Through the Health Transformation Programme, we are expanding digital services for Personal Independence Payment customers. Over 90% of those making new PIP applications can now submit their health information online after starting their claim by phone. This is benefitting customers by removing postage times and increasing accessibility. We are continuing to extend this option to all customers and, by the end of the Programme, customers will be able to view application progress and report a change of circumstances online, reducing their need to call the enquiry line.

Discretionary indexation is over and above the statutory requirements. This discretion is usually exercised by the trustees with the agreement of the sponsoring employer. Some schemes have previously paid discretionary increases on a regular basis.

The Pension Schemes Act 2026 has made changes so that more trustees of well-funded schemes have the flexibility to share their scheme surplus with employers, subject to strict funding safeguards for members.

Scheme trustees will be responsible for decisions on surplus release, working with sponsoring employers. Trustees must act in the interests of scheme beneficiaries and are best placed to determine the appropriate use of any surplus for their individual scheme. They will agree how members can benefit, which could include discretionary benefit increases.

The Pensions Regulator already expects that trustees be aware of members who would benefit from any decision to award a discretionary increase and whether the scheme has a history of making such awards. They will issue guidance, developed in consultation with industry, which will outline matters trustees should consider when releasing surplus.

For the purpose of the Impact Assessment for the Pension Schemes Act, it was stylistically assumed that surplus would be equally split between sponsoring employers and members, reflecting the reality that any split is for trustees not government.

Discretionary indexation is over and above the statutory requirements. This discretion is usually exercised by the trustees with the agreement of the sponsoring employer. Some schemes have previously paid discretionary increases on a regular basis.

The Pension Schemes Act 2026 has made changes so that more trustees of well-funded schemes have the flexibility to share their scheme surplus with employers, subject to strict funding safeguards for members.

Scheme trustees will be responsible for decisions on surplus release, working with sponsoring employers. Trustees must act in the interests of scheme beneficiaries and are best placed to determine the appropriate use of any surplus for their individual scheme. They will agree how members can benefit, which could include discretionary benefit increases.

The Pensions Regulator already expects that trustees be aware of members who would benefit from any decision to award a discretionary increase and whether the scheme has a history of making such awards. They will issue guidance, developed in consultation with industry, which will outline matters trustees should consider when releasing surplus.

For the purpose of the Impact Assessment for the Pension Schemes Act, it was stylistically assumed that surplus would be equally split between sponsoring employers and members, reflecting the reality that any split is for trustees not government.

This government is transforming the Apprenticeships Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy in England, giving employers greater flexibility, creating more opportunities for young people, and directly supporting the Industrial Strategy.

To give businesses greater flexibility and help them quickly respond to emerging skills gaps, we have launched new apprenticeship units in priority sectors such as artificial intelligence, digital, and engineering. We have also reduced the apprenticeship minimum duration to 8 months and made the English and maths requirements more flexible for adult apprentices.

We are giving businesses the stability they need to invest and create high-quality jobs across the UK through our Industrial Strategy, including investing over £1 billion for tailored sector skills packages.

As part of the new Jobs and Careers Service, we recognise the importance of designing support for diverse communities to ensure that it reflects the opportunities and challenges in each local labour market and works effectively with services available locally.

Jobs and Careers Service local plans help jobcentres analyse customer needs, labour market trends and local opportunities, so they can work with partners to design targeted local solutions.

Alongside the support delivered in Jobcentres, we are exploring more community-based employment and careers support, such as jobcentre vans and working with local partners to deliver employment and careers support in libraries, GP surgeries and local authority buildings.

We will continue to work with local partners to meet the needs of diverse communities, delivering support through trusted local settings.

The Government is taking action now to shape the AI transition in a way that benefits workers and the economy:

• We are supporting over 400,000 young people obtaining TechFirst AI training, and we are developing apprenticeship schemes and Jobs Guarantee AI placements to ensure AI creates opportunities for the next generation.
• We have established the AI Economics Institute to provide world-leading research on AI’s economic impacts so government can respond to labour market shocks.
• Government has established the industry-led Early Careers Jobs Alliance to it map how entry-level work is changing in the Digital and Tech Sector, producing practical help for businesses on how to redesign roles while maintaining entry-level pathways to ensure AI provides opportunities for young people.

The Department is committed to ensuring that Child Maintenance Service (CMS) decisions are made in a timely, accurate and fair manner, based on all relevant information provided by parents.

A Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) is the process by which a parent asks the CMS to review a decision. An MR may be requested at any stage during the lifetime of a case or following an unsuccessful application for child maintenance. Either parent can ask for an MR, but both parents will be asked to provide any information or evidence that they feel is relevant.

Where the CMS determines that the original decision was incorrect, or where additional relevant information is provided by a parent, the decision may be revised.

This process must be completed before a parent can appeal an appealable CMS decision to an independent tribunal administered by His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service.

The Department publishes quarterly Child Maintenance Service (CMS) official statistics. Table 9 of the latest National tables includes information on the total number of mandatory reconsideration requests received by the CMS and the outcomes occurring each quarter, and the number and percentage cleared within 28 days of receipt, from quarter ending April 2015 to quarter ending March 2026.

Table 10 of the latest National tables includes information on the total number of appeals made by parents to His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service to review a decision made by the CMS and the outcomes each quarter, from quarter ending April 2015 to quarter ending March 2026.

Information on the proportion of cases resulting in a reduction in child maintenance liability is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

There are no published official statistics that specifically measures the number of entry level vacancies at the local level.

With around one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion by 2029 into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.

This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including through expanded network of Youth Hubs, earlier intensive support in Jobs Centres through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, additional work experience and training opportunities, a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant and £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for employers, and a fully funded six month job for long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds.

We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced an ambition to create 100,000 new jobs in the retail sector for young people by 2029, supporting more young people to take their first step into work. This is a significant commitment from one of the UK's largest employment sectors and an important contribution towards the Government's ambition that every young person has the opportunity to build the skills, experience and connections needed to move into work.

As part of this ambition, BRC is launching 'Opening Shift' a new joint DWP and BRC work experience programme for 18–24 year old jobseekers. ‘Opening Shift’ will provide retail work experience, workplace support and interview experience, helping young people to build skills, confidence and experience employers are looking for.

The commitment complements the Government's Youth Guarantee, which is backed by £2.5 billion of additional investment and will ensure young people can access the support, training, work experience and opportunities they need to move into employment, education or training. ‘Opening Shift’ will play an important role in helping deliver the Youth Guarantee's commitment to provide 150,000 work experience opportunities by 2029.

BRC represents a wide range of retail employers across the UK, and young people across the country will benefit from opportunities created through this partnership. The opportunities available in individual areas will depend on participating employers' business needs and local presence.

Work Experience is available to all claimants throughout their claim. Young jobseekers will be offered a work experience placement as part of their Youth Guarantee Journey which may include referrals to Opening Shift opportunities, where these are available and appropriate for the individual.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced an ambition to create 100,000 new jobs in the retail sector for young people by 2029, supporting more young people to take their first step into work. This is a significant commitment from one of the UK's largest employment sectors and an important contribution towards the Government's ambition that every young person has the opportunity to build the skills, experience and connections needed to move into work.

As part of this ambition, BRC is launching 'Opening Shift' a new joint DWP and BRC work experience programme for 18–24 year old jobseekers. ‘Opening Shift’ will provide retail work experience, workplace support and interview experience, helping young people to build skills, confidence and experience employers are looking for.

The commitment complements the Government's Youth Guarantee, which is backed by £2.5 billion of additional investment and will ensure young people can access the support, training, work experience and opportunities they need to move into employment, education or training. ‘Opening Shift’ will play an important role in helping deliver the Youth Guarantee's commitment to provide 150,000 work experience opportunities by 2029.

BRC represents a wide range of retail employers across the UK, and young people across the country will benefit from opportunities created through this partnership. The opportunities available in individual areas will depend on participating employers' business needs and local presence.

Work Experience is available to all claimants throughout their claim. Young jobseekers will be offered a work experience placement as part of their Youth Guarantee Journey which may include referrals to Opening Shift opportunities, where these are available and appropriate for the individual.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced an ambition to create 100,000 new jobs in the retail sector for young people by 2029, supporting more young people to take their first step into work. This is a significant commitment from one of the UK's largest employment sectors and an important contribution towards the Government's ambition that every young person has the opportunity to build the skills, experience and connections needed to move into work.

As part of this ambition, BRC is launching 'Opening Shift' a new joint DWP and BRC work experience programme for 18–24 year old jobseekers. ‘Opening Shift’ will provide retail work experience, workplace support and interview experience, helping young people to build skills, confidence and experience employers are looking for.

The commitment complements the Government's Youth Guarantee, which is backed by £2.5 billion of additional investment and will ensure young people can access the support, training, work experience and opportunities they need to move into employment, education or training. ‘Opening Shift’ will play an important role in helping deliver the Youth Guarantee's commitment to provide 150,000 work experience opportunities by 2029.

BRC represents a wide range of retail employers across the UK, and young people across the country will benefit from opportunities created through this partnership. The opportunities available in individual areas will depend on participating employers' business needs and local presence.

Work Experience is available to all claimants throughout their claim. Young jobseekers will be offered a work experience placement as part of their Youth Guarantee Journey which may include referrals to Opening Shift opportunities, where these are available and appropriate for the individual.

The catering and hospitality foundation apprenticeship was introduced in April 2026.

The latest published apprenticeships data for the 2025/26 academic year, which includes foundation apprenticeship starts and covers August 2025 to April 2026, and can be found here: Release home - Apprenticeships - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK.

Starts covering May to July 2026 will be first published in the Apprenticeships: November 2026 statistics publication.

The independent Office for National Statistics estimate that there are 981,000 16-24 year-olds not in education, employment and training, down 30,000 (0.5% points) on the quarter. The DWP does not hold data on what proportion of young people not in education, employment or training have dyslexia.

With around one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind.

The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion by 2029 into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including through expanded network of Youth Hubs, earlier intensive support in Jobs Centres through a new Youth Guarantee Gateway, additional work experience and training opportunities, a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant and £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for employers, and a fully funded six month job for long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds.

We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

However, monthly Universal Credit payment timeliness statistics to April 2026, for all claims and new claims, are published in the UC Households 5 - Payment Timeliness All Claims table and the UC Households 6 - Payment Timeliness New Claims table, in the Households on Universal Credit dataset on Stat-Xplore.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract information. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy in England, giving employers greater flexibility, creating more opportunities for young people, and directly supporting Industrial Strategy sectors, including engineering and manufacturing.

Employers can choose the training provider best suited to deliver the apprenticeship training that will meet their skills needs and the government provides a range of financial support for employers and providers to offer apprenticeships. We are now fully funding apprenticeships for eligible young people under 25 and from October we are introducing a £2,000 hiring payment for non-levy paying employers, typically SMEs, that recruit apprentices under 25. We also continue to pay £1,000 to both employers, of all sizes, and providers for eligible young apprentices, including 16-18-year-olds.

To give businesses greater flexibility and help them quickly respond to emerging skills gaps, we have launched new apprenticeship units in priority sectors such as artificial intelligence, digital, and engineering. These are built from the knowledge and skills within existing employer-led occupational apprenticeship standards, ensuring high-quality, targeted training that meets real business needs. Levy payers can use their levy funding for apprenticeship units and they will also be fully funded for non-levy paying employers, typically SMEs.

While capital projects are ineligible for apprenticeship funding, apprenticeship provision will benefit from significant capital funding announced in the Infrastructure, Industrial, and Education Estates strategies, including £200 million via the Skills Mission Funds to expand Technical Excellence Colleges across England to priority sectors.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced an ambition to create 100,000 new jobs in the retail sector for young people by 2029, supporting more young people to take their first step into work. This is a significant commitment from one of the UK's largest employment sectors and an important contribution towards the Government's ambition that every young person has the opportunity to build the skills, experience and connections needed to move into work.

As part of this ambition, BRC is launching 'Opening Shift' a new joint DWP and BRC work experience programme for 18–24 year old jobseekers. ‘Opening Shift’ will provide retail work experience, workplace support and interview experience, helping young people to build skills, confidence and experience employers are looking for.

The commitment complements the Government's Youth Guarantee, which is backed by £2.5 billion of additional investment and will ensure young people can access the support, training, work experience and opportunities they need to move into employment, education or training. ‘Opening Shift’ will play an important role in helping deliver the Youth Guarantee's commitment to provide 150,000 work experience opportunities by 2029.

BRC represents a wide range of retail employers across the UK, and young people across the country will benefit from opportunities created through this partnership. The opportunities available in individual areas will depend on participating employers' business needs and local presence.

Work Experience is available to all claimants throughout their claim. Young jobseekers will be offered a work experience placement as part of their Youth Guarantee Journey which may include referrals to Opening Shift opportunities, where these are available and appropriate for the individual.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced an ambition to create 100,000 new jobs in the retail sector for young people by 2029, supporting more young people to take their first step into work. This is a significant commitment from one of the UK's largest employment sectors and an important contribution towards the Government's ambition that every young person has the opportunity to build the skills, experience and connections needed to move into work.

As part of this ambition, BRC is launching 'Opening Shift' a new joint DWP and BRC work experience programme for 18–24 year old jobseekers. ‘Opening Shift’ will provide retail work experience, workplace support and interview experience, helping young people to build skills, confidence and experience employers are looking for.

The commitment complements the Government's Youth Guarantee, which is backed by £2.5 billion of additional investment and will ensure young people can access the support, training, work experience and opportunities they need to move into employment, education or training. ‘Opening Shift’ will play an important role in helping deliver the Youth Guarantee's commitment to provide 150,000 work experience opportunities by 2029.

BRC represents a wide range of retail employers across the UK, and young people across the country will benefit from opportunities created through this partnership. The opportunities available in individual areas will depend on participating employers' business needs and local presence.

Work Experience is available to all claimants throughout their claim. Young jobseekers will be offered a work experience placement as part of their Youth Guarantee Journey which may include referrals to Opening Shift opportunities, where these are available and appropriate for the individual.