Employment: Adur and Worthing Tim Loughton (East Worthing and
Shoreham) (Con) 1. What steps his Department is taking to help fill
vacancies and increase employment in Adur and Worthing.(905446) The
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mel Stride) I commend my
hon. Friend for the extensive work that he does to promote skills
and employment to his constituents. In his constituency, we of
course have the full offer from Jobcentre Plus, with fairs,
recruitment...Request free trial
Employment: Adur and Worthing
(East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)
1. What steps his Department is taking to help fill vacancies and
increase employment in Adur and Worthing.(905446)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
I commend my hon. Friend for the extensive work that he does to
promote skills and employment to his constituents. In his
constituency, we of course have the full offer from Jobcentre
Plus, with fairs, recruitment days and an extensive skills
offering, to make sure that we keep bearing down on unemployment
and economic inactivity.
Mr Speaker, you may be aware that the age profile in Adur and
Worthing in my constituency is slightly higher than the national
demographic, so I was particularly pleased by the Secretary of
State’s expansion of the mid-life MOT—although perhaps it is
slightly too late for him and me, in our seventh decade. Given
the higher reliability, productivity and loyalty of older
workers, what more is he doing to keep older employees in work or
to tempt back those who may have taken early retirement?
I have to say that I am surprised that there are so many
elderly—an exemplar of the spring chicken brigade as my hon.
Friend is—but he raises a very important point. There is the
mid-life MOT, but we also provide returnerships—a shortened,
accelerated version of apprenticeships for older workers—and of
course the Chancellor announced important changes to the tax
treatment of pensions to keep some older workers, particularly in
the NHS and our medical services, in work.
(Strangford) (DUP)
Whatever the Secretary of State does in relation to Adur and
Worthing will happen across the great United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland. With that in mind, let me try to
make a helpful suggestion for increasing employment. Has
consideration been given to enhancing steps to work placements,
whereby jobseekers help out in registered community groups, with
community workers, to increase their confidence? Community groups
do great work, and they can be a step to further employment.
My hon. Friend the Minister for Employment recently visited the
hon. Gentleman’s constituency to look into those matters and
reported back very favourably. I am grateful to the hon.
Gentleman for raising that important point.
Mr Speaker
I call the Father of the House.
(Worthing West) (Con)
While my hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham
() and I have represented Worthing and district, we
have survived the equivalent of eight coalmines closing in the
town. Flexibility matters.
Let us remember, looking back at the youth opportunities
programme and the employer assistance scheme, that it is
enterprise that makes the biggest difference. Will my right hon.
Friend emphasise that? In tribute to , let us make sure
that we combine individual enterprise and public enterprise with
private partnerships.
My hon. Friend the Father of the House is absolutely right. It is
really important that we operate with all those relationships
across the private and public sectors. Jobcentres up and down the
country are heavily engaged with employers at all levels, and not
just the large ones but the small and medium-sized enterprises
that are so important.
Local Housing Allowance
(Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
(Lab)
2. What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the
local housing allowance.(905447)
(Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)
18. What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of
the local housing allowance.(905464)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The local housing allowance policy is kept under regular review
and rates are reviewed annually. LHA rates were boosted with a £1
billion funding increase in 2010, and this significant investment
has been maintained since then. Discretionary housing payments,
or DHPs, are available for those who face a shortfall in meeting
their housing costs.
Private rental costs in Wales increased by 4.2% in the year to
February 2023, the highest annual percentage since the Tories
came to power. The Government have accepted the need to uplift
benefits in line with inflation, but they have completely failed
to accept that the same principles should apply to the local
housing allowance. Given that rent is the largest outgoing for a
typical family budget, can I ask the Minister why?
There is no one-size-fits-all in regard to the challenge we face.
This is a multi-layered and multi-textured challenge, and I hope
the hon. Gentleman will be assured that I am focused on
addressing the issue of rising housing costs. To that end, I am
engaging with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and
Communities, and have consulted with the Local Government
Association and other stakeholders. The hon. Gentleman has noted
the devolved point—of course, I will look at that issue as well.
LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas where
rents may perhaps be more expensive. Those in receipt of benefits
will have to make challenging choices, as others do, but people
listening today should have a look at the household support fund
and the benefits calculator on gov.uk and make sure that they are
getting all the support that may be out there, as well as the
cost of living payments.
I listened carefully to the Minister’s answer. Liverpool, Walton
is the most deprived constituency in the whole of England, yet
the annual gap between local housing allowance and the cheapest
30% of properties now stands at over £1,500. My casework contains
more and more heartbreaking stories of families unable to afford
the cost of their housing. People need their Government to act on
rising private rents and the lack of decent homes: to raise the
allowances and take control on rents in the short term, but to
increase the supply of housing in the long term. What is this
Government’s plan?
Mr Speaker, may I just confirm that the LHA rates were boosted by
a £1 billion funding increase in 2020? I may have said 2010, so I
apologise to the House, but that significant investment is
maintained.
I recognise that rents are increasing, as the hon. Gentleman has
said, and that it is a challenging fiscal environment and
difficult decisions are having to be made. He has mentioned the
most vulnerable. For those of working age or with disability
benefits, those benefits have been increased in line with
inflation for 2023-24. The benefit cap has also increased, but I
want to reassure the House that I understand this is a real
concern for many of our constituents of all sizes of house, and I
am focused on addressing those challenges.
Mr Speaker
We are only on Question 2, so I am a little worried about how
long it is taking. I call the shadow Minister.
(Westminster North) (Lab)
The Government’s mortgage crisis is about to be the next blow to
hit renters, because so many are renting from those with
buy-to-let mortgages. Already, 49%—almost half—of children in
privately rented homes with parents receiving universal credit
are in absolute poverty, to take the Government’s preferred
measure, and as we know, many of those parents work. Since then,
rents across the country have risen by 9.5%, but the local
housing allowance has risen by 0%. What does the Minister think
is going to happen to low-income families with children in the
private rented sector this year?
Those struggling with mortgage payments should engage with their
mortgage lenders. We have abolished the zero earnings rule to
allow claimants to continue to receive support while in work or
on universal credit, and there is support for mortgage interest
rates out there, so please do reach out. In fact, £25 million was
paid in loans to 12,000 households in 2021-22, in order to
support low-income homeowners. Over 200,000 low-income homeowners
have been supported, and that has been a focus, but I understand
the point that the hon. Lady makes. I assure her and the House
that this is something that the Secretary of State and I are
working on, as well as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing
and Communities—it is not solely an issue for my Department—but I
take on board her points.
Menopause: Workplace Support
(Bracknell) (Con)
3. What steps his Department is taking to improve workplace
support for women experiencing menopause.(905449)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
I have appointed Helen Tomlinson as the first ever Department for
Work and Pensions menopause employment champion, and she is
driving awareness of issues around the menopause and employment
and what challenges women may have. She has already met with
members of the DWP’s 50Plus Choices roundtable group; with the
Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee; with Dame
Lesley Regan, the women’s health ambassador; and with Andy
Briggs, the Government’s business champion for older workers. We
are working with sectors and with large and small employers to
disseminate best practice.
It is really important that we in this place do what we can to
support all those going through the menopause, including the
wider availability of hormone replacement therapy. Are the
Government considering offering paid leave to those who may need
time off work to attend clinics for medical support, noting also
the variation and the consistency of those offers of support to
those going through the menopause?
The Government expect employers to treat their staff well and
fairly, and to accommodate all sorts of flexibility requests. My
hon. Friend will be pleased to know that a private Member’s Bill,
the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill, is going
through Parliament, and we will ensure the development of
flexible working policies, which is crucial.
(Swansea East) (Lab)
We know that over 700,000 women over 50 are currently
economically inactive in this country. Does the Minister agree
that including menopause among the assessment criteria for
occupational health would help to promote retention and the
return to work of countless women?
I thank the hon. Lady for her point, and I know she has already
met Helen Tomlinson. I will take on board the point she makes and
take that away.
Universal Credit: Food Bank Use
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
4. What assessment his Department has made of the potential
impact of universal credit deductions on levels of food bank
use.(905450)
(Ealing Central and Acton)
(Lab)
13. What assessment his Department has made of the potential
impact of universal credit deductions on levels of food bank
use.(905459)
The Minister for Employment ()
The Department for Work and Pensions has reduced the standard
deduction cap from 40% to 25% of the standard allowance since
2019. Where a person feels they cannot afford benefit overpayment
recoveries, they are encouraged to contact the Department.
Across the north-east, 120,000 children are impacted by universal
credit deductions. Take my constituent Amanda: she has two small
children, yet her entire personal allowance of £300 a month was
deducted, and on top of that she was sanctioned because of tech
issues with her work journal. I have worked to support her, as
has Citizens Advice Newcastle, but of course she had to go to a
food bank. Does the Minister think that is a working system?
In recent years, the standard cap has been reduced, as I said,
from 40% to 25%. Reducing the threshold further would risk key
social obligations such as child maintenance not being met. We
aim to continue to strike the right balance between ensuring that
protections are in place and allowing claimants to retain as much
of their award as possible.
Dr Huq
The role of accommodating food bank Britain has fallen to
churches and places of worship, which have also housed
playgroups, vaccination centres and warm spaces of late. Given
that they are stepping up to fill gaps in state provision—state
failure—would Ministers be able to exempt their often crumbling
and creaking buildings, whether or not they are listed, from VAT
on building repairs, as generosity and him upstairs alone will
not pay the bills?
That is a matter for the Treasury, as I am sure the hon. Lady
knows.
Safeguarding
(Oldham East and
Saddleworth) (Lab)
5. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his
Department’s safeguarding policies.(905451)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
The Department is required to pay the correct amount of benefit
to the customer at the correct time. We do not have a statutory
duty of care or a safeguarding duty, but that does not mean that
we do not care. The Department is continually looking at ways to
support vulnerable customers, as we often need to consider a
customer’s particular circumstances to provide the right service
or ensure appropriate support.
The woeful inadequacy of the DWP’s safeguarding policy has been
revealed time and again, with five prevention of future deaths
notices issued by coroners to successive Secretaries of State
since 2012, the section 23 notice from the Equality and Human
Rights Commission because of fears of discrimination against
disabled claimants, and 140 more claimant deaths investigated by
this Department between July 2019 and June 2022, while the
reality is that the figure is probably much higher. What does it
say about this Government that successive Secretaries of State
have failed to safeguard vulnerable claimants?
I say to the hon. Lady, who of course raises the most serious and
important of issues, that we had a good debate on this the week
before last, when I was able to place on record the significant
work that officials have been undertaking with Ministers to
address these matters. We continue to be open to proper
engagement around these processes, to ensure that they are the
best they can be and are fit for purpose. What we want to do is
to support claimants on the basis of an individual, tailored
approach to make sure that their needs are properly met and
safeguarding support is provided from a whole host of relevant
agencies.
Disability Action Plan
(Battersea) (Lab)
7. What progress his Department has made on the disability action
plan.(905453)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
We are planning to consult on the disability action plan this
summer. The consultation will be published in accessible formats,
and we will publish the final plan once we have fully considered
the consultation responses.
The Conservatives have consistently failed disabled people
throughout the past 13 years. They promised a national disability
strategy, which was ruled unlawful, and now they have promised a
disability action plan. The European Accessibility Act will
improve access to digital products and services, and reduce
barriers to accessing transport, education and the labour market
for disabled people throughout Europe. When do the Government
plan to consult and publish their action plan, and will they
follow the lead of our friends in the European Union by removing
those accessibility barriers?
I am grateful to the hon. Lady for the opportunity to set out our
ongoing commitment to have this disability action plan, and I am
disappointed by the tone that she takes on that. There is a real
opportunity for the House and our country to come together in
welcoming this, and to shape it, get it right, and ensure that it
addresses many of the issues that disabled people tell us are
important, with the right answers to those questions. I hope she
will engage with that in such a spirit.
(Cities of London and
Westminster) (Con)
On a recent visit to the Waitrose Belgravia branch, the Minister
and I saw how the Government’s Access to Work programme is
working, with the branch employing five deaf people. Does he
agree that Waitrose is showing the way, and that other retailers
can embrace the Access to Work programme, not just for their
businesses but for disabled people across the country?
I am hugely appreciative that my hon. Friend extended that
invitation for me to come along and visit the Belgravia Waitrose
branch. It was incredibly inspiring to see that dedicated team,
who are part of the wider customer service family within that
business, achieving so much and providing brilliant service to
their customers. It demonstrates that not only is it right for
businesses to engage in disability employment, but it has had a
great impact on those employees and on the community as a whole.
That demonstrates what can be achieved with the right Government
support, working with businesses to increase those opportunities
and support people.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Lewisham, Deptford)
(Lab)
Let us be absolutely clear: the 2019 Conservative manifesto
promised a radical strategy for disabled people before the end of
2020. It finally emerged in summer 2021 but was found to be
illegal. It was quietly replaced by the disability action plan in
December 2022, but six months on we still have very few details.
We do not know whether it will be co-produced, and ultimately it
is unlikely to result in any changes before the next election.
How many years does the Conservative party need to take
meaningful action? I will tell the Minister who is disappointed:
disabled people after 13 years of this Conservative
Government.
We might need an Adjournment debate to correct the number of
inaccuracies entailed within the hon. Lady’s question. This
Government are committed to a disability action plan that I am
confident will respond to the many issues that are raised with us
by disabled people. We will have full consultation on those plans
to ensure we get it right, and that will of course involve
disabled people. This is an opportunity to get on and deliver in
those areas over the next 12 to 18 months. I think that is a good
thing that we should all be able to welcome.
Employment: Don Valley
(Don Valley) (Con)
8. What steps his Department is taking to increase employment in
Don Valley.(905454)
The Minister for Employment ()
I was delighted that my hon. Friend convened a roundtable with
key local hospitality providers, including the Mount Pleasant
Hotel, the Eagle and Child, and Yorkshire Wildlife Park, as we
drove forward opportunities for greater employment in his Don
Valley constituency. Since then we have ramped up the offer
locally, matching job finders with the vacancies that we know are
available, and providing key worker support, including a jobs
fair coming up in the next few weeks.
I thank the Minister for his recent visit to Yorkshire Wildlife
Park regarding the jobs fair that will now be taking place on 4
July. Will he also speak with the Secretary of State for Science,
Innovation and Technology about the opportunity of bringing the
advanced manufacturing research centre to Doncaster? That will
create further jobs for our next generation, and could also see
the likes of Boeing coming to Don Valley.
My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for Don Valley. I am
delighted to support his campaign and am happy to write to the
Secretary of State. There is full support for Boeing in
Doncaster.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Select Committee.
Sir (East Ham) (Lab)
Very little data is being published on the outcomes of the
restart programme in Don Valley or anywhere. There was a one-off
statistical release last December, but nothing regular at all. In
the past, we have had monthly data from the Work programme, and
we still have regular updates from the Work and Health programme.
Does the Minister recognise the value of regular publication of
outcome data for the flagship restart programme?
With great respect, I think we do publish data on all aspects of
the Department for Work and Pensions’ programmes, and I addressed
this matter in great detail in front of the right hon. Gentleman
and the Select Committee recently.
In-work Poverty
(Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)
10. What steps his Department is taking to tackle in-work
poverty. (905456)
(Easington) (Lab)
17. What steps his Department is taking to tackle in-work
poverty. (905463)
(Liverpool, Wavertree)
(Lab)
22. What steps his Department is taking to tackle in-work
poverty. (905468)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
In-work progression is the best way of improving the earnings
potential of those who are in work, which is why we are bringing
hundreds of thousands more people into the kind of support that
will develop that.
I wonder whether the Secretary of State can support me with some
casework that I am working on at the moment. My constituent is
working a minimum wage job and tells me that she is frightened
about what will happen. She is 68 years old, but due to errors in
the state pension, she is not receiving that yet, and we are
finding that there are permanent backlog pressures with the
Pension Service. Can the Secretary of State help me get my
68-year-old constituent out of the in-work poverty bracket and
receiving her state pension? I am happy to share the details of
the case with the Secretary of State.
If the hon. Lady would like to share those details with me, I
will make sure that I and the Minister for Pensions, the hon.
Member for Sevenoaks () will have a close look at the
case she raises.
A moment ago, the Secretary of State’s colleague, the hon. Member
for Hexham () referred to the publication of data. Can I draw the
Secretary of State’s attention to the GMB trade union’s research,
which found a shocking 155% increase in the number of public
sector workers relying on universal credit? How will the
Department rectify this alarming trend and ensure that our
hard-working public servants receive the fair pay they deserve,
instead of being forced into reliance on inadequate in-work
benefits?
I do not think we should make any apology for having a system of
benefits that is there whether someone is out of work or in work,
and which encourages those who are in work to work longer hours
if that is appropriate and to earn more through many of the kinds
of provision that we provide through our jobcentres.
Despite my question relating to in-work poverty, the Government
often herald historically low unemployment rates to avoid their
shame over falling living standards and endemic wage stagnation.
Those on the Government Benches know they have failed British
workers. Can the Secretary of State answer this, without blaming
the war in Ukraine, covid or the last Labour Government? Do the
Government now accept that there is an inextricable link between
their failed economic policies and the fact that British workers
in low and middle-income households are financially worse off
since they came to power?
It is not appropriate to dismiss completely the significant
downside of covid—we spent £400 billion supporting the economy
during that—the significant impact through energy price spikes of
the war or the deleterious impact of the last Labour Government,
to whom the hon. Lady refers. The simple fact is that since
2009-10, there are 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty
after housing costs, and 400,000 fewer children and 400,000 fewer
pensioners in that position.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Glasgow East) (SNP)
The reality is that after 13 long, cold years of Conservative
rule, people have never worked harder, but never felt poorer. We
know that 2.6 million people on fixed-rate mortgages are about to
see their fixed rate expire, which will see their mortgage rates
go up. Has the Secretary of State made any assessment as to how
many staff in his Department will struggle to make ends meet when
their mortgages skyrocket under this Conservative Government?
The Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my hon.
Friend the Member for Mid Sussex () has already addressed the
approach that we would recommend to those struggling with
mortgages and the approach that the Government are taking to
that. I would point to the many in my Department, and indeed up
and down the country, who may be, for example, among the 8
million low-income households who are receiving £900 cost of
living support. There are also the £150 payments to those who are
disabled and £300 payable to pensioners along with their winter
fuel payments. Those, along with increasing the national living
wage and the energy price guarantee, are real things that the
Government are doing to help those who are feeling the most
financial pressure.
Benefit Fraud
(Harrow East) (Con)
11. What steps his Department is taking to tackle benefit fraud.
(905457)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
My hon. Friend will know that we are investing £900 million to
ensure that we prevent a total of £2.4 billion of fraud and error
by 2024-25. We launched our fraud plan last May, which is already
delivering results.
I would like to thank publicly for all those who have
congratulated me on my honour in the King’s honours list. Thank
you for your kind words in appreciation, Mr Speaker.
My right hon. Friend is setting out a plan to deal with benefit
fraud in its entirety. My private Member’s Bill—the Supported
Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill—had its Third Reading in the
House of Lords on Friday. Of course, supported housing has
unlimited housing benefit for those who claim it. Unfortunately,
there are numerous rogue landlords who exploit vulnerable people
and the housing benefit system. What action can he take to ensure
that we rein in those rogue landlords and prevent vulnerable
people from being exploited?
My hon. Friend is quite right, and I wrote to him to congratulate
him on his well deserved CBE. Part of the answer to his question
lies in his private Member’s Bill, which we see as an important
tool to allow us to tighten up the regulations and requirements
as expressed through local authorities to ensure that those who
are abusing the system—it is not everyone—are dealt with
appropriately.
(Kingston upon Hull West and
Hessle) (Lab)
The National Audit Office found that benefit fraud and error was
unacceptably high, totalling £8.6 billion in 2021-22. What
actions will the Secretary of State take to reduce fraud?
Importantly, how will he ensure that the clawing back of DWP
errors—those that are not the fault of the claimant—is carefully
and fairly considered so that that does not put the claimant
further into poverty?
The hon. Lady raises an important point. The Government’s record
under my stewardship at the DWP is a good one. In fact, since the
fraud plan was published last May, fraud across the benefit
system has reduced by some 10%, and across universal credit there
has been a 13% drop. We expect to see those figures increasing
through time. We are doing that through targeted case
reviews—going through cases and looking for fraud and error—and I
have another 1,000 people being recruited for that purpose. We
are also using artificial intelligence, data analytics and
machine learning to ensure that we catch up with the more
sophisticated attacks on our system. There is evidence that we
are making good headway.
Benefits System: Work Incentives
(Chipping Barnet)
(Con)
12. What steps he is taking to ensure that the benefits system
incentivises work. (905458)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
My right hon. Friend will be aware that, under universal credit,
there is always the incentive to work. That operates through the
taper, which we reduced in recent times from 63% to 55%, and we
increased the work allowance by £500 in November 2021.
At this time of rising prices, I feel certain that many of my
constituents are worried about the high cost of childcare. Will
the Secretary of State confirm that the changes to universal
credit announced in the Budget will help people into work by
giving them better up-front support with the cost of
childcare?
I agree entirely with my right hon. Friend. Some of the most
significant measures in the Budget, particularly on helping
people get into work, were the childcare measures that the
Chancellor announced. Within UC, that means that the up-front
payment difficulty has been removed. Of course, there has been a
47% increase in the maximum amounts available to those seeking to
pay for childcare through UC.
(Halton) (Lab)
The benefit system is an important part of helping and
incentivising people to get back into work, but an increasing
problem is the amount of time people are on hospital waiting
lists, preventing them from getting themselves fit to get back
into work. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with
the Health Secretary about helping people get back into work and
dealing with very long waiting times?
The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. There is no doubt
that mental health and musculoskeletal issues in particular
underpin part of the recent growth in economic inactivity. My
Department is very engaged with the Department of Health and
Social Care on those matters, not least in the piloting of Work
Well, which brings together health-based solutions with
employment support and universal support, which we will roll out
to tens of thousands of people in the years ahead.
Pension Credit
(Carshalton and Wallington)
(Con)
14. What steps he is taking to encourage eligible pensioners to
claim pension credit. (905460)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
Last week was pension credit awareness week, which follows our
big push ahead of the cost of living payments. As a result of
that and the national advertising campaign, I am pleased to say
that pension credit applications up to May were 75% higher than
the year before.
I am grateful for that excellent news. As part of that awareness
week, I wrote to older people in Carshalton and Wallington to
inform them of the credit, as thousands of people living in my
constituency who are eligible for it sadly do not claim it. I
sincerely hope we see some good numbers from that. Does my hon.
Friend agree that public awareness must happen at both local and
national level? I extend an invitation to her to come down to
Carshalton and Wallington and see some of the amazing work being
done, including at the older persons fair later this year.
What an invitation—I would be delighted to attend. I commend my
hon. Friend on all his work in his constituency. Older persons
fairs are important and effective. I held a pension credit one on
Friday in Swanley, and I recommend them to Members.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Reading East) (Lab)
Sadly, the figures also show that hundreds of thousands of
pensioners are still missing out on pension credit. To make
matters worse, this large group of pensioners is also missing out
on the Government’s £900 cost of living payment, because
receiving pension credit acts as a gateway to other help. Could
the Minister explain why the Government designed their cost of
living payments in that way? Could she explain what she will do
to fix the problem, which the Government themselves created?
I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will welcome the figures that I
just announced on the uptake of pension credit. We will not have
the eligibility figures for a while—hopefully, they will be out
later this year. I hope we will see a rise, but in the meantime
we are doing all we can—as I know is true across the House—to get
as many people as possible to apply for pension credit so that
they qualify for those important cost of living payments.
Defined-benefit Pension Schemes
(Amber Valley) (Con)
15. What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding
for defined-benefit pension schemes. (905461)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The Pension Protection Fund publishes data on the funding of
defined-benefit pension schemes. Average funding of the schemes
was 113.1% in 2022 versus 104.3% in 2010—a significant
improvement.
Does the Minister accept that we have spent 20 years—probably
quite rightly—working out how we get more money into pension
schemes to pay for the promise, and that now we need to work out
what we do with the money in there that is in excess of what we
need? Does she accept that in those 20 years we have seen pension
funding increase probably at the expense of current workers, who
get a much lower pension? Is there anything we can do to use the
surplus to support the pension incomes in retirement of those
current workers who will get a far less generous pension?
As I would expect from a member of the Work and Pensions
Committee and the head of the all-party parliamentary group on
pensions, my hon. Friend makes an interesting point. In my time
as pensions Minister I have tried to reduce the gap between DB
and defined contribution pensions. I would be interested to talk
to him about any further suggestions.
(Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)
Clear, accessible pension schemes information was a priority for
former Chancellor in 2016, but the pensions
dashboard programme has consistently missed its deadlines to go
live. This month the Minister announced a further delay, with a
new connection deadline of October 2026. Could she please explain
this consistent failure to meet delivery dates?
We are absolutely committed to the pensions dashboard programme.
October 2026 is the final deadline for connection, not the point
that it is necessarily available to the public. The dashboard
availability point could come earlier than that, and I hope that
it will.
Economic Inactivity
(South Basildon and East
Thurrock) (Con)
16. What proportion of the population is economically inactive.
(905462)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics indicates
that some 21% of the working-age population are economically
inactive.
As my right hon. Friend will be aware, the staff at Basildon
Jobcentre Plus are doing incredible work to help people back into
work. That has led to a local inactivity rate that is 12.6% below
the UK average. Events such as its large employer-unemployed
connection event, bringing together organisations with hundreds
of jobseekers, are leading to really meaningful job
opportunities. Can my right hon. Friend tell the House what else
the Government are doing to get people off out-of-work
benefits?
May I first commend my hon. Friend for all the good work he is
doing locally? The 12.6% figure for economic inactivity is
extremely low and is a great tribute to the work he has just
referred to. Other things we are doing include: the provision of
job interventions for over-50s who have retired early; the
childcare provision I referred to for parents with childcare
duties; and a great deal of work on how we better facilitate
getting the long-term sick and disabled back into the labour
market.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
In Westmorland and the south lakes our challenge is somewhat
different. With an unemployment rate of only 1.4% and an average
age of population 10 years above the national average, our issues
are 20 million visitors every year, a hospitality and tourism
industry without the staff it needs, and a care sector likely to
be without the staff it needs. That needs direct intervention:
more affordable housing for local people, T-levels for local
young people and visa rules that work for us. Will the Secretary
of State agree to meet me and local business leaders in the south
lakes, so that we can come up with a bespoke solution to solve
our workforce crisis?
The hon. Gentleman refers to a smorgasbord of different policy
areas across several Departments, including housing, skills and
matters in the purview of the Department for Education, as well
as my Department. However, I have heard what he says, and I will
take it away and consider.
Mr Speaker
We come to the shadow Minister.
(Wirral South) (Lab)
The Bank of England sets interest rates independently, but
economic inactivity and the wider state of the labour market is a
feature of our economy that will influence whether the Prime
Minister is able to meet his promise to halve inflation. Can the
Secretary of State tell us exactly what targets have been agreed
by his Department with the Treasury on the role of the labour
market in reducing inflation?
The hon. Lady is absolutely right that economic inactivity lies
right at the centre of those elements that will determine our
economic success in the years ahead—the others being the levels
of inflation and interest rates, and other matters. On what has
actually happened, we reached a record low level of economic
inactivity just prior to the pandemic. It then spiked up. We have
now reduced that spiked-up figure by about 300,000, with a
reduction of 140,000 in the last quarter alone.
Claimant Inquiry Waiting Times
(Bristol East) (Lab)
19. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting times
on (a) personal independence payment and (b) employment support
allowance claimant inquiry lines. (905465)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
The Department recognises that wait times for the PIP and ESA
inquiry line have been too long. To reduce waiting times, we are
recruiting more staff and, in the short term, are diverting staff
to support better performance. PIP recruitment is expected to
reduce waits by the end of summer, while ESA waiting times have
improved significantly in recent weeks.
I am glad to hear that action is being taken, although it sounds
like it will be quite a long time before it starts to have an
effect. I have a constituent, Shani, who has been trying to get a
copy of her PIP award letter so she can reapply for a disabled
person’s bus pass. She says she has tried to call the PIP hotline
on many occasions, but that, “The phone just continually rings
out. I’ve tried for hours and it doesn’t matter what time of day
I call, it just rings.” I know other MPs’ offices are
experiencing the same. May I urge the Minister to act sooner and
try to bring recruitment forward so constituents such as mine do
not have to wait?
I would be very grateful if the hon. Lady could share the details
of that specific case with me, so I can take them away to look
at. What I can say, hopefully to reassure the House, is that we
are seeing 600 additional agents recruited for PIP from April and
for ESA 160 additional agents will be put on telephony through
both recruitment and redeployment.
Social Mobility: Young People
(Rother Valley)
(Con)
20. What steps his Department is taking to improve social
mobility among young people. (905466)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The DWP celebrated National Social Mobility Awareness Day last
Thursday, when we focused on the daily work done by our work
coaches and youth clubs to help young people to overcome
barriers, build up their confidence, move into work and,
ultimately, achieve their aims.
Rother Valley is blessed with unemployment that is significantly
lower than the national average, but its youth unemployment is
slightly higher than the national average. It is still harder for
young people to get into work. What are the Government doing to
ensure that they have the jobs they need so much?
I am determined to ensure that, regardless of their background or
postcode, young people can succeed in Rother Valley and beyond,
and that is why the DWP has introduced the youth offer. It
includes youth employability coaches and youth hubs such as the
one at the local football club, Rotherham United, which helps to
build confidence and provides a range of mental health support as
well as supporting neurodiverse local customers.
Employment: Keighley and Ilkley
(Keighley) (Con)
21. What steps his Department is taking to help fill vacancies
and increase employment in Keighley and Ilkley. (905467)
The Minister for Employment ()
The jobcentre team in Keighley work with local employers and
partners to arrange sector-based work academies to support
hospitality businesses along the Airedale corridor. They also run
an excellent initiative with Bradford Care Association and
Keighley College to fill vacancies in the care sector.
Inactivity is down by 300,000 since the covid peak, and UK
inactivity is lower than the OECD and European Union averages.
Does the Minister agree that the recent labour market statistics
provide very encouraging news about the positive work the
Government are doing to reduce economic inactivity across the
country, notably in areas such as my constituency?
My hon. Friend is right. Economic inactivity is down, employment
is up and vacancies are down, thanks in part to the efforts of my
hon. Friend and Keighley Jobcentre Plus, whose next jobs fair is
on Wednesday week and will be attended by 17 employers across all
sectors. I urge everyone in Keighley to attend as well.
Topical Questions
(Orpington) (Con)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(905471)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
When I was appointed to this job, I came to the House and said
that one of our key focuses would be economic inactivity, which,
as we have just heard, has fallen: it is down by 45% since its
peak, and was down by 140,000 in the last quarter alone. Another
key focus is bearing down on fraud, and fraud levels have fallen
by some 10% across our benefits system since we published our
fraud plan in May last year.
Some on the political left have made much noise about the
third-party universal basic income pilots that have been launched
in recent days. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the concept
of a universal basic income was roundly rejected even during the
pandemic, and that this kind of uneven, untargeted and
dependency-creating communism is doomed to failure?
I agree with my hon. Friend that a universal basic income is not
the way to proceed, and it is certainly not something that the
Government are considering. Our approach is to ensure that work
always pays, and to incentivise work. A universal basic income
would create perverse incentives, would come at huge cost, and
would not be targeted at those who need the help the most.
Mr Speaker
Order. May I remind the Secretary of State that these are topical
questions? Questions and answers are meant to be short and
punchy. We are getting carried away. Let us see how it works now:
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Leicester South)
(Lab/Co-op)
I listened to the “Chopper’s Politics” podcast recently. The
Secretary of State was the guest, and revealed that he was saying
to his friends in their 50s who were not working:
“Why don’t you just go and serve in the local restaurant or do
something in the pub?”
Well, a very prominent 59-year-old has just taken early
retirement. Will the Secretary of State be voting to sanction
him, or is he advising him to just go away and work in the
pub?
I am happy to meet the right hon. Gentleman in any pub that he
cares to name, and I am sure we will have a very convivial
evening. I did also mention people with accountancy
qualifications, among others, so it is not all about the pub,
alas.
The House will have noted that the Secretary of State did not
tell us whether he would be sanctioning that particular
59-year-old in the House later today. As for the issue of
economic inactivity, he will know that we need to do more to get
the long-term sick and the disabled back to work. The working-age
disability benefit bill is going to rise to £25 billion—it was
£19 billion before the pandemic—but in the last 12 months the DWP
has cut the number of disability employment advisers by 10%. Why
is that?
When it comes to the long-term sick and disabled, the right hon.
Gentleman is right that that is the one cohort where inactivity
is increasing—in others it is reducing. He will be aware of our
White Paper and the forthcoming legislation we have planned to
make sure that we focus on what those who are long-term sick can
do in work, rather than what they cannot. He will be aware of
universal support and the working well pilot, all of which,
together, will help to bring those numbers down.
Dame (South Northamptonshire)
(Con)
T7. Having helped Ukrainian guests to get childcare support and
then get into work, I was delighted when my right hon. Friend the
Secretary of State changed the rules so that childcare support
was available up front. He will be aware that most nurseries
require a term’s fees in advance, so what more can be done to
ensure that sometimes unstable and infrequent work is not further
hampered by uncertainty about whether childcare will be
available?(905479)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
This Government are focused on making sure that work pays for all
parents in every situation. My right hon. Friend will be pleased
to know that I will take up the specific concern about nursery
charging models and ensure that the matter is raised with the
Department for Education.
Mr Speaker
We come to the SNP spokesperson.
(Glasgow East) (SNP)
Last week, I was in Aberdeen to attend the annual conference of
the Scottish Pensioners’ Forum and outline why we think an
independent Scotland would be the best place to grow old. In
contrast, at the weekend, the former Tory leader wrote in the papers that his
party should abandon the triple lock. Is that why pensioners are
now supporting independence more than ever?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
I do not think they are. Also, the triple lock is very proudly a
Conservative policy.
(Amber Valley) (Con)
With interest rates looking to hit around 6%, are the Government
considering making the support for the mortgage interest scheme a
little more generous, perhaps by raising the cap or the interest
rate, so that it provides the safety net that people expect?
As my hon. Friend will be aware, the Treasury has made it clear
that there will not be a significant fiscal intervention around
mortgages. Unfortunately, that would serve only to complicate the
effectiveness of the measure and the monetary policy effects that
the Government and the Bank of England are looking to achieve to
halve inflation by the end of this year.
(Birmingham, Selly Oak)
(Lab)
T2. The charity Scope reports that a disabled household is £900
a month poorer than a non-disabled household, because of
essentials such as specialist medical equipment, aids,
adaptations, diet and heating. Does that not make the one-off
£150 payment look pretty miserly?(905473)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
The hon. Gentleman is right to raise the challenges that disabled
people face with the cost of living, but it is important to
recognise that many disabled people receive various aspects of
the wider package of support. That is materially relevant in
answering this question. We have had some good debates on this
issue in recent weeks, and I refer him to those.
(Portsmouth South) (Lab)
T3. Pensioner poverty is on the rise, with an additional 200,000
people of pension age being pushed into poverty last year. What
hope can the Minister give pensioners in Portsmouth that they
will not have to choose between heating their home and eating
this winter?(905474)
I am sure the hon. Gentleman will note that pensioner poverty has
gone down by 200,000 in absolute terms since 2010. I point him to
the record state pension increase, the record rise in pension
credit and the pensioner cost of living payments, as well as to
the fact that Labour’s record on this issue was a decimation of
private pensions and a 75p rise.
Luke Pollard (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Lab/Co-op)
T4. In February this year, I took care leavers from Plymouth to
see the Secretary of State about introducing a deposit guarantor
scheme, so that young people leaving care can afford to get their
first rental property. Will the Secretary of State give an update
on how the DWP is progressing with that proposal put forward by
me and Barnardo’s?(905475)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman; I opened my door to him as
soon as he requested and had him and his colleagues in for a
discussion. We continue to consider those matters as part of the
general policy going forward, and I will keep him informed of
news as it may or may not occur.
(New Forest West) (Con)
Is the disability action plan in addition to the national
disability strategy?
The plan is in addition to the national disability strategy. We
as a Government disagree with the position that the Court has
taken regarding consultation. We have been given permission to
appeal, and we are appealing. The disability action plan is about
short-term measures that we can get on and deliver.
Mr Speaker
Let’s go to a new grandma, .
(City of Durham) (Lab)
T5. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Baby Brida is an absolute bundle of
joy. She is the new branch of our family tree.Policies cooked up
by Tories in Whitehall are having a devastating impact on the
people of County Durham. The number of people fed by food banks,
using food vouchers, has increased by over 60% in a year, so can
the Secretary of State honestly say he is doing a good job of
tackling food poverty in County Durham?(905476)
I congratulate the hon. Lady on the new addition.
New statistics on food bank usage will help the Government to
understand the characteristics of the people most in need, and we
will continue to work across Government to support the most
vulnerable. I was very interested to read the recent “Child of
the North” report, which we are taking very seriously.
(Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch
and Strathspey) (SNP)
T6. The cost of the most common family foods has risen by nearly
30% in the past year alone, according to new research by consumer
group Which? The Governments of Ireland and France have worked
with retailers to reduce costs for families, while the UK
Government have sat on their hands. What discussions has the
Secretary of State had with Cabinet colleagues about how to learn
from our European neighbours and reduce the crisis in people’s
homes now?(905477)
What we are learning from our European neighbours is that this is
a common problem. In fact, food price inflation in Germany,
Portugal and other countries is higher than it is here. Rather
than intervening in markets, as some are spuriously suggesting,
and taking us back to the prices and incomes policies of the
1970s, we have entered discussions with the supermarkets some of
which have recently suggested that they will be able to lower
prices, or lower the rate of increase in some prices, on the more
essential items.
Dame (Wallasey) (Lab)
T8. Food inflation is rising by double the rate of inflation, and
the rate for basic foodstuffs—bread, pasta, milk—is even higher,
often going up by 40% or more. In my constituency, 38% of people
have skipped meals. Will the Secretary of State investigate the
role of sanctions and benefit inadequacy in a system in which
people cannot feed themselves?(905480)
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. I have fond memories of
serving with her on the Treasury Committee.
We always keep sanctions under review, but I am currently
satisfied that they are broadly operating in an effective and
proportionate manner. The hon. Lady mentions inflation on
essential foods, and I point her to the cost of living payments,
which are very significant, equivalent to £3,000 per family over
the two-year period in which they will apply. The energy price
guarantee has been extended until June, and there is a rise in
the national living wage.
(Glasgow North) (SNP)
What steps are the Government taking to improve the sensitivity
of language on the DWP website? I recently became aware of a case
in which a person trying to update their universal credit claim
following the death of their wife generated a page stating, “You
stopped caring for”—then the name of the wife—“from the date on
which she died. This was due to the person dying. Are these
details correct?” That is pretty disheartening, to say the least.
Will the Minister look at this specific case, and at the issue
more generally, if I send him more information?
I wholeheartedly agree with the hon. Gentleman on the importance
of sensitive language, particularly for the most vulnerable and
particularly in the circumstances he describes of someone who is
recently bereaved. I will most definitely take away the specific
issue he raises and look at it extremely carefully.
(Tiverton and Honiton)
(LD)
The Child Maintenance Service recently wrote to my constituent
Deborah to confirm that the father of her children is in arrears
by £47,000. Deborah recently heard that the bailiff is
potentially unable to collect the debt and, if so, the money she
is owed will be written off by the CMS. Can the Secretary of
State explain why parents can be left with so little by the CMS
when it gives up on collecting debts for parents who work so
hard?
The Government are supporting the private Member’s Bill that aims
to streamline CMS enforcement processes. The CMS will not
hesitate to use robust enforcement measures where someone is
consistently refusing to meet their obligation towards their
children. I am happy to look at that case and ask my colleague in
the Lords to look at it.
(Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)
Why is statutory sick pay in this country so much lower than
European comparators?
I would be happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss the issue of
statutory sick pay, and, of course, we always keep these matters
under review.
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