Written questions by Vickers.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce average waiting times for Access to Work applications and renewals.

We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims by 27% and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised. The Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

What steps the Department is taking to reduce the backlog of Work Capability Assessments and improve the speed of decision making.

The Department for Work and Pensions prioritises assessments for new claims to minimise waiting times and ensure claimants receive the right benefit entitlement as soon as possible. However, due to unforeseen high levels of Work Capability Assessments (WCA) required in late 2024, a backlog of reassessment cases built up from individuals reporting a change in their condition before May 2025. We are working with suppliers to increase capacity for clearing this backlog, including by accelerating the recruitment of assessors.

What estimate his Department has made of the proportion of Universal Credit advances that remain outstanding beyond 12 months.

Most UC advances (new claims, benefit transfer and Budgeting Advances) have a maximum repayment period of 24 months except change of circumstances advances which have a maximum of 6 months.

What recent assessment the Department has made of the adequacy of Jobcentre staffing levels to support claimants with complex needs.

We recognise that as a department we come into contact with some claimants who have complex needs or are vulnerable. The department already has processes in place to support and safeguard people who use our services, and we will continue to provide this support as changes are taken forward. The Department continually impacts and assesses the service being offered to customers. Staff numbers, including the number of Work Coaches, and demand for Jobcentre services are reviewed on an ongoing basis, in line with the latest economic and benefit forecasts.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for child maintenance enforcement actions.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will do everything it can to address the non-payment of child maintenance and ensure appropriate enforcement action is taken in a timely manner.Enforcement action can include deductions from earnings orders, or from bank accounts. Where that is not effective, CMS can apply to Court for a liability order, which legally recognises the debt. That is currently required before other enforcement action can be taken, including removal of driving licenses, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison. We are working to introduce administrative liability orders (ALO) which will replace the current requirement for the CMS to apply to the court for a liability order. Introducing a simpler administrative process will enable the CMS to take faster action against those paying parents who actively avoid their responsibilities and will get money to children more quickly. Once it is introduced, we expect the new liability order process in the majority of cases to take around 6 weeks. Changes will mean the CMS can use its strong enforcement powers more quickly to go after those who wilfully avoid their financial obligations to their children. We are working with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Government to establish a process for implementing ALOs and plan to introduce regulations to Parliament as soon as possible

What estimate his Department has made of the current clearance times for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit claims.

Monthly statistics on Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) assessments, by assessment month and decision time, are published on Stat-Xplore . They are available for claim starts to March 2025. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

What recent estimate his Department has made of the average processing time for Personal Independence Payment claims in the latest three-month period.

The most recent available data on the average actual clearance times for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims can be found in Tables 1 and 2 of the latest release of the Personal Independence Payment: Clearance/outstanding times and customer journey statistics for England and Wales. The collection can be found here: Personal Independence Payment statistics - GOV.UK. Then navigate to the latest release.

What steps his Department is taking to increase take-up of Carer’s Allowance among eligible carers.

Carer’s Allowance (CA) offers financial support and recognition to unpaid carers in England and Wales who are unable to work full-time due to their caring responsibilities.Information and guidance on CA entitlement is available through multiple channels, including Jobcentre Plus offices, gov.uk, and third-party organisations such as Citizens Advice, Carers UK and Carers Trust.

What assessment the Department has made of the impact of recent policy changes on the proportion of disability benefit decisions overturned at appeal.

The Department is committed to monitoring the impacts of its policies. Information about disability benefit appeal overturns can be retrieved from StatXplore, HMCTS’ quarterly statistics, or the Department’s quarterly PIP statistics. The latter includes information about clearances and volumes at all stages of PIP decision making.https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/Tribunals statistics quarterly: July to September 2025 - GOV.UKPersonal Independence Payment statistics to July 2025 - GOV.UK

What recent assessment his Department has made of the availability of specialist disability employment advisers within Jobcentres.

Every Jobcentre has access to a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA). We have over 700 FTE DEAs across our Jobcentre network. We regularly monitor the number of staff allocated to this role. DEAs are trained as Work Coaches, followed by additional role specific learning designed to support their role. This learning enables DEAs to treat each claimant as an individual, understand the impact of different disabilities and health conditions, and provide tailored support to help overcome barriers to employment. Our other Jobcentre staff will make referrals to our DEAs for this specialist support where appropriate. We have a range of specialist support to help individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. DEAs work with the local community to advocate for customers, collaborate with local partners such as employers, voluntary organisations, the NHS and local government services to facilitate support that meets local needs and promote other programmes such as Disability Confident and Work Well.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of Universal Credit claimants awaiting mandatory reconsideration decisions as of the most recent month for which information is available.

As at end of October 2025, there were 61,000 outstanding mandatory reconsiderations (MR) for Universal Credit (UC). Notes: Each UC claim can have more than one reconsideration registered against it. The above includes all MRs.The data supplied is based on bespoke analysis of departmental datasets, and has not been certified as National Statistics or Official Statistics.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of the cost of living on the adequacy of benefit levels in the most recent review period.

The Social Security Administration Act 1992 requires the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to review State Pension and benefit rates each year to see if they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices or earnings. Where the relevant State Pension or benefit rates have not retained their value, legislation provides that the Secretary of State is required to, or in some instances may, up-rate their value. Following this review, State Pension and benefit rates are increased in line with statutory minimum amounts and others are increased subject to Secretary of State’s discretion. This statutory annual review has now concluded, and a Written Statement was published on the 26 November setting out the proposed new State Pension and benefit rates for 2026-27. As we have set out, we will be uprating most working age benefits across Great Britain in 2026/27, subject to parliamentary approval, in line with the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September 2025 – an increase of 3.8%.

What his Department’s current forecast is for its staffing requirements in benefit processing centres for the next financial year.

The Department continually impacts and assesses the service being offered to customers. Staff numbers are reviewed on an ongoing basis, in line with the latest economic and benefit forecasts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has been made in supporting democratic institutions and election integrity in countries receiving UK development assistance.

The issues raised by the Hon Member are all significant priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and he can find regular updates about them by consulting the FCDO's annual reports, following the FCDO news feed on GOV.UK, or attending sessions of FCDO departmental questions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of UK sanctions regimes in disrupting malign activity.

The issues raised by the Hon Member are all significant priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and he can find regular updates about them by consulting the FCDO's annual reports, following the FCDO news feed on GOV.UK, or attending sessions of FCDO departmental questions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Department is taking to promote media freedom and protect journalists in countries where press freedoms are under threat.

The issues raised by the Hon Member are all significant priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and he can find regular updates about them by consulting the FCDO's annual reports, following the FCDO news feed on GOV.UK, or attending sessions of FCDO departmental questions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support the Department is providing to international efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence in conflict.

The issues raised by the Hon Member are all significant priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and he can find regular updates about them by consulting the FCDO's annual reports, following the FCDO news feed on GOV.UK, or attending sessions of FCDO departmental questions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, What recent discussions his Department has had with partners to counter human trafficking and modern slavery in global supply chains.

The issues raised by the Hon Member are all significant priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and he can find regular updates about them by consulting the FCDO's annual reports, following the FCDO news feed on GOV.UK, or attending sessions of FCDO departmental questions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions have taken place with Commonwealth partners on strengthening trade and investment cooperation.

The issues raised by the Hon Member are all significant priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and he can find regular updates about them by consulting the FCDO's annual reports, following the FCDO news feed on GOV.UK, or attending sessions of FCDO departmental questions.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help protect cultural heritage sites at risk from conflict or natural disaster.

The UK’s principal mechanism for safeguarding cultural heritage at risk from conflict and natural disaster internationally is delivered by DCMS’s International Cultural Heritage Protection Programme (ICHP). This operates in 25 ODA-eligible countries predominantly across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia and in Ukraine. The primary initiative is the Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) delivered by the British Council. In addition, DCMS has funded the project ‘Climate Change & UNESCO Heritage’. Delivered by the UK National Commission for UNESCO, this has developed open-source tools to support UNESCO heritage sites to address climate challenges.