Every parliamentary written question tabled by Helen Whately this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 161–180 of 258 · Department for Work and Pensions
What specific internal management information Motability shares with his Department.
Motability Foundation is independent of government and regulated by the Charity Commission so is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme. The Motability Foundation do not routinely share internal Management Information with DWP but will respond to individual requests should the Department request specific Management Information.
Whether he will take steps to amend the social security payment regulations to enable the direct transfer of (a) Personal Independence Payment and (b) Disability Living Allowance to competitors to Motability.
Motability Foundation is independent of government and regulated by the Charity Commission so is responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme. The department works closely with Motability and is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme. We will continue to ensure the Scheme meets the transport needs of disabled people.
Whether he will subject Motability to competitive tendering for the right to run the scheme.
Motability Foundation is independent of government and regulated by the Charity Commission so is responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme. The department works closely with Motability and is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme. We will continue to ensure the Scheme meets the transport needs of disabled people.
How much his Department has (a) invoiced Motability for and (b) received from Motability under the Social Security (Expenses of Paying Sums in Relation to Vehicle Hire) Regulations 2016, in each of the years since these regulations were introduced.
(a) The DWP invoiced the Motability scheme for the following amounts under the Social Security (Expenses of Paying Sums in Relation to Vehicle Hire) Regulations 2016. YearTotal16/17£0.8m17/18£1.1m18/19£0.9m19/20£1.0m20/21£0.8m21/22£0.6m22/23£0.9m23/24£1.1m24/25£1.4m Figures rounded to nearest £0.1m. (b) DWP were fully reimbursed for the amounts above.
What is the total cost to his Department of the annual mailshot run on behalf of Motability to eligible claimants; and how much Motability contributes to the Department for this mailshot.
DWP does not undertake an annual mailshot run on behalf of Motability to eligible customers. There is no cost to DWP in this regard.
How many Personal Independence Payment claimants received vehicles through the Motability Scheme in each month since July 2024.
DWP holds no data on the number of PIP claimants that have an active Motability Scheme contract at a given time. Vehicle receipt is handled by Motability Operations Ltd.
How much funding his Department has provided to the Motability Scheme in 2025.
The Motability Scheme receives no direct funding from DWP. However, it does receive the direct transfer of benefit from DWP. This is claimant benefit the claimant would otherwise be receiving, and the cost of transfer is paid for by the Motability Foundation. The total value of benefits transferred to Motability in financial year 2024–2025 the Department for Work and Pensions was £3,074,920,421.67. The Motability Scheme also receives zero rate VAT for hire of motor vehicle to individuals in receipt of specified disability benefits; zero rate VAT for sale of lease vehicle on first sale after end of lease and zero rate Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) on Scheme policies.
How many work coaches there are per (a) capita and (b) Universal Credit claimant in (i) England and (ii) each region.
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 Universal Credit claimants by region can be obtained from DWP’s Stat Xplore tool Stat XPlore Population estimates are published by the Office for National Statistics and can be found at Population estimates - Office for National Statistics ENGLAND DISTRICTSFTEAVON, SOMERSET & GLOUCESTERSHIRE400BERKSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE & OXFORDSHIRE390BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL710BLACK COUNTRY & COVENTRY620CHESHIRE & LANCASHIRE580CUMBRIA & TEES300DEVON & CORNWALL340DORSET WILTSHIRE HAMPSHIRE & ISLE OF WIGHT660EAST LONDON860EAST MIDLANDS550ESSEX400GREATER MANCHESTER960HERTFORDSHIRE210KENT420LEICESTERSHIRE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE & RUTLAND440MERSEYSIDE450NORFOLK & SUFFOLK320NORTH & MID WALES AND THE MARCHES130NORTH EAST YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE520NORTH LONDON640NORTHUMBERLAND, DURHAM, TYNE & WEAR500SOUTH LONDON900SOUTH MIDLANDS450SOUTH YORKSHIRE380SURREY & SUSSEX500THE SHIRES500WEST LONDON850WEST YORKSHIRE760ENGLAND TOTAL14,730 Notes:Work Coach Full Time Equivalent (FTE) data supplied is from September 2025.The number of Work Coaches has been derived from DWP's Activity Based Model (ABM). This model gives an estimated FTE based on a point in time estimate by Line Managers, as recorded on our internal systems each month.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 FTE.The number of Work Coaches refers to staff involved in conducting regular engagement with claimants, hence the data does not include Work Coach Team Leaders or Disability Employment Advisers.Work coaches include both UC Full-Service Work Coaches and Existing Benefits Work Coaches.The number of staff employed is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.
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) disallowed due to failure to attend an assessment and (e) (i) closed and (ii) withdrawn for other reasons prior to a decision in each of the last five financial years by intended mode of assessment.
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 Years2020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25Disallowed pre-referral to AP (Assessment Provider)5,5007,1009,7009,20011,700Disallowed pre referral to AP due to non-return of PIP266,50085,50069,70073,80096,000Disallowed pre-referral to AP due to failure to attend4,0006,40019,10019,60018,900Withdrawn at any stage9,10011,20015,70018,10022,300 Notes:Figures are for England and Wales only.Figures only include claims made under normal rules.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.AP is the assessment provider.These are the categories available in the PIP administrative data. The Department does not hold data on intended modes of assessments.
How many and what proportion of investigations into benefit fraud result in (a) financial penalties and (b) court convictions.
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 24/25. There were however 639 prosecutions* (6% of investigations) and 272 Administrative Penalties (3% of investigations) issued. For serious and economic crime investigations concluded in fiscal year 24/25, there were 26 such convictions** (7% of investigations) and 1 Administrative Penalty (0% of investigations). Across all fraud investigations concluded in 24/25, 2191 cases had their benefit corrected and 8075 cases resulted in no change. * Prosecutions refer to cases where the prosecuting authority (Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales, Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) have reviewed the case and have deemed the case suitable for prosecution. ** Please note that due to the length of time to bring a prosecution to conclusion, these conviction numbers will relate to cases commenced in previous years.
How many and what proportion of investigations into benefit fraud result find no wrongdoing.
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 24/25. There were however 639 prosecutions* (6% of investigations) and 272 Administrative Penalties (3% of investigations) issued. For serious and economic crime investigations concluded in fiscal year 24/25, there were 26 such convictions** (7% of investigations) and 1 Administrative Penalty (0% of investigations). Across all fraud investigations concluded in 24/25, 2191 cases had their benefit corrected and 8075 cases resulted in no change. * Prosecutions refer to cases where the prosecuting authority (Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales, Procurator Fiscal in Scotland) have reviewed the case and have deemed the case suitable for prosecution. ** Please note that due to the length of time to bring a prosecution to conclusion, these conviction numbers will relate to cases commenced in previous years.
What the average waiting time was for the processing of State Pension underpayment corrections in the most recent period for which data is available.
We do not hold information regarding average waiting times to process State Pension underpayments corrections and to produce it would incur disproportionate costs.
What the average waiting time was for the processing of Universal Credit advances in the most recent period for which data is available.
We do not collect data on advance payment processing times.
What the average waiting time was for the processing of Access to Work applications in the most recent period for which data is available.
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 correctly completed claim forms and all required supporting evidence, unfortunately this is not always possible. To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise Access to Work applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, or cases that are up for renewal. To support our customers several measures have already been put in place, including streamlining our delivery processes and recruiting additional staff.
How many Universal Credit claimants have not attended in-person appointments at Jobcentres in the last (a) three, (b) six and (c) twelve months.
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.
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.
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.
How many and what proportion of Universal Credit claims are managed exclusively through the online journal without in-person Jobcentre visits.
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.
What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Universal Credit online journal as a substitute for face-to-face engagement with claimants.
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.Communicate with Work Coaches and case managers.Manage their responsibilities and maintain entitlement.The Journal is a digital channel which helps two-way communications between claimants and DWP, however it was never intended to and does not replace face-to-face appointments. Claimants have a range of channels available to them, and can mostly use their preference, unless the activity mandates a particular option.
How many non-UK nationals claiming Universal Credit are affected by the two-child limit.
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
Whether her Department has targets for employing more staff to carry out face-to-face assessments.
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 different approach, such as those needing reasonable adjustments. All assessment suppliers have contractual requirements to increase the proportion of assessments conducted face-to-face. To meet these requirements, suppliers are expected to plan and manage recruitment accordingly with progress regularly reviewed. The department is working closely with suppliers to explore ways to boost capacity for face-to-face assessments. A key focus is increasing the recruitment of suitably qualified health professionals to support delivery in assessment centres. Suppliers continue to develop and implement strategies to enhance recruitment, training, and retention, ensuring that skilled staff are in place to support claimants effectively.