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Written question asked by Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party) on Monday, 2 June 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 4 June 2025. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Monday, 9 June 2025 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Unemployment Insurance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's Green Paper entitled Pathways to Work, published on 18 May 2025, what estimate she has made of the number of claimants currently in receipt of contributory Employment and Support Allowance who would transfer to the proposed unemployment insurance.

Answer

The Department is currently consulting on a proposed Unemployment Insurance. The consultation closes on 30 June 2025. No decisions have yet been made about transitioning existing claimants of NS ESA and NS JSA to the proposed Unemployment Insurance and therefore an estimate cannot be provided at this stage. However, a further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab). Latest data as of November 2025 shows that there are 750,000 claimants for contributory ESA.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
56365
Session
2024-26
Related items
Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working
Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Command papers
House of Commons
House of Lords
Subjects
Employment and support allowance Unemployment insurance
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk