussions has the Minister had with Cabinet colleagues on reforms to the tax and benefit system to make work pay for young care leavers?
There is a problem in the interaction between housing benefit, which provides housing support for people in supported accommodation, and housing support in the universal credit system. That interaction does cause difficulties, and I think that is what the hon. Lady is referring to. We are looking at that at the moment. We are talking to other parts of government and working with people such as YMCA and Centrepoint to look at the problem and what we can do to fix it.
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Q7
Direct Answer
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Context
Many constituents are experiencing delays in migrating to universal credit due to Tory mismanagement of the welfare system.
Many of my constituents are experiencing delays in migrating to universal credit, due to years of Tory mismanagement of our welfare system. This is a stressful time for claimants and a very busy time for the Department. Will my right hon. Friend outline what steps the Department is taking to ensure it is fully resourced, so that delays are reduced and claims are processed?
The Department is prioritising ensuring that there is adequate staffing resource available to support claimants and deliver migration smoothly and on time. I am concerned to hear what my hon. Friend says about the experience of his constituents in Coatbridge and Bellshill. I will look into this issue further on his behalf and report back to him.
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Q8
Direct Answer
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The Trussell Trust recently reported that three in ten people who were referred to food banks in 2024 were in working households, with the majority on universal credit.
The Trussell Trust recently reported that three in 10 people who were referred to food banks in 2024 were in working households and that the majority, 72%, were on universal credit. What more can the Government do to ensure that work pays and we can take low-paid workers out of poverty?
I recently spoke at an event in Parliament hosted by that organisation. I am pleased to say that its report said there had been a small drop in the use of food banks over the past year. We have put the household support fund, now the crisis and resilience fund, on a proper basis for the next three years to support those families in the most desperate need.
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Q9
Partial Answer
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Last week, Iqbal Mohamed attended a drop-in for the Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign where he learned that 4,320 women in Dewsbury and Batley are affected by the WASPI scandal. Some of these women have passed away without justice.
On 27 July, I wrote to the former Secretary of State regarding her support for the WASPI campaign after being contacted by more than 40 of my constituents, but I have yet to receive a response. With the Government still refusing to engage in civil mediation to deliver justice to the WASPI women, will the new Secretary of State reconsider meeting campaigners to find a just way forward?
The previous Minister for Pensions met representatives of the WASPI campaign in order to hear directly from them about their experiences. She was the first Minister to do so in eight years. I will look into the details of the letter the hon. Gentleman mentions.
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Q10
Partial Answer
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Leigh Ingham visited Drake Hall women's prison in her constituency, which has a Halfords training centre initiative to support people into employment once they leave the prison estate.
Can the Secretary of State tell me what conversations are happening with the Ministry of Justice about supporting or expanding schemes like that?
That sounds like an excellent initiative. Of course, if we are to rehabilitate prisoners, it is important that they get training and the chance to get into constructive employment after their sentence. I am sure that that applies not just to the prison in my hon. Friend’s constituency but throughout the country.
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Q11
Partial Answer
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One in three children in Steve Witherden's constituency is growing up in poverty, with the two-child limit policy recognised as a major driver of child poverty.
With the Budget approaching, what discussions has the Secretary of State had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about scrapping the two-child limit—a policy widely recognised as one of the biggest drivers of child poverty in Britain today?
We have already taken action to reduce child poverty, by extending free school meals to all families on universal credit, and we will of course explore other avenues. We want to reduce child poverty—in stark contrast to the record of the Conservatives.
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Q12
Partial Answer
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Context
When constituents move into new social housing, they often find it stripped of necessary furnishings, which can drive them further into poverty and benefit dependency.
What can the Government do to address this issue? It is driving my constituents further into poverty and benefit dependency. It is also environmentally destructive. Surely there is a way through this issue, so can I call on the Minister to work with others across Government to address it?
The right hon. Gentleman raises an important issue. It might be better raised at questions to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, but as he asks me to pick this up with Ministers across Departments, I am happy to do so. I can tell him that the crisis and resilience fund—formerly the household support fund—is in place to support people setting up in their new homes, as are grants that are available from housing associations directly.
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