The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those who have reached state pension age, currently aged sixty-six. ENCTS costs around £1 billion annually and any changes to the minimum statutory scheme, such as lowering the age of eligibility, would need to be carefully considered for their impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations and extend free bus travel to those not eligible for ENCTS, however, these additional concessions are not funded by central government but by local authorities from local resources, such as council tax. Since 2010/11 almost all of the travel concession authorities in England have offered some form of discretionary concession.

The Department will very shortly publish advice for local transport authorities on the scope, process and accountability framework for the Local Transport Fund. It is my intention that locally elected representatives, working with their local MPs, decide how to spend this money to invest in the transport priorities that matter most to their area.

The new £1 billion Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding for buses in the North and the Midlands, announced on 4 October, will continue and expand the improvements started by the £1.2 billion for BSIPs announced in 2022 and 2023. The first downpayment of £150 million has been indicatively allocated for 2024-25.

The new funding can be used in the same way as existing BSIP funding. LTAs may use the funding to deliver the interventions that they and local operators, where they have an Enhanced Partnership, expect will deliver the best outcomes for passengers. Further details on the terms of funding will follow in due course.

Unemployment is at 3.5%. That is the lowest in nearly 50 years. We have recruited an extra 13,000-plus job coaches and are taking specific action to ensure that we are rolling out our new in-work progression offer.

The calculation is initially based on historic income information received directly from HM Revenue and Customs. Parents may need to supply additional evidence which is considered on a case by case basis.

Both parents have the right to request a mandatory reconsideration and supply further evidence to challenge a decision.

No assessment has been made.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) already has tough enforcement powers including taking regular or lump sum payments from bank accounts or regular payments direct from earnings. Other sanctions such as sending parents to prison or disqualifying them from holding or obtaining a driving licence are used as a deterrent and as a last resort where all other methods of enforcement have failed.

These powers were reviewed as part of the Compliance and Arrears Strategy and in 2018 we introduced new powers to deduct child maintenance directly from a wider range of accounts, including certain joint and business accounts; and to disqualify parents from holding or obtaining a passport.

Compliance measures are published quarterly and can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-june-2020-experimental/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-june-2020-experimental

1.5 million pensioners currently receive Pension Credit. However, the Government wants to make sure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled. In February 2020 we launched a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit and help dispel some of the misconceptions that people might have about Pension Credit eligibility.

The DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances.