Minister of State for Social Security and Disability

The Minister of State for Social Security and Disability is a junior minister in the Department for Work and Pensions of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for disabled people.^[1] The role has also been known as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People, Health and Work.

United Kingdom Minister of State for Social Security and Disability
Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
Incumbent Stephen Timms since 8 July 2024
Department for Work and Pensions
Appointer	The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Inaugural holder	Alf Morris
Formation	1974
Website	Official website

The current holder is Sir Stephen Timms of the Labour Party.^[2]

Current Portfolio

The minister's responsibilities includes the following:^[1]

• Cross-government disability issues
• Work and health strategy, including sponsorship of the Joint Work and Health Unit
• Disability employment, including Disability Confident, Work Choice, Access to Work, the Work and Health Programme and mental health in the workplace
• Support for those at risk of falling out of work, including occupational health and Statutory Sick Pay
• Financial support for sick and disabled claimants, including within:

• Universal Credit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Carer's Allowance

• Specific welfare and health-related issues, including Motability and arms-length compensation schemes
• Oversight of the Health and Safety Executive and the Office for Nuclear Regulation

List of ministers

• 11 March 1974 – 1979: Alf Morris, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Disablement) at the Department of Health and Social Security^[3]
• 7 May 1979 – 1981: Reg Prentice, Minister of State (Social Security), DHSS^[4]
• 5 January 1981 – 1983: Hugh Rossi, Minister of State for Social Security and the Disabled (DHSS)^[5]
• 13 June 1983 – 1984: Tony Newton, Minister for the Disabled (Parliamentary Under-Secretary), DHSS^[6]
• 11 September 1984 – 1986: Tony Newton, Minister of State for Social Security and the Disabled (DHSS)^[6]
• 1986 – 1987 general election: John Major, Minister of State for Social Security^[7] and the Disabled (DHSS)^[8][9][10]
• 1987^[8]–1994: Nicholas Scott, as Minister of State, Department of Social Security^[11]
• 20 July 1994 – 5 July 1995: William Hague, Minister of State, DSS (with responsibility for Social Security and Disabled People)^[12]
• 6 July 1995 – 2 May 1997: Alistair Burt, Minister for Disabled People (Minister of State, DSS)^[13]
• Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health) — 6 May 1997 – 28 October 1998
• Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education and Employment) (Employment and Equal Opportunities) — 28 July 1998 – 10 June 2001

Name		Portrait	Term of office		Party	Ministry
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People
	Paul Boateng[14]		4 May 1997	27 October 1998	Labour		Blair (I) (II) (III)
	Margaret Hodge[15]		29 July 1998	11 June 2001	Labour
	Maria Eagle[16]		11 June 2001	17 June 2005	Labour
	Anne McGuire[17]		17 June 2005	5 October 2008	Labour
							Brown
	Jonathan Shaw[18]		5 October 2008	11 May 2010	Labour
	Maria Miller[19]		12 May 2010	4 September 2012	Conservative		Cameron-Clegg
	Esther McVey[20]		4 September 2012	7 October 2013	Conservative
	Minister of State for Disabled People
	Mike Penning[21]		7 October 2013	15 July 2014	Conservative		Cameron-Clegg
	Mark Harper[22]		15 July 2014	8 May 2015	Conservative
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People
	Justin Tomlinson[23]		8 May 2015	15 July 2016	Conservative		Cameron (II)
Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health
	Penny Mordaunt[24]		15 July 2016	9 November 2017	Conservative		May (I) (II)
	Sarah Newton[25]		9 November 2017	13 March 2019	Conservative
	Justin Tomlinson		4 April 2019	16 September 2021	Conservative		May (II) Johnson (I) (II)
	Chloe Smith		16 September 2021	6 September 2022	Conservative		Johnson (II)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People, Health and Work
	Claire Coutinho		21 September 2022	28 October 2022	Conservative		Truss Sunak
Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work
	Tom Pursglove		28 October 2022	7 December 2023	Conservative		Sunak
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People, Health and Work
	Mims Davies		14 December 2023	12 April 2024	Conservative		Sunak
Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work
	Mims Davies		12 April 2024	5 July 2024	Conservative		Sunak
Minister of State for Social Security and Disability
	Stephen Timms		8 July 2024	Incumbent	Labour		Starmer

See also

• Department of Health and Social Security 11 March 1974 to 25 July 1988
• Department of Social Security 25 July 1988 to
• Department for Work and Pensions 8 June 2001 to present

References

1. "Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work: Responsibilities". gov.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
2. "Minister of State for Social Security and Disability". Gov.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
3. "Morris of Manchester". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
4. "Prentice". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
5. "Rossi, Sir Hugh (Alexis Louis)". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
6. "Newton of Braintree". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
7. "Major, Rt Hon. Sir John". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
8. "Supplementary Benefit (1986)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 16 December 1986.
9. Major, John (2000). John Major: The Autobiography. London: HarperCollins. pp. 93–94. ISBN 978-0-00-257004-6.
10. Seldon, Anthony (1998) [1997]. Major: A Political Life. London: Phoenix Books. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-7538-0145-1.
11. Barnes, John (10 January 2005). "Sir Nicholas Scott". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
12. "Rt Hon William Hague MP – profile". Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
13. "Burt, Rt Hon. Alistair (James Hendrie)". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
14. "Lord Boateng". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
15. "Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge MP". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
16. "Maria Eagle MP". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
17. "Rt Hon Dame Anne McGuire". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
18. "Jonathan Shaw". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
19. "Rt Hon Maria Miller MP". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
20. "Rt Hon Esther McVey MP". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
21. "Rt Hon Sir Mike Penning MP". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
22. "Rt Hon Mark Harper MP". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
23. "Justin Tomlinson MP". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
24. "Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
25. "Sarah Newton MP". parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 March 2018.