Helen Whately MP: written questions 2026
83 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Social Security Benefits: GazaDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108720More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people brought to the United Kingdom under the Gaza scholarship students route claim (a) Universal Credit, (b) PIP and (c) other benefits.
Answer: The majority of migrants on temporary, time-limited visas (such as for work or study) are subject to a No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition for at least 5 years. This restricts them from accessing certain public funded benefits and services. DWP c...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Foreign NationalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108266More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to verify the ongoing residency of non-UK national claimants who have been absent from the UK for more than a month.
Answer: The Department uses the Habitual Residence Test (HRT) for income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit, to assess whether someone has a legal right to be here and whether they are factually resident in the UK. For an individual to be factually habitu...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMigrants: Means-tested BenefitsHome OfficeTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108265More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals granted Indefinite Leave to Remain since January 2025 had previously claimed means-tested benefits during their qualifying period of residency.
Answer: The information requested is not held in a reportable format and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual trawl of case records to retrieve.
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMigrants: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108264More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have had their No Recourse to Public Funds status withdrawn since July 2024, broken down by month.
Answer: The Home Office publishes data on changes of conditions on GOV.UK within the Immigration and protection data: July to September 2025, available in tabs CoC_01 to CoC_07 of the Migration Transparency Data dataset.When an individual is considered for assess...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: Foreign NationalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108263More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals have received the State Pension for the following financial years a) 2024/25 b) 2025/2026, and what was the total value of State Pension paid to those non-UK nationals in each
Answer: The Department does not hold data on the nationality of individuals in receipt of the State Pension, as nationality is not recorded as part of the State Pension claim process, as was the case under the last Conservative Government. Eligibility for the Sta...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPension Credit: Foreign NationalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108262More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals have received Pension Credit for the following financial years a) 2024/25 b) 2025/2026, and what was the total value of Pension Credit paid to those non-UK nationals in each of
Answer: The requested statistics are not held by the Department. Entitlement to Pension Credit depends on a person’s residence or immigration status, including the requirement to have the right to reside and to be able to be treated as factually habitually reside...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel Payment: Foreign NationalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108261More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals have received Winter Fuel Payments for the following financial years a) 2024/25 b) 2025/2026, and what was the total value of Winter Fuel Payments paid to those non-UK national
Answer: The requested statistics are not held by the Department. The Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2025 changed the entitlement conditions so that payments are only made to people living in England or Wales. As a result, from Winter 2025/26, Winter ...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: LinkedInDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107431More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many LinkedIn Learning licences were provided to Department for Work and Pensions staff; and what the total cost of those licences was, in each calendar quarter from Q1 2023 to the most recent quart
Answer: The table below shows the number of licenses purchased and costs associated since Q1 2023.These are annual subscriptions and have not been renewed since 2024. Q1 2023Q1 2024Learning Licenses1010Costs£3,264£3,600
Answered 30 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: Career DevelopmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107430More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total cost was of centrally provided career coaching, career transition, or redeployment support accessed by Department for Work and Pensions staff in each calendar quarter from Q1 2023 to the
Answer: The table below covers the period from April 2023 to December 2025 for spend relating to centrally provided career coaching, career transition, or redeployment support accessed by DWP employees and March 2023 to August 2025 for spend relating to centrally...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: Career DevelopmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107429More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what career coaching, career transition, and redeployment support services are available to staff in his Department through centrally provided civil service programmes.
Answer: The table below shows the career and redeployment support options available to DWP employees. The information is based on DWP’s use of the centrally provided Civil Service Learning Frameworks service. The data covers the period from January 2023 to Decemb...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: StandardsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107428More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time was between a Universal Credit claim being made and first payment being issued in each month since 5 July 2024.
Answer: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. However, monthly Universal Credit payment timeliness statistics for new claims are published in UC Households 6 - Payment Timeliness New Claims table i...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: OverpaymentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107427More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit overpayments arising from official error were identified in each month since 5 July 2024.
Answer: The department publishes estimates of the numbers of official error overpayments, available here: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107426More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit awards were made with an Alternative Payment Arrangement in each month since 5 July 2024.
Answer: Monthly Universal Credit statistics showing the number in payment and using alternative payment arrangements, including managed payment to landlord, more frequent payment, and split payment methods, are published in the Households on Universal Credit data...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: RecruitmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107425More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people recruited by his Department were aged 16 to 24 in each calendar quarter since 1 January 2023.
Answer: As at 31 December 2025, we can confirm the following joiner data for the 16–24 age band:Joining YearAge Band 16-24 JoinersJan-Dec 231541Jan-Dec 241622Jan-Dec 251520Total4683
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment Assessment Review: ExpenditureDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107424More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been paid in fees and expenses to external members appointed to the Timms Review.
Answer: Members of the Timms Review steering group will be paid at a rate of £300 a day, with an expected time commitment of up to 5 days a month. The Review’s two external co-chairs, who were appointed in October 2025, are paid at a rate of £400 a day, with the ...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107423More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the expenditure on the Milburn Review into youth inactivity has been.
Answer: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment Assessment Review: ExpenditureDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107422More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the expenditure on the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment is, including payments to external contractors and panel members.
Answer: Members of the Timms Review steering group will be paid at a rate of £300 a day, with an expected time commitment of up to 5 days a month. The Review’s two external co-chairs, who were appointed in October 2025, are paid at a rate of £400 a day, with the ...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Habitual Residence TestDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claims failed the Habitual Residence Test in each month since 1 July 2024.
Answer: The table below gives the number of Universal Credit (UC) Habitual Resident test (HRT) assessments that resulted in a ‘fail’ decision from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2025. Month Decision Entered on Admin SystemNumber of UC HRT ‘Fail’ DecisionsJuly 20248,0...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: MigrantsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit awards were made following the application of an exception to a No Recourse to Public Funds condition in each of the last three years.
Answer: This information is not held centrally by DWP, and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: RefugeesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time was between the date refugee status was first recorded and first payment for Universal Credit claimants with refugee status in 2025.
Answer: This information is not centrally held by DWP, and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Foreign NationalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107418More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claimants were recorded as non-UK nationals in each month since 1 July 2024.
Answer: The Department publishes Universal Credit (UC) immigration status and nationality statistics as part of the Universal Credit statistics publication. ‘Table 1’ in the latest Universal Credit immigration status and nationality data tables provides informati...
Answered 29 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Foreign NationalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107417More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the amount paid in Universal Credit to claimants recorded as non-UK nationals by month since 1 July 2024.
Answer: Non-British and Irish nationals typically cannot access Universal Credit until they have been granted settlement after 5 years of lawful residence in the UK. The Home Office are consulting on doubling the standard qualifying period for settlement from 5 t...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Work and Pensions: Migrant WorkersDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105779More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Departmental employees are in the UK on a visa, by their visa status.
Answer: The information you have requested is not held on central data systems in a reportable format, it would need to be provided by individuals manually collating data from a local source. Gathering this data would therefore incur disproportionate costs.
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Security BenefitsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has used international examples of reforms to (a) sickness and (b) disability benefits to help inform his policies.
Answer: The Department uses a range of evidence, including international examples, when developing policy. For instance, the Pathways to Work Green Paper included a range of international systems that were considered when developing the proposals.
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Family PlanningDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the benefits system on family planning.
Answer: The Department has not made such an assessment.
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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