Cost of Living Payment: UC Claimants in Gedling Tom Randall
(Gedling) (Con) 1. What estimate she has made of the number of
universal credit claimants in Gedling constituency who will receive
a cost of living payment. (900970) The Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (David Rutley)
Despite what has happened today, our spirits will not be dampened,
and I am sure that the Chamber will be in full flow before we know
it. Universal credit...Request free
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Cost of Living Payment: UC Claimants in Gedling
(Gedling) (Con)
1. What estimate she has made of the number of universal credit
claimants in Gedling constituency who will receive a cost of
living payment. (900970)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
Despite what has happened today, our spirits will not be
dampened, and I am sure that the Chamber will be in full flow
before we know it.
Universal credit claimants who received at least 1p during
assessment periods that ended between 26 April and 25 May 2022
will be eligible for the first instalment of a cost of living
payment worth £326. Latest statistics show that 4,800 households
in Gedling were in receipt of universal credit in February
2022.
Will my hon. Friend confirm when the more than 10,000 households
in my Gedling constituency that are eligible for a cost of living
payment should expect to receive that help from the
Government?
The first instalment of the means-tested cost of living payment
of £326 will be paid to eligible households from 14 July. I am
pleased to remind colleagues that the payment is the first in a
£15 billion package of measures to help households this year.
Disabled People: Support in Work
(Motherwell and Wishaw)
(SNP)
2. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help
ensure that disabled people are supported in work. (900971)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
We are absolutely delighted to see 1.3 million more disabled
people in work than in 2017, smashing our commitment of 1 million
lives changed by 2027 five years early. We remain committed to
reducing the disability employment gap and, over the next three
years, we will invest £1.3 billion in employment support for
disabled people and people with health conditions.
The UK has the highest levels of in-work poverty this century,
which, as the Minister will know, disproportionately impacts
groups facing higher living costs, such as disabled people. In
the middle of this Tory man-made cost of living crisis, will she
ensure that the UK Government’s health and disability White Paper
addresses the suitability of the current statutory sick pay
system, increase the Access to Work fund and end the payment cap,
as well as create statutory timescales for the implementation of
reasonable adjustments?
As is the hon. Member’s wont, she introduces a series of serious
points, which I look forward to continuing to discuss with her
here and in other places. I can confirm that we shall be bringing
forward our health and disability benefits assessment White
Paper, and I very much look forward to discussing the full
breadth of the contents with her. I can also confirm that our
goal is to help as many disabled people as possible and as
appropriate to start, to stay and to succeed in work, because
that is one way of being more resilient to economic crises. That
is in addition to our extensive cost of living support.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Lewisham, Deptford)
(Lab)
The Government-commissioned National Centre for Social Research
report confirms that many disabled people live in poverty.
Ministers claim that work is a route out of poverty, yet the
disability employment gap remains stubbornly at 28%. We have a
bureaucratic Access to Work scheme, with an ineffective spending
cap, which, ironically, is not available in all accessible
formats. A mere £128 million is spent on it, compared with £64
billion on disability benefits. What does the Minister say to
those disabled people who want to work, but who are faced with a
system that, frankly, is not fit for purpose?
I think the hon. Member is wrong to say that the disability
employment gap is static at 28%. It is moving in the right
direction, which is important to acknowledge. While we have made
progress, we need to be able to make more. It is important to
recognise what has gone on, in that we have more disabled people
in work and the disability employment gap is reducing. We need
Access to Work to be a strong part of the solution. There is a
great deal of work going on to transform Access to Work to make
it even more effective in helping disabled people to start, stay
and succeed in work. Those will all be continued priorities of
this Government and this Department.
Cost of Living Increase: Pensioners
(Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
(SNP)
3. What steps her Department is taking to support pensioners in
the context of the increase in the cost of living. (900972)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
Mr Speaker, I hope to be a better Pensions Minister than the one
from whom I have just inherited the job.
The United Kingdom Government have provided £37 billion-worth of
support for those most in need, including pensioners. Some
pensioners will receive in excess of £1,500 over and above the
state pension, which is up this year.
I thank the Minister for that answer, but pension credit figures
show that an estimated £1.7 billion goes unclaimed. Not only are
850,000 families missing out on this essential support, but they
are also ineligible for the £650 cost of living payment. Will the
Minister consider extending the cut-off date for entitlement to
that payment to next March? Will the Department finally look at a
proper benefits take-up strategy such as the one we have in
Scotland?
The hon. Member will be aware that, by reason of the pension
credit awareness campaign from April and in particular the
pension credit day of action on 15 June, the numbers for pension
credit have massively increased—by well over 275% for that
period. He will also be aware that there is a huge effort being
made to ensure that pension credit take-up increases. I ask all
hon. Members please to encourage their communities to apply.
Finally, he will also be aware that pension credit is
retrospective, so people have until 24 August to apply and still
be entitled to the £650 cost of living payment that this
Government will be making from Thursday.
Mr Speaker
I call shadow Minister .
(Reading East) (Lab)
Following the resignation of the Prime Minister, there is a real
risk that the House turns in on itself. I want to draw the
Minister’s attention to the serious cost of living crisis facing
families and pensioners in this country. Sadly, the Government
broke their promise to keep the triple lock on the state pension
at the very time that inflation was starting to rise. As a
result, pensioners struggling to get by have each lost more than
£500 this year. How can the Minister possibly justify letting
down pensioners in this way?
I was the Minister who saw that the Labour party at the time did
not object to our taking the actions we did in respect of the
triple lock. The hon. Gentleman talks about a loss but, as he
knows, the state pension was less than £100 in 2009, before the
Government changed in 2010. He also knows that we have now
virtually doubled the state pension and that there is in excess
of £1,500 extra money going to pensioners this year, by reason of
the winter fuel payment, the cost of living support for those who
are most vulnerable, the council tax rebate worth £150 and the
energy support fund, which arrives on or around 1 October.
Mr Speaker
We now come to SNP spokesperson, .
(Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
(SNP)
The reality is that even before the Pensions Minister scrapped
the triple lock, taking £500 out of the pockets of pensioners,
the UK had pensioner poverty rates higher than small independent
European countries. We now know that the Chancellor is reviewing
the corporation tax rates, which were intended to raise £50
billion over the lifetime of this Parliament. How can he
guarantee that the triple lock will not be sacrificed once more,
trapping pensioners in poverty just to pay for Tory tax
giveaways?
As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, the United Kingdom
Government have provided £37 billion-worth of
support—[Interruption.] Oh, we most definitely have. That takes
the form of four different payments over the next six months and
is a real support to the most vulnerable in our community.
Without a shadow of a doubt, we will continue to support those
most vulnerable.
Pension Credit Campaign: New Claims
(Kettering) (Con)
4. What estimate she has made of the number of new Pension Credit
claims submitted in (a) Kettering constituency, (b) North
Northamptonshire and (c) England since the start of her
Department’s Pension Credit campaign in April 2022. (900973)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
It was an honour and a privilege to visit my hon. Friend’s
Kettering constituency. Although the figures on new pension
credit claims cannot be broken down by constituency or region,
the pension credit campaign has been highly successful, with more
than 10,000 claims received across Great Britain during the week
of the pension credit day of action on 15 June. That was an
increase of 275% for the relevant period compared with 2021,
which also saw an increase.
Mr Hollobone
I congratulate my hon. Friend on being the longest-serving
Pensions Minister ever and thank him for visiting Kettering on
Friday 1 July and supporting the Kettering Older People’s Fair. I
urge him to use the fact that pension credit is a gateway benefit
in encouraging people to take it up. Not only could it be worth
£3,300 in itself, but it gives access to extra help with council
tax, heating bills, NHS dental treatment and free TV
licences.
As my hon. Friend knows, I am in day three of being the Pensions
Minister—but the previous one was very good, I did hear. The
practical reality is that pension credit is a difficult benefit
to try to get out, because everybody has to apply. It is very
much our role as Members of Parliament across all parties to
ensure that we send out the message that, if anybody is in doubt,
they should apply. That can apply to any particular member of our
community because the circumstances differ in any particular way,
but my hon. Friend is right that this benefit is a springboard to
so much else, with £3,300 on average that people can apply
for.
(Glasgow North East)
(SNP)
rose—
Mr Speaker
I am not quite sure of your connection with this question, as a
Scottish MP, because obviously it is about Northamptonshire and
England. There must be one, but I cannot see it. Are you sure
there is a connection to the question? [Interruption.] It is
limited to three areas—the responsibility is for those areas. I
call .
Fraud and Error in Welfare System
(Bracknell) (Con)
5. What steps her Department is taking to reduce the level of
fraud and error in the welfare system. (900974)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
In May this year, we published “Fighting Fraud in the Welfare
System”, which details our proposals for reducing fraud and
error, including legislative change and closer working across
Government.
The claimant rate in Bracknell is way below the national average.
My constituency enjoys high employment, but we still have lots of
job vacancies. What steps is the Department therefore taking to
ensure that the remaining claimants are helped into work?
With a record 1.3 million vacancies, our focus is not only on
tackling fraud but on continuing to help people to get back into
work and to progress in their careers. A multi-billion-pound plan
for jobs will continue to help our constituents and people across
the UK to find work and progress in employment.
(City of Chester)
(Lab)
With regard to DWP issues, one of the largest problems I see in
my mailbag is people who go for assessed benefits, such as the
personal independence payment, being turned down at the first
stage, having to go to appeal and, in huge numbers, winning on
appeal. Why are there so many errors in the assessment
process?
I thank the hon. Member—another good Cheshire MP—for his
question. We are working hard to make the right decisions first
time, every time. All health professionals undertaking
assessments on behalf of the Department must be registered
practitioners who have also met requirements around training and
competence. We are working hard to make sure that we can further
improve the quality of those assessments with clinical coaching
and monthly performance meetings.
Phoenix House DWP Office: Proposed Closure
(Barrow and Furness) (Con)
6. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the
proposed closure of her Department’s office based in Phoenix
House in Barrow-in-Furness on the ability of her Department to
deliver specialist services in that area. (900975)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The Department’s priority will be to retain, retrain and redeploy
colleagues either within the Department for Work and Pensions or
within other Government Departments in the area, and with no
reduction in the overall services people receive.
The plan to close Phoenix House in Barrow will result in more
than 40 specialist jobs leaving the area. This matters because
the people there are the only team in the country able to deal
with the really complicated industrial disablement benefits that
they process. Only recently, largely due to our industrial
heritage in Barrow, we were confirmed as having the highest rate
of mesothelioma in the UK. The team at Phoenix House help not
just Barrow residents but people across the UK with such complex
diseases. I have written at length to the Secretary of State
about this, with detailed testimonies from charities, service
users, staff members and third-party organisations that want to
keep the centre open. Will my hon. Friend meet me to discuss how
we can find a way to make this work?
My hon. Friend is a doughty campaigner for his constituency and
for the wider area, and the jobs that he is concerned with, and I
give him great credit for that. I am not the responsible
Minister, and I know that that letter has only recently arrived
into the Department, but I will ensure very definitely that the
Minister in respect of this particular decision will meet him in
the near weeks so that there can be a proper discussion in
respect of the situation for impacted staff.
Disabled People in Work
(Harrogate and Knaresborough)
(Con)
7. What further steps the Government plan to take to help
increase the number of disabled people in work. (900976)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
As I said to the hon. Member for Motherwell and Wishaw () , we are absolutely
committed to being able to continue to increase the number of
disabled people in work. There is a range of Government
initiatives to achieve this, including the Work and Health
programme, the Intensive Personalised Employment Support
programme, Access to Work, Disability Confident, and supporting
partnerships with the health system.
My office is part of the Disability Confident scheme started by
the Department. I strongly support the scheme because it
encourages employers to think differently about disability, and
to take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop
disabled people in their workplace. How will my hon. Friend work
to promote that scheme, which is a valuable tool to close the
employment gap that we have already talked about today?
First, I thank my hon. Friend and any other hon. and right hon.
Members who are members of that scheme, because it is incredibly
important that we do that from this place as we encourage
employers of all shapes and sizes to be involved in the scheme.
Secondly, we will continue to promote the scheme from the
Department as widely as possible through a variety of
communications. Thirdly, because our goal to continue to reduce
the disability employment gap remains at the forefront, we want
to grow commitment and action across and outside of Government.
It has to be a shared ambition across society and that is well
encapsulated in the Disability Confident scheme.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Select Committee, Sir .
Sir (East Ham) (Lab)
The Government’s response last November to the Select Committee’s
report on the disability employment gap promised key improvements
to Access to Work to make it easier for people to use. Can the
Minister give us an update on progress with that? Specifically,
the trial of Access to Work passports started last November, so
that people can take their support from one job to another. Can
the Minister tell us whether that will be extended to everybody
on the scheme and when we can expect that to happen?
These are incredibly important details and aspects of the Access
to Work scheme, and the right hon. Gentleman is correct that
those improvements are in the pipeline. We have been able to
pilot a number of different passports. I will write to him with
details and I am also with his Committee next week, where I can
provide the precise details of that. By way of example, a
passport now in operation assists freelancers and people who work
in contract form to be able to carry their requirements with them
from job to job, so that it is easier for them to stay and
succeed in work, which is the goal we are talking about. I also
look forward to talking further with him about the digital
improvements we want to make to the process, again to help people
get that support earlier and faster, so that they can get the
benefits of being in work.
Unemployed People: Help into Work
(Aylesbury) (Con)
8. What steps her Department is taking to help unemployed people
into work. (900977)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
It is a privilege to be here, and I take this opportunity to pay
tribute to the former Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid
Sussex (), for all her incredible work
in this role. We want everyone to be able to find a job, to
progress in work and to thrive in the labour market, whoever they
are and wherever they live. On 26 January 2022, we launched the
Way to Work campaign, moving more than 520,000 job-ready
claimants into work by the end of June.
I warmly congratulate the Minister on her appointment.
Unemployment is at extremely low levels across the country, which
is very welcome, but in my constituency of Aylesbury, we still
have some small areas where some people struggle to find a job,
despite there being vacancies nearby, often because they do not
have the skills required to take those jobs. How can my hon.
Friend’s Department help those who need new skills to get back
into work?
Mr Speaker
I also welcome the Minister to the Dispatch Box.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. My hon. Friend raises the
important issue of skills. We empower work coaches to build
individual, tailored support packages to help claimants into work
and to progress into better work. The DWP has a range of
programmes that work coaches can use to help claimants to gain
new skills in areas of local labour market need. That includes
sector-based work academy programmes and DWP Train and
Progress.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
I also welcome the Minister to her new job. Can I ask her to give
someone a good kick on the kickstart scheme? It was the skill
delivery mechanism for this Government, and it has quietly been
put down in some back room. The fact of the matter is that this
country needs more skills and this Government are not interested
in skills and are not doing their job. Can she not get on with
it, and get on with it now?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. Kickstart has
delivered more than 163,000 starts, and I think that is hugely to
be welcomed. One of the things that is so amazing to me in this
role is to recognise the absolute impact on the individual people
concerned of those 160,000 job starts. That is something we
should welcome.
(Mid Sussex) (Con)
I congratulate the Secretary of State and her updated DWP team on
their successes up and down the country. It is okay that it is my
hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford who is at the
Dispatch Box, rather than anyone else. Delivering help and
opportunities up and down the country—true levelling up in action
in jobcentres—has been the difference for the Way to Work
campaign. Can I ask my hon. Friend, the new Minister, how she is
looking to continue to progress for everybody, building on the
success of getting half a million people into work through the
Way to Work scheme?
Again, I pay tribute to all the amazing work that my hon. Friend
did in her role. She is right to talk about the way to work
scheme. We are pleased that we have the DWP youth offer, which
will continue to offer huge opportunities to people in that age
group, and which extends to 16 and 17-year-olds. There are also a
multitude of other valuable schemes, such as the 50-plus
champions, the job entry targeted support scheme and in-work
progression—a whole host of schemes—that we are working hard to
deliver.
(Barnsley Central) (Lab)
I welcome the Minister to her new role. Does she share my concern
at recent data showing up to 70,000 armed forces veterans in
receipt of universal credit? Does she think that the 50 armed
forces champions around the country, who are no doubt doing their
absolute best, have the capacity to provide the support to those
who have served our country so that they can weather the cost of
living crisis?
That is a vital area. Our veterans deserve our respect and every
bit of help and assistance that they can receive. We are
extending the veterans champions scheme; I will be looking at
that in much more detail. This is day one, but I look forward to
focusing on that and ensuring that I engage with the hon.
Gentleman and others who are concerned about it.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Wirral South) (Lab)
I welcome the new Minister to her role. She joins the Government
at a unique and special time. I also take the opportunity to pay
tribute to the work done by the hon. Member for Mid Sussex
(). I do not agree with her very
much on employment, but I know how hard she worked and that many
people in the Department will miss her greatly.
As the Minister is new, I will ask her an easy question—all I am
looking for is a single number. By the time she leaves office,
how many of the 1 million people who are estimated to have left
the labour market will be back to work?
It seems churlish, on day one, to mention the Labour party’s
record on jobs. Every time it has left power, it has left more
people unemployed than when it started.
Living Cost Increases: Benefit Claimants
(Glasgow South West)
(SNP)
9. What support her Department is providing to benefit claimants
to help meet increased living costs. (900978)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
Our £15 billion cost of living package includes a one-off £650
cost of living payment to low-income households in receipt of a
means-tested benefit, a one-off £150 disability cost of living
payment, and a £300 top-up to the winter fuel payment for
pensioners. That is on top of a wider package of measures that
takes the total Government help for households to £37 billion
this year.
The Minister will be aware that during a recent Work and Pensions
Committee meeting, the Secretary of State told me that she was
not satisfied with the progress of bereavement benefits for
cohabiting partners, and that she was meeting her officials the
next day. When will the second remedial order be laid so that
people who would qualify for that benefit can meet their living
costs?
The hon. Member is a determined terrier on this issue, and
understandably so. Important issues have been raised and it is
vital that we get it right. We are carefully considering the
issues and we will lay the order before the House as soon as we
are able. In parallel, DWP officials are working at pace on
implementation plans for the order, as I have discussed with him
separately.
State Pension: Cost of Living
(Ealing Central and Acton)
(Lab)
11. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the state
pension in meeting the rising cost of living. (900981)
(Rochdale) (Lab)
18. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the state
pension in meeting the rising cost of living. (900988)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The Government have announced a £37 billion package of support to
help people with the cost of living. The full basic state pension
is now £2,300 a year higher than in 2010 and is supported by many
other measures.
Dr Huq
It is good to see the Minister back; there is nothing like
organised labour to effect progress.
In reality the state pension has not managed to keep up with the
multiple crises we face: we have the Ukraine crisis pushing up
food and fuel prices on top of the existing cost of living
crisis. Yet the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act
1991 dictates that last week’s non-returning Ministers, including
an alleged groper, are set to net £423,000 in severance payments.
Given the widespread public revulsion among our constituents
feeling the pinch, including state pensioners, does the Minister
not see that there is an argument for the non-exercise of that
provision in this instance, because—
Mr Speaker
Order. I am not quite sure about the significance of this; the
question is not that wide.
Dr Huq
This is about the pensions Act, Mr Speaker; I asked about this on
Thursday. Does the Minister not see that this looks really bad to
the general public in a cost of living crisis and that there is a
good argument for the non-exercise of the Act in this
instance?
Mr Speaker
Minister, can you pick something out of that?
This matter will be dealt with by an urgent question that
follows. I can confirm it definitely does not apply to me, and
frankly I do not think it is an appropriate question for
today.
The Minister is not new to his job. In the order of 1 million
pensioners who should be in receipt of pension credit are still
not receiving it, and he will know that they lose out not simply
on the credit but on all manner of other benefits. Will he show
some urgency and compassion for those struggling with the cost of
living increases?
I sincerely hope that the hon. Gentleman joined in on Pension
Credit Day of Action on 15 June, because it is incumbent on all
Members of Parliament to get behind the efforts of the
Government, and successive Governments, to improve pension credit
take-up. The fact of the matter is that this Government have done
more to increase take-up and the number of claims than any
previous Government. There is no doubt whatsoever that we should
all get people to apply, with £,3,300-worth of benefits applying
for those receiving pension credit.
Universal Credit Migration: Disabled People
Dame (Llanelli) (Lab)
12. What assessment her Department has made of the impact on
disabled people of the move from legacy benefits to universal
credit as part of the managed migration process. (900982)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
We estimate that 600,000 people on employment and support
allowance will be better off on UC, which is of course a modern,
flexible benefit that includes targeted support for disability
and which helps to simplify the benefits system, providing
support in times of need and making work pay. I can add that the
Department holds regular engagement sessions with external
stakeholders, including of course disabled people and others in
the health and disability sector, seeking their input into the
process.
Dame
In 2019 the then Secretary of State promised that the Department
would pause the migration to UC after a pilot of 10,000 cases,
would report back and would provide parliamentary scrutiny of
legislation for the wider roll-out. Instead of breaking this
promise, does the Minister accept that migration to UC will make
thousands of people worse off in real terms just when inflation
is going through the roof, and will she now pause the
process?
The answer is no, and that is because, first, my right hon.
Friend the Secretary of State updated the House through a written
ministerial statement only recently in which she explained
precisely the point about the prior piloting and exploratory
work. Secondly, Parliament voted in 2012 to end legacy benefits
and replace them with a single, modern benefit system, and on top
of that, committed to providing transitional financial
protection. That is the key point in this case: where a claimant
may not already be better off—as we have said, in the majority of
cases, they are—they are supported.
(Westminster North) (Lab)
The truth is that many people migrating will be worse off because
of the timing—in a period of high inflation. We know that the
legacy benefit group to be transferred on to UC is on average
much more vulnerable than those in the existing UC caseload; the
great majority of legacy ESA clients are in the support group.
Can the Minister tell us exactly how the migration process is
going? Has it been tested at scale to ensure that it is safe for
vulnerable clients?
As my right hon. and hon. Friends have laid out extensively to
the House, the process being followed is one of initial
discovery. After that, it will be possible to provide fuller
answers to the House of Commons about how the broader process
will work. The vast majority of claimants will either be better
off or no worse off, and I want to lay on record one more time
that 55% of people will see an increase in their award, 10% will
see no change, and 35% will be protected transitionally.
Poverty Levels: April 2023
(Stockton North) (Lab)
13. If she will make an estimate of projected poverty levels in
April 2023.(900983)
(Barnsley East) (Lab)
17. If she will make an estimate of projected poverty levels in
April 2023.(900987)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse
Coffey)
It is not usual to project poverty levels in terms of
statistics—[Interruption.] Does someone want to join in?
[Interruption.] I just cannot hear. Somebody is talking.
Projecting poverty levels is not something we normally do.
However, the latest official statistics show that in 2021, some 8
million people were in poverty in absolute low-income before
housing costs, which was a fall on the previous year. I am very
conscious of the challenge of the cost of living right now, which
is why we are providing a £15 billion support package targeted at
the most in need, but I am proud of the fact that we are getting
more and more people into work—over half a million in just the
past five months. We know that for most people, the best way to
get out of poverty is to get into work.
Even using the Government’s preferred measure of absolute child
poverty, the proportion of children living in absolute poverty
rose in every north-east local authority area between 2014-15 and
2019-20, and continued to rise in the first year of the pandemic.
In Stockton, that figure is up by 7.1 percentage points; in
Hartlepool, it is up by 7.2; in Darlington, it is up by 7.9; in
Redcar, it is up by 9.4; and in Middlesbrough, it is up by a
colossal 13.9 percentage points. Those are not just numbers: they
represent thousands of children. Can the Minister tell the House
which of the Tory leadership candidates will be content to see
children in places such as Stockton go hungry, and which of them
will take action to ensure they do not?
Dr Coffey
I would be grateful if the hon. Gentleman would give me the
specific source of his statistics, because I believe that
statistically, child poverty has actually fallen, something of
which Government Members are proud. Nevertheless, he will be
pleased by the fact that people have opportunities and are
getting into work. That is what we will continue to do, because
we know that children in workless households are undoubtedly more
likely to be in poverty. That is why we continue to focus on
getting their parents into work.
One in three children in Barnsley are living in poverty. My
constituent cares for his disabled eight-year-old son. He
recently started a part-time job to supplement his income, but
after working just two hours’ overtime, he had a whole month of
carer’s allowance deducted. The Secretary of State has just said
that the best route out of poverty is to get into work, so can
she explain why those who receive carer’s allowance are penalised
for doing just that?
Dr Coffey
I expect that the hon. Lady’s constituent is receiving the caring
element of universal credit, rather than carer’s allowance
specifically, which is a slightly separate approach. Universal
credit is a dynamic benefit. It reflects the fact that when a
person is working more, they receive less support from other
taxpayers, and—just as happened at the beginning of the covid
pandemic—when taxpayers are working less, they immediately
started receiving more. That is the success of universal credit,
and we will continue to encourage people to get into work.
Workplace Pension Auto-enrolment: Crawley
(Crawley) (Con)
14. How many people have been auto-enrolled in workplace pensions
in Crawley constituency since 2012.(900984)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
Some 35,000 people have been automatically enrolled into a
workplace pension in the Crawley constituency since 2012. We
thank the 1,690 employers who have declared compliance with their
enrolment duties. Some 10.7 million people across the country are
now saving into a workplace pension.
I am grateful to receive those figures from the Minister, and I
congratulate the Government on the record numbers of people
auto-enrolled into workplace pensions, both in my Crawley
constituency and across the country. Will he also pay tribute to
some of the pension providers, such as B&CE, the People’s
Pension, which is headquartered in Crawley?
I know the People’s Pension very well, and have met its staff
many times. I have had the great privilege of coming to Crawley
and meeting the team behind such a great organisation. It is a
much-valued employer that is doing great work in making pensions
accessible to the working population, both in Crawley and all
across the country. That matters, because we used to have 26% of
young people and 40% of women saving for a pension, and those
figures are now well above 80% across the country.
Young People: Support into Work
(Don Valley) (Con)
15. What steps she plans to take to support young people into
work following the closure of the kickstart scheme.(900985)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse
Coffey)
Following the success of kickstart, which has seen over 163,000
jobs started by young people, with approximately 30,000 still on
that scheme, the DWP youth offer remains in place to support
those who still need help. That includes youth hubs, which bring
together partner organisations and the DWP in local communities
to provide employment and skills support.
I have spoken with many young people since becoming an MP. They
believe that waiting and fighting for their dream job is the
right thing to do. Does the Secretary of State agree with me that
our young people should take opportunities that arise which will
get them earning while still applying for their dream job, as
that will not jeopardise their chances but will, most probably,
do exactly the opposite?
Dr Coffey
As ever, my hon. Friend talks common sense. It is really
important that people realise that the heart of our Way to Work
campaign is ABC—any job, better job, career. We know that having
a job already allows people to build a lot of skills so they can
progress, perhaps in the job of their dreams. Through support
such as the DWP youth offer, work coaches will continue to help
unemployed young people move into a range of roles. The skills
and work experience that people can gain from a job will help
them to progress.
Universal Credit: Performers and Creative Workers
(Bromley and Chislehurst)
(Con)
16. If she will make an assessment of the impact of the universal
credit minimum income floor on performers and creative workers
with unpredictable and fluctuating earnings. (900986)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
We recognise that earnings can fluctuate for all self-employed
people, including performers and creative workers, and that it
takes time to establish a business. That is why we offer a
12-month start-up period, giving claimants time and support to
grow their earnings and reach their agreed minimum income floor
before it is applied.
I understand the objective of the minimum income floor, to get
into sustainable employment, but perhaps the Minister does not
appreciate that for people in the performing arts and creative
sectors it is not just a short-term period for which they have
unpredictable and fluctuating incomes. By the nature of theatre,
music, performance and so on, shows are cancelled at short
notice. In fact, established performers with viable careers still
get hit disproportionately by the minimum income floor. Would it
not be sensible to collect the data on a sector-by-sector basis,
so that we do not have a one-size-fits-all approach but can
tailor it to achieve the objective he wants, which is to reach
the need of each specific sector?
Universal credit supports self-employed people and the Department
ensures fairness by treating all sectors equally. I have already
talked about the 12-month start-up period, which is designed to
strike the right balance between supporting claimants to make a
success of their business and protecting public funds.
Cost of Living: Disability Benefit Claimants
(Bristol East) (Lab)
19. What steps her Department is taking to support people in
receipt of disability benefits with the rising cost of living.
(900989)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
Six million people in receipt of an eligible disability benefit
will receive a £150 disability cost of living payment, as well as
the £400 energy bill discount. Many will also be eligible for the
£650 cost of living payment for lower-income households, the
first instalments of which are being paid this week.
I thank the Minister for that response, but at the time when the
then Chancellor came up with that support package in May, Ofgem’s
cap prediction was that a typical bill would rise to £2,800 in
October. It now looks as though it could be something like £450
more than that, with yet another rise in January. What additional
support will whoever the Chancellor is, or will be in a couple of
weeks’ time, come up with to ensure people with disabilities can
manage to pay their fuel bills?
The helpful thing I can add here is that disabled people can, of
course, also benefit from the package previously announced in the
spring statement, which continues in the format of the household
support fund. Many millions of pounds have already been allocated
to local authorities, which are best placed to direct help to
those who need it most.
Topical Questions
(Luton South) (Lab)
T2. If she will make a statement on her departmental
responsibilities.(900996)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse
Coffey)
At this moment, I am delighted to have a team who are making sure
that the wheels of government keep turning. That is particularly
true given that we are the biggest delivery Department in
Whitehall, on which so many vulnerable people rely.
It is certainly my focus to deliver help for households. As the
Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon.
Friend the Member for Norwich North () pointed out, we will be
sending out the first instalment of the £650 cost of living
payments, starting from this Thursday.
We are also building on our successful Way to Work scheme, having
smashed our ambition to get half a million people into a job in
just five months, thanks to help from my hon. Friend the Member
for Mid Sussex (). Dare I say, Mr Speaker, that
that is way to go for Way to Work!
We are now putting more focus on those further from the labour
market who are economically inactive or most at risk of
inactivity, whether through the lifetime MOT offer or the £1.3
billion-worth of employment support for disabled people. That
will help to grow the economy and ensure that more people are on
the path to prosperity and prospects through work.
Many of my Luton South constituents are struggling to make ends
meet. In fact, across the east of England, 50% of Citizens Advice
debt clients are in a negative budget, with their monthly
expenditure on essentials exceeding their income; that is up 12%
from the same period in 2019. Does the Secretary of State still
think that it is a good idea for the Government to raise taxes
this year, when the UK is the only G7 country to do so?
Dr Coffey
The hon. Lady will be aware of the £37 billion package that is
going to households, £15 billion of which is being deployed this
year. People will already have received some elements of that
through council tax support, and I have outlined the cost of
living payment support. I could add to that the lifting of the
national living wage to £9.50 an hour and the reduction in the
taper rate to 55% for people who are working and on universal
credit. We are targeting support at the most challenged
low-income households, and we will continue to do that.
Meanwhile, we will continue to try to do what we can to grow the
economy to help households, so that we can tackle inflation
overall.
(Carshalton and Wallington)
(Con)
T3. Will my right hon. Friend outline how, thanks to the work
incentives built into universal credit, some 11,600 Carshalton
and Wallington residents—in working households, which is
welcome—will receive a cost of living payment in the coming days,
and will she set out what she is doing to ensure that even more
people from Carshalton and Wallington can get into
work?(900997)
Dr Coffey
My hon. Friend continues to be a champion for his constituents.
He will be aware of aspects of the Way to Work campaign that are
different from how they were in the past. Far more job fairs are
happening, bringing employers into jobcentres for interviews.
That enables us to make quicker decisions, find out what is going
wrong in the process and support people so that they can more
quickly get the pay packet that they cherish.
(Leicester South)
(Lab/Co-op)
As we have heard, it is expected that the energy price cap will
rise by £450 more than was anticipated when the Government
announced their cost of living package. A typical household will
face energy bills of £3,250; that is more than a third of the
value of the state pension. How on earth does the Secretary of
State expect pensioners and families to cope this winter?
Dr Coffey
I think the right hon. Gentleman is referring to an external
analyst’s prediction of what might happen with energy prices.
Nevertheless, the Government have responded. We deliberately made
sure that our cost of living payment package came out when Ofgem
made its announcement, and that is why we tailored the cost of
living payment support to help households. We will make sure that
support for household energy costs goes to every single household
in the country, in addition to our comprehensive package. My
right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy leads on fuel poverty. I am conscious that in
making decisions, he will consider the vulnerable the most, as
all of us in the Government do.
I appreciate that the Secretary of State may not be in her place
come this October—who knows?—but she is currently in a Cabinet
with a Chancellor and a Foreign Secretary, and she shares the
Government Benches with a whole host of colleagues, who have made
£30 billion to £40 billion-worth of unfunded tax cut commitments.
Is not the truth that those tax cuts can be paid for only by
further cuts to the state pension, further cuts to universal
credit and further cuts to disability benefit, and that the
reality is that the next Tory Prime Minister will make the cost
of living crisis even worse?
Dr Coffey
Far from it; as has been shown yet again, this Conservative
Government have stepped up to deal with the cost of living
challenge, just as we did through covid, and we will continue to
do so. That is why we will be spending £37 billion on this. As
for support going forward, I am conscious that people who are
running to be leader of the Conservative party and the future
Prime Minister want, quite rightly, to make sure that we have an
active, growing economy. I will leave them to be judged on their
policies. I am the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and
we are going ahead with the additional payments, starting this
week. Many households will be looking forward to them, and I am
pleased that we are able to deliver them.
(South East Cornwall)
(Con)
T6. I frequently get complaints from people in the agriculture
sector that they cannot get the workers they need from the UK
jobs market. What more can the Department do, perhaps working
with educational facilities such as Duchy College in Cornwall, to
get jobseekers into these important roles?(901002)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
As always, my hon. Friend is a fantastic advocate for her
constituents in South East Cornwall. Jobcentres work with
employers in all sectors to help them to connect with jobseekers
who are looking for work, and to fill their vacancies. I
encourage any employer to reach out to their local jobcentre. DWP
staff recently held events alongside the National Farmers Union
to promote jobs in agriculture and connect people to our
sector-based work academy programmes.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Aberdeen North) (SNP)
The UK Government recently rejected the Work and Pensions
Committee report’s recommendation to
“extend Child Benefit to all British children irrespective of
their parents’ immigration status.”
People with no recourse to public funds do not qualify for the
additional cost of living payments. Children are literally
starving and suffering malnutrition because of this cruel policy.
Does the Secretary of State believe that this is acceptable in
the 21st century?
Dr Coffey
The hon. Lady refers to the fact that people without recourse to
public funds are not eligible for benefits. When people arrive, I
accept that they are not going to be eligible for child benefit.
Any family in a state of difficulty can apply to the Home Office
for a review of that status; it is for them to do so. At the same
time, as I think we confirmed to the Select Committee when we
discussed the matter at the hearing last week, it is for local
councils to design the way they do the household support fund. It
may be possible for people without recourse to public funds to
apply to their local authority.
(Gainsborough) (Con)
Will the Secretary of State confirm that support for the welfare
state depends on a kind of social contract where people realise
that those who are pensioners or out of work should be helped
because they have paid their taxes? How is support for the
welfare state improved when 60,000 people a year are pouring
across the channel, paying illegal smugglers—these are not the
poorest of the poor—and being kept on social security, maybe for
10 years, without ever being deported? By the way, what does it
cost?
Dr Coffey
I am conscious that through the help—the visa schemes—being put
forward for Ukrainian citizens and for Afghan resettlement, there
is access to public funds. My right hon. Friend will be aware
that people who arrive in the country illegally are given a
payment via the Home Office, I think, of a very small amount of
money to pay for the day-to-day, but they are not eligible
directly for benefits.
(Liverpool, West Derby)
(Lab)
T4. One in five pensioners in the UK is living in poverty, 1.3
million retirees are undernourished and 25,000 people die each
year because of cold weather. The situation is dire and is
getting worse and worse by the day. What discussions will the
Secretary of State have with her new colleague the Chancellor to
reverse the cruel Government cuts to the state pension and
provide the 5,360 women in Liverpool, West Derby who are affected
by the changes to the women’s state pension age with the full
restitution that they fully deserve?(901000)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The hon. Gentleman will be aware that the state pension has
almost doubled under the coalition and this Conservative
Government. He will be aware that pensioner poverty is going
down. He will be aware that the state pension is up on last year
and the year before. He will also be aware that we are paying
£1,500-worth of support. He should very much be aware of pension
credit and should be making the case for it to all his
constituents who can access the £3,300, on average, plus the
household support fund. I am sure he is making the case to each
and every one of his constituents.
(Rochdale) (Lab)
T8. Four in 10 of those who are refused a disability benefit do
not appeal. Of those who do, two in three win their appeal, but
it is months and months before they come before a tribunal. Are
the Secretary of State and her team not ashamed of that? This is
about poverty among tens of thousands of people.(901004)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
The hon. Gentleman raises an important point that we take very
seriously in the Department. We want to get the correct support
to people as early as possible and in a way that engenders trust
and the proper levels of support from our Department. He will, I
am sure, be an avid reader in due course of the health and
disability assessments White Paper, which will go into some of
these points in greater detail, following on from the Green
Paper, to which we had 4,500 consultation responses. However, I
can assure him, and all other right hon. and hon. Members, that
we want to be able to ensure that the right decisions are made in
the first place, and considerable resources are being put into
the Department for that purpose.
(North East Fife)
(LD)
Last year there were 337,000 overpayments as a result of errors
by the DWP, with the debt waived in only 10 cases. Claimants
spend these funds in good faith, but are then required to make
repayments that they simply cannot afford. Will the Minister
agree to bring universal credit in line with legacy benefits by
making no-fault debts non-repayable?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
It is obviously important to ensure that we get our payments
right, and we are working hard to do that, but it is also
important to balance the needs of the taxpayer with those of
benefit recipients. We do need to get that balance right.
(Birmingham, Selly Oak)
(Lab)
The Department’s annual report, released last week, has revealed
that the estimate of the number of women who have been
short-changed over their retirement pensions has risen by a
further 103,000. That is not quite the rosy impression that the
Select Committee was given when the Secretary of State and the
permanent secretary appeared before it recently. Just how long
will these women have to wait before they receive their legal
entitlement, and can the Minister confirm that there will not
have to be a further upward revision of these estimates?
It is unquestionably the case that this Government are trying to
resolve matters that date back some 20 years. I might have wished
that some of my predecessors who occupied the illustrious
position of Pensions Minister, some of whom now sit on the
Opposition Benches, had made a better job of monitoring these
matters. We are fixing the problem. We have—definitely—more than
500 people working on it now, and, as I explained to the Select
Committee, we will have upwards of 1,000, rising to 1,300,
working on it on an ongoing basis; so it will be fixed in the
very near future.
(Glasgow North East)
(SNP)
I know what the Government have said they are doing to increase
the uptake of pension credit, and that is good; I do not want to
hear it again, though. I also know that people can backdate their
claims for pension credit, so anyone who makes a successful
application by 24 August this year will receive the £650.
However, I have been campaigning for the deadline to be extended
to the end of the fiscal year, because I think that as we go into
the winter, that is what will concentrate people’s minds when
they have to make the very real choice between heating and
eating. I am not asking the Minister to commit himself to doing
this today, but will he commit himself to at least considering
extending the deadline to 31 March next year?
The uptake of pension credit is clearly to be applauded, and I
sincerely hope that the hon. Lady was behind the pension credit
day of action and is behind the messages that we are all trying
to put out. That is not all, however. On Thursday we will make
the £326 cost of living payment, which will drop £1 million in
payments every single working day, and there will be a further
£324 payment in the autumn. We are also providing the energy
support grant of £400, which will go to every individual in the
country, as well as the £300 winter fuel payment, the council tax
rebate, and various other household support grants. All those are
available to individuals up and down the country, and will also
support pensioners.
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