Helen Whately MP: written questions 2025
258 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Employment Schemes: Young PeopleTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78361More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her speech to the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, which employers have agreed to offer placements as part of the Youth Jobs Guarantee.
Answer: In September, the Chancellor announced that the government will offer a guaranteed job to all young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will guarantee an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experie...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment Schemes: Young PeopleTreasuryTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78360More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her speech to the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, with which employers her Department held discussions on the Youth Jobs Guarantee.
Answer: In September, the Chancellor announced that the government will offer a guaranteed job to all young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will guarantee an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experie...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: ApplicationsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP claims were (a) withdrawn before submitting a PIP2 form, (b) disallowed due to failure to return the PIP2 form, (c) withdrawn after submitting a PIP2 form but before assessment, (d) disallo
Answer: Information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) outcomes for the last five financial years is shown in table 1 below. Table 1: Volume of PIP claims by assessment outcomes for the last five financial years.Outcome TypeFinancial Years2020-212021-222022-2...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: Advisory ServicesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 78358More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work coaches there are per (a) capita and (b) Universal Credit claimant in (i) England and (ii) each region.
Answer: The requested work coach data for England has been provided at district level. Pure English regional data is unavailable as some English regions are combined with Scotland and Wales for Universal Credit administration purposes. Information on numbers of U...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: UnderpaymentsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for the processing of State Pension underpayment corrections in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answer: We do not hold information regarding average waiting times to process State Pension underpayments corrections and to produce it would incur disproportionate costs.
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77113More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for the processing of Access to Work applications in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answer: From April 2025 to August 2025 the average waiting time for the processing of Access to Work applications was 94.9 days and it was 93.6 day for the most recent month of August 2025. While we aim to make payments within 20 working days of receipt of all co...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77112More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for the processing of Universal Credit advances in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answer: We do not collect data on advance payment processing times.
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: FraudDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77111More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of investigations into benefit fraud result find no wrongdoing.
Answer: DWP takes all allegations of fraud seriously, irrespective of reporting method, and will take appropriate action on those cases where there is concern about entitlement. For regional fraud investigations, conviction data is not currently available for 24/...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: FraudDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 77110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of investigations into benefit fraud result in (a) financial penalties and (b) court convictions.
Answer: DWP takes all allegations of fraud seriously, irrespective of reporting method, and will take appropriate action on those cases where there is concern about entitlement. For regional fraud investigations, conviction data is not currently available for 24/...
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75668More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Universal Credit online journal as a substitute for face-to-face engagement with claimants.
Answer: The UC service is designed as a digital-first platform, with the online journal serving as a central communication tool between claimants and DWP. It enables claimants to successfully and securely:Receive appointment reminders and mandatory updates.Commun...
Answered 17 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75667More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Universal Credit claims are managed exclusively through the online journal without in-person Jobcentre visits.
Answer: The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to develop the appropriate code and analyse the raw data.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75666More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claimants have not attended in-person appointments at Jobcentres in the last (a) three, (b) six and (c) twelve months.
Answer: The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to develop the appropriate code and analyse the raw data.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75665More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claimants have not attended a Jobcentre in person since the start of their claim in each of the last five years.
Answer: The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to develop the appropriate code and analyse the raw data.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Foreign NationalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75664More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals claiming Universal Credit are affected by the two-child limit.
Answer: Statistics about the policy that provides support for a maximum of 2 children in Universal Credit are published annually. The latest publication is available here: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK
Answered 25 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversal Credit: Foreign NationalsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75517More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals claiming Universal Credit have (a) three, (b) four, (c) five, (d) six (e) seven and (f) eight or more children in their household.
Answer: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Medical ExaminationsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75516More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many face-to-face PIP assessments have been conducted in each region of the UK since July 2024.
Answer: The number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) face-to-face assessments carried out each month from July 2024 to August 2025 can be found in the table below. MonthFace-to-FaceJul-246,000Aug-243,000Sep-241,000Oct-243,000Nov-244,000Dec-243,000Jan-254,00...
Answered 2 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Medical ExaminationsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75515More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has targets for employing more staff to carry out face-to-face assessments.
Answer: As outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we are planning to increase the number of face-to-face health assessments. At the same time, we remain committed to offering alternative assessment channels to accommodate individuals who require a differen...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Medical ExaminationsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75514More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many additional staff have been employed to carry out face-to-face PIP assessments since July 2024.
Answer: The number of additional health professionals (HPs) employed to conduct face-to-face Personal Independence Payments (PIP) assessments is not held. This is because the data cannot be split to show the HPs recruited to deliver a specific type of assessment ...
Answered 29 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence Payment: Medical ExaminationsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 5 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75513More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many face-to-face PIP assessments have taken place since July 2024, broken down by month.
Answer: The number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) face-to-face assessments carried out each month from July 2024 to August 2025 can be found in the table below. MonthFace-to-FaceJul-246,000Aug-243,000Sep-241,000Oct-243,000Nov-244,000Dec-243,000Jan-254,00...
Answered 2 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentTreasuryTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69971More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department plans to take to (a) recruit and (b) reallocate staff to deliver the Winter Fuel Payment in 2025-26.
Answer: The Government announced in June 2025 that the Winter Fuel Payment will be made universal in England and Wales from winter 2025. Subsequently, the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive have confirmed that they will mirror the approach for Eng...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentTreasuryTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69970More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff will be required to administer the Winter Fuel Payment in 2025-26.
Answer: The Government announced in June 2025 that the Winter Fuel Payment will be made universal in England and Wales from winter 2025. Subsequently, the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive have confirmed that they will mirror the approach for Eng...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentTreasuryTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69969More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the cost of administering Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners with an income of more than £35,000.
Answer: The Government announced in June 2025 that the Winter Fuel Payment will be made universal in England and Wales from winter 2025. Subsequently, the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive have confirmed that they will mirror the approach for Eng...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentTreasuryTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69968More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what (a) funding and (b) other resources her Department plans to provide to support the process of recouping the Winter Fuel Payment from pensioners with an income of more than £35,000.
Answer: The Government announced in June 2025 that the Winter Fuel Payment will be made universal in England and Wales from winter 2025. Subsequently, the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive have confirmed that they will mirror the approach for Eng...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLabour Market: Coastal Areas and Rural AreasDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69967More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the labour market in (a) rural and (b) coastal communities.
Answer: My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: Young PeopleDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 22 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69966More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the number of young people not in education, employment or training.
Answer: My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments.
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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