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1364320

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Older Workers: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what initiatives she is promoting to assist older people on Jobseekers Allowance who are considering changing career or retraining.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2021 answer text <p>The Chancellor announced in the 2021 Spending Review that an enhanced offer for workers aged 50 and over will be introduced, to ensure that older workers receive the support they need to remain in or return to work.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The enhanced offer will build on the Department’s existing Plan for Jobs which provides funding to ensure that more jobseekers of all ages get tailored support, including to reskill or pivot sectors. That includes programmes such as the Job Finding Support service, Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS), Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) and the Restart scheme, to help them find work. The JETS scheme in particular helps claimants to update their digital skills, job searching tools and to identify transferrable skills which has led to over 48,780 jobseekers in England and Wales and over 1,960 in Scotland start work.</p><p>The SWAPs provides opportunities in sectors with high volumes of current local vacancies, such as hospitality, allowing people to learn the skills and behaviours that employers need. DWP is increasing the number of SWAPs opportunities to 80,000 in 2021/22.</p><p> </p><p>A network of 50 Plus Champions provides dedicated support to Work Coaches across all 37 Jobcentre Plus districts to enable and encourage them to direct suitable Plan for Jobs and local support to claimants aged 50 and over. The Government’s Business Champion for Older Workers also spearheads the Government’s work to support employers to hire and re-train older workers, promoting the benefits of older workers to employers across England.</p><p> </p><p>To help people plan for employment in later life, we launched a Mid-life MOT in 2019, encouraging those in their 40s, 50s and 60s to consider aspects of their wealth, work and wellbeing. This helps them to make informed decisions about future income provision and longer-term employment prospects, supporting individuals to stay in work for longer and to achieve the later life that they want.</p><p> </p><p>The UK government are also investing in the National Skills Fund in England to aid The Lifetime Skills Guarantee. Since April 2021, adults of any age over 24 who are looking to achieve their first full Level 3 qualification have been able to access fully funded courses which will give them new skills and greater prospects in the labour market. Skills Bootcamps, which are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, are giving adults the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. As announced at the Budget, a total investment of over £550m by 2024-25 will make sure adults, at any age, can upskill to reach their potential, transforming lives and delivering on the National Skills Fund commitment.</p><p> </p><p>The free online Skills Toolkit also provides online learning focused on digital, numeracy and employability skills.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/11/2021 17:24:12 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364326

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Employment: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to disabled people in (a) Hendon constituency and (b) the UK to transition from education into employment.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65413
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>DWP Schools Advisers in Hendon and across the London Borough of Barnet, work with the local Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) schools to help their young people transition into work. They work with the schools to deliver sessions on building employability skills and providing help with CVs, identifying suitable employment options that align their skills with available jobs and delivering sessions on interview skills.</p><p> </p><p>Across the UK, including Hendon, there are a range of DWP initiatives that are supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to live independent lives and start, stay and succeed in employment. These include the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, Access to Work, Supported Internships, Disability Confident and support in partnership with the health system, including Employment Advice in NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services.</p><p> </p><p>As part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs, the Kickstart scheme is aimed specifically at young people. Disabled people or people with long-term health conditions can access the Kickstart scheme, supported through Access to Work if required.</p><p> </p><p>We have also increased the number of Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) to 1000 nationally. DEAs work alongside Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches, including Youth Employability Coaches, specialising in finding the right support to help all customers that have a disability or health condition.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 08/11/2021 17:16:59 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364327

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Funds: Environment Protection
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support pension funds to invest in green infrastructure.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65414
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2021 answer text <p>The government has been a global champion in terms of promoting safer, better, greener pensions. On 1 October 2021, Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures regulations and statutory guidance came into force, requiring trustees to consider, assess and report on the financial risks and opportunities of climate change within their portfolios.</p><p> </p><p>We are also doing more to remove barriers to investment in green infrastructure and other illiquid assets. As announced in the recent Budget, we will consult on possible changes to the regulatory charge cap for defined contribution pension schemes used for automatic enrolment. These changes could help unlock access to investment in important sectors of the UK economy, including green infrastructure, whilst continuing to protect savers.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 02/11/2021 13:36:46 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364331

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Household Support Fund: Hendon
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the £500 million Household Support Fund will provide assistance to vulnerable people in Hendon over the next six months.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2021 answer text <p><strong></strong></p><p>We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.</p><p> </p><p>The Household Support Fund in England is being allocated at the Upper Tier level. In Hendon, this means that funding has been allocated to Barnet Council. All Upper Tier Local Authorities have the flexibility to deliver their own schemes through a variety of routes, which may include offering vouchers to households, directly providing food, or issuing grants to third parties to provide such services on their behalf.</p><p> </p><p>The Household Support Fund will primarily be used to support households in need with food, energy and water costs, with flexibility for support with wider essentials. In exceptional cases of genuine emergency where existing housing support schemes do not meet this exceptional need, the Household Support Fund can be used to support housing costs. At least 50% of the funding is for vulnerable households with children, while up to 50% is available for vulnerable households without children, including individuals.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 05/11/2021 14:36:13 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364332

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on cross-departmental work to implement effectively the National Disability Strategy.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including the National Disability Strategy which was published in July.</p><p> </p><p>At the request of the Prime Minister, a set of Ministerial Disability Champions were appointed in summer 2020, to drive the development and delivery of the National Disability Strategy.</p><p> </p><p>Their role, as set out on <a href="http://gov.uk/" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a>, includes championing disabled people and driving the delivery of the National Disability Strategy in their respective departments.</p><p> </p><p>As detailed in the strategy itself, the government will publish an annual report in summer 2022, detailing the progress made against commitments. An updated list of Departmental Ministerial Disability Champions will be published on <a href="http://gov.uk/" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a> in due course.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 08/11/2021 16:51:21 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364337

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Unemployment: Hendon
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support Jobcentre Plus is providing to young people not in education, employment and training in the Hendon constituency.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2021 answer text <p>The Government’s Plan for Jobs is delivering a comprehensive package of support for young people, which the Department for Work and Pensions is providing in collaboration with the Department for Education, schools and other partners. This means that whatever their needs, young people can find the right support, education or training that will ultimately lead to sustained employment.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Jobcentre Plus provides an array of support for young people living in the constituency of Hendon and across the Borough of Barnet, underpinned by a close working relationship with key stakeholders.</p><p> </p><p>Kickstart provides employment and training opportunities across a range of sectors with Kickstart jobs offered by key employers in the area such as Brent Cross-Hemmersons, Barnet Council, The Cherry Tree Foundation and The London Village Network. Every week we welcome dozens of employers into the local Jobcentres to recruit young people face-to-face. Our Work Coaches help to prepare young people for interview, and where a job start is secured, offer financial support to overcome any barriers around travel and essential clothing and equipment. The local Youth Hub is based in Grahame Park, Colindale. Work Coaches, in collaboration with Barnet Council, provide bespoke support to customers to move closer to work or opportunities, from CV writing to training opportunities.</p><p> </p><p>We are working closely with the local leaving care team and a range of expert partners to provide the holistic support needed by this priority group of young people. These organisations include Bridging the Gap, Future Pathways, Live Unlimited, Routes into Constructions, Twinning Enterprise, Trail Blazers, Barnet Council, Advocacy Service and Drive Forward Foundation. These vital partnerships have been at the forefront in our drive to reduce youth unemployment, ensuring every young person is being supported into work.</p><p> </p><p>Sector-based Work Academy Programmes also provide the essential skills young people need to enter employment, for example a recent programme provided the skills required for the fitness industry and prioritised those young people with complex barriers linked to leaving care, gang affiliation and a history of offending.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 05/11/2021 12:47:56 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364338

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Workplace Pensions: Hendon
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been auto-enrolled in workplace pensions in Hendon constituency since 2012.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2021 answer text <p>Since 2012, in the Hendon constituency, approximately 14,000 eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension and 3,530 employers have declared compliance with their automatic enrolment duties.</p><p> </p><p>This data is produced and updated by The Pensions Regulator each month and published on its website which can be accessed via the following weblink: <br> <br> <a href="https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests" target="_blank">https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 02/11/2021 13:42:06 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364339

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Employment: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will implement further initiatives to help reduce the disability employment gap.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65419
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2021 answer text <p>The National Disability Strategy, the Health and Disability Support Green Paper and the Health is Everyone’s Business response together reflect this Government’s commitment to supporting disabled people and those with long-term health conditions to live full and independent lives, including through employment. A range of DWP initiatives are currently supporting disabled people to start, stay and succeed in work. These include the Work and Health Programme, the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme, Access to Work, Disability Confident and support in partnership with the health system, including Employment Advice in NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 04/11/2021 16:38:28 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364340

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Vacancies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote and fill employment vacancies in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65420
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2021 answer text <p>Throughout the pandemic, the Government has provided historic levels of support to the economy<em>. </em>DWP’s Plan for Jobs programmes, including Kickstart, are delivering tailored support for claimants in receipt of Universal Credit to support them into work.</p><p>Alongside Plan for Jobs measures, DWP is working across government to support people into sectors with immediate or growing demand for jobs but with barriers to entry. We are also working with industry to provide our work coaches with the knowledge they need to identify suitable candidates and to develop relationships with key employers and stakeholders in their local areas. As a result, local jobcentres continue to connect directly with employers in their area, to discuss their recruitment needs and to offer advice on the support available, including work trials, work experience and Sector-based Work Academies Programmes (SWAPs).</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 65397 question first answered 05/11/2021 15:10:40 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1364341

registered interest
date	28/10/2021
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Funds: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what contributions she plans to make at COP26 to help pension funds contribute to delivering net zero.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	65421
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2021 answer text <p>The UK was the first country in the world both to make climate disclosures in line with the Task Force on Climate- Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations mandatory for occupational pensions schemes, and to consult on measures to require pension schemes to measure and report their alignment with the Paris Agreement on climate change.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State therefore intends to play a very active role in encouraging other countries to follow this precedent and to commit to TCFD/Paris aligned reporting for their pension sector at COP26. The Secretary of State will also be introducing a session to focus on mobilising finance to fight climate change in emerging markets and developing countries, which will be crucial in the fight against climate change.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 02/11/2021 13:39:52 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord