Work and Pensions Ministers were taking questions in the Commons.
Subject covered included... Carillion: Pension Protection
Consumer Advice and Assistance Mortgage Interest:
Effects on Claimants Supported Housing Universal Credit
Unemployment Rates: Europe Universal Credit: Disabled
People Universal Credit: Household Debt...Request free trial
Work and Pensions Ministers were taking questions in the Commons.
Subject covered included...
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Carillion: Pension Protection
-
Mrs (Liverpool, Riverside)
(Lab/Co-op)
1. What steps she is taking to ensure support for former
Carillion employees whose pensions will not be covered by
the Pension Protection Fund. [903731]
-
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Ms Esther
McVey)
Where all sponsoring employers of a defined-benefit pension
scheme have declared insolvency, they will enter a Pension
Protection Fund assessment period. The Pension Protection
Fund will actively work with the scheme administrator to
assess whether it is able to buy out the pensions at a
higher level than the PPF benefits. Where a scheme cannot
do this, PPF will provide compensation.
Defined-contribution schemes do not need PPF help, because
they do not promise a level of pension—the member keeps the
pot they have built up.
-
Mrs Ellman
The Government have presided over a regulatory scheme where
a deficit of about £1 billion has been allowed to build up
in the pension fund at the same time as shareholders were
receiving dividends. Can the Secretary of State guarantee
that all former Carillion employees will receive in full
their due pension?
-
Ms McVey
What the Government did successfully back in 2004 was set
up the Pension Protection Fund, which is there to
compensate people should their businesses become insolvent.
This is what the fund will be doing: affording protection
at 100% for those who have a pension. Those not yet on a
pension will be getting 90%. The Government are ensuring
that businesses are responsible to their employees and
their pensions. We will be bringing in stronger corporate
governance rules to make sure that boards, trustees,
shareholders and stakeholders hold company executives to
account.
-
Mr (Kettering)
(Con)
Financial directors must not cause detriment to any private
sector pension scheme. Will my right hon. Friend ensure
that the rules and regulations regarding the investigation
of this sort of practice are toughened up, because we
cannot allow this to happen in future?
-
Ms McVey
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Government are
seeking to ensure that the regulator will—our new Bill will
come out later in the year—have more rights to fine, follow
criminal procedures and look into mandatory clearance.
Those of us who have studied corporate governance realise
that the rules changed in 1991—the Cadbury report and the
OECD corporate governance rules—and were strengthened in
2002. I believe that now, under this Conservative
Government, we will be strengthening the corporate
governance rules again.
-
(Torfaen)
(Lab)
My constituents who have paid into pension funds deserve to
have those moneys protected. Will the Secretary of State be
a bit more specific? What specific changes to corporate
governance does she want to see to ensure that high risk
behaviour towards pension funds does not happen again?
-
Ms McVey
We are getting feedback from various businesses on how they
think we can best enable and support them. Any knee-jerk
reaction might result in unintended consequences. Shining a
spotlight on one area could close down loopholes, only for
others to open up. This has to be looked at in the round,
but, as I said, stakeholders, shareholders and the
executive team should be held to account. We will make sure
that that happens.
-
(Brentwood and Ongar)
(Con)
Can my right hon. Friend reassure my constituents that the
UK’s pension protection system has responded effectively to
the Carillion situation?
-
Ms McVey
I can indeed reassure my hon. Friend that what it is doing,
and the avenues it is pursuing, are correct and thorough. I
met the regulator last week. It is making sure that it
investigates these key matters and provides the necessary
pension support. Where we need to strengthen in future, we
will do so. Equally, I would like to make Members aware of
what the pension regulator has done in the past. With
regards to the British Home Stores fiasco, which is totally
different from this situation, it employed an
anti-avoidance measure and got Philip Green to pay his
pensioners £363 million. Further prosecutions are coming
forward for Chappell, who bought that company for a pound.
That is the kind of good work the pension regulator is
doing.
-
(Oldham East and
Saddleworth) (Lab)
As the Government have responsibility for the pensions
regulatory framework, how would the Secretary of State
describe a regulatory framework that allows the
administrator of a pensions scheme to help to bring about
the downfall of the company and the employees it
represents, and to profit from that downfall?
-
Ms McVey
When I hear some of the hon. Lady’s comments, particularly
those that are out of context, I think about the letter
that she has received in the past two days from the UK
Statistics Authority, which states that many things she has
said are not accurate. The letter said that her
remarks—whether about children waking up in poverty at
Christmas or linking universal credit with poverty—were not
supported, that they were not true statistics and that the
sources could not be relied upon. If you will allow me to
ask this, Mr Speaker, will the hon. Lady make a statement
straightaway about the letter from the UK Statistics
Authority?
-
Mr Speaker
I understand the rhetorical significance of the Secretary
of State’s point, but I must exhort the hon. Member for
Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams) to stick to
her last. That is to say, this is not the occasion upon
which she is invited to expatiate on the matter. She may
find other opportunities if she is so inclined, but she
should stick to the line of questioning that is relevant to
the questioning of a Government Minister.
-
I will indeed do just that, Mr Speaker, especially as there
was absolutely no answer to my original question. Hundreds
of thousands of ordinary working people including my
constituent, Philip Wild, have lost half their retirement
income because of the Government’s failure to tackle
pensions governance—from Carillion to Capita, and BHS to
the British Steel Pension Scheme. How many more pensions
scandals does the Secretary of State need to see before she
introduces the robust regulatory oversight needed to
protect people’s pensions for the future?
-
Ms McVey
Obviously, in the light of the letter from the chair of the
UK Statistics Authority to the hon. Lady, it needs to be
put on the record that the vast majority of defined-benefit
pension schemes are working very well indeed. When we do
see instances of abuse or illegal goings-on, they are
investigated and the people responsible are brought to
account. We have a strong Pension Protection Fund,
supported by other businesses that are looking after
pensioners across the country.
Consumer Advice and Assistance
-
(Chichester)
(Con)
2. What steps the Government are taking to promote the
delivery of effective consumer financial advice and
assistance. [903732]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions (Guy Opperman)
We are committed to ensuring that consumers across the
United Kingdom have access to high quality, impartial and
free pensions and money guidance services. That is why we
are setting up the new single financial guidance body,
which is presently in Bill Committee in this House. My hon.
Friend will be aware that the Conservative Government’s
commitment is to a debt respite scheme and a breathing
space specifically to address debt.
-
In a recent poll conducted by Populus and The Guardian, 32%
of British workers were found to have less than £500 in
savings. What are the Government doing to promote long-term
savings and to support employers such as the 1,340 in
Chichester that have auto-enrolled their employees,
currently benefiting 13,000 people?
-
When the debt respite scheme and the breathing space are
put into law, the provisions will make a manifest
difference to how people are dealt with in respect of debt,
as will the single financial guidance body. I would be
failing in my duty not to pay tribute to the 1,340
employers in my hon. Friend’s constituency of Chichester
that are doing a brilliant job in ensuring that there are
more people in auto-enrolment, adding to the 9.1 million
people across the country who are now auto-enrolled in a
private pension—something that we should be very proud of.
-
(Ogmore) (Lab)
Some 11 million people a year use price comparison sites to
gain information on insurers and other products. The
Financial Conduct Authority found in 2014 that such sites
were not delivering fair and consistent practices. The
Competition and Markets Authority has now said the sites
should be using the CARE model; that is, they should be
clear, accurate, responsible and easy to use. What can the
Government do to ensure that these sites are
straightforward and easy to use?
-
The simple answer is that I will take that matter up with
my colleagues at the Treasury who are handling that point,
particularly in relation to the FCA. The hon. Gentleman
will be aware that I am in a Bill Committee with the exact
same Minister and will probably have an opportunity
tomorrow—with the hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington
(Jack Dromey)—to have a discussion about this point.
-
Mr Speaker
Very reassuring.
-
(Birmingham, Erdington)
(Lab)
A Port Talbot shift supervisor was badly advised by a
pensions predator preying on him who made him take the
wrong choice. “I will never forgive myself”, he said,
“because all 20 on my shift followed my lead.” In an
otherwise welcome Bill, in the words of ,
“the Government seems to have bowed to industry pressure
and proposes to weaken consumer protection for pension
customers. By removing a clause introduced in the House of
Lords…more people are at risk of losing their hard-earned
savings in scams, frauds and unwise pension withdrawals.”
She is absolutely right. Will the Government think again?
-
I am grateful to have the opportunity to replay the same
debate that we had in the Bill Committee last Thursday. I
will give the same answer, which is that, with no
disrespect to , she is incorrect
on this point. The Government are addressing pensions
guidance. We have introduced very stringent new laws. We
have improved on the point raised by the Work and Pensions
Committee, as my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and
Ongar (Alex Burghart), who sits on that Committee, agreed
in the Bill Committee last Thursday.
-
Mr Speaker
I thank the Minister for his replay.
Mortgage Interest: Effects on Claimants
-
(Scunthorpe) (Lab)
3. What assessment she has made of the effect on employment
and support allowance claimants’ income of changes to
support for mortgage interest. [903733]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions (Kit Malthouse)
All claimants will be offered a support for mortgage
interest loan paid at the same rate that is currently
available as part of their benefit entitlement. There will
therefore be no impact on their income. Claimants will pay
back the loan only on the sale or transfer of the property,
when the loan will be recovered from any available equity.
-
My constituent, who is registered blind yet has paid into
the system all his working life, asks how it can be fair
that tenants continue, quite rightly, to get support now,
but 100,000 or more people like himself are losing that
interest support with their mortgages. It is not good
enough to say that they will get it back at the end. This
is affecting people now. People are worried about their
futures and worried about their incomes now. It is not good
enough.
-
Mortgage support is being offered at exactly the same rate
as currently. The only difference is that it is now being
deferred as a loan recoverable against any equity available
in the house should it be sold in the future. Current
participants in the scheme should see absolutely no
difference unless and until they sell or transfer the
house, at which point the taxpayer will recover the support
offered.
-
(Newport East)
(Lab)
21. This change to support for mortgage interest will hit
very hard thousands of low-income households, half of whom
are pensioners. Does the Minister acknowledge that this
change has not been well publicised and that, at the very
least, the Government should pause and communicate what it
will actually mean for people financially? [903754]
-
We have to recognise that we are dealing with support for
people who are accumulating what is often a very
significant capital asset, and it seems only right that
when equity becomes available the taxpayer is able to
recover some or all of the support. There has been
significant communication on the scheme with the people who
are participating in it, and that is continuing. There will
be between four and six written communications, and people
will be invited to call a telephone number where they can
obtain information from a third-party adviser before we get
to April, when the scheme comes into play. I am confident
that the people who are participating in the scheme at the
moment will have enough information. Certainly, large
numbers are making a decision either way at the moment.
-
(Glasgow North West)
(SNP)
I have been contacted by a number of constituents about
this issue, including a Mr Milne, a veteran who is
surviving just now on a meagre state pension. He fears that
this change will force him to sell his house or to have it
repossessed. What assessment has the Minister made of the
impact of this change, particularly on pensioners?
-
There is absolutely no reason for anybody to fear forced
sale or repossession of a house, not least because the
scheme is specifically designed to avoid exactly that. If
Members have specific cases where constituents have
concerns about the operation of the scheme, I will be more
than happy to take them up. If the hon. Lady writes to me
about that case, I will provide a response.
Supported Housing
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions (Kit Malthouse)
We have recently completed consultations on the funding
models for short-term supported housing and sheltered
housing, and will provide a response in due course. We will
come forward with our proposals for long-term supported
housing by 2020.
-
My hon. Friend is making some useful and valued changes.
Will he assure the House that accommodation costs for
short-term supported housing such as women’s refuges will
continue to be funded at existing levels, with the new
grant to local authorities being ring-fenced?
-
It is typical of my hon. Friend that she has the welfare of
her most vulnerable constituents at the forefront of her
mind. I can confirm that the current proposal on which we
have just consulted is that the section 31 grant paid to
local authorities for provision of refuges and other
short-term supported housing will be ring-fenced.
-
Mr (Sheffield South East)
(Lab)
The Government’s proposals are an improvement on their
initial proposals, but one element has brought criticism
from virtually all providers, and that is with regard to
short-term supported housing. My Select Committee has
recommended that for emergency very short-term
accommodation of around 12 weeks, there should be a
ring-fenced grant to local authorities. The Government have
changed the definition of short term from 12 weeks to two
years, which all providers have condemned. Will the
Government think again and bring accommodation lasting two
years into the welfare system?
-
We are in receipt of a significant number of responses to
the consultation, which only closed a couple of weeks ago,
and we will consider those over the months to come. I would
be more than happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss
those concerns with his constituents if they wish to do so.
-
(North Tyneside)
(Lab)
The Government have promised that all short-term provision
currently funded by the welfare system will continue to be
funded at the same level by local authorities until 2020,
but will the Minister confirm that there will be no cut in
funding after that?
-
Given that I am not a Treasury Minister, I am not in a
position to confirm that, but it would certainly be our
aspiration to provide the current level of support, or
indeed enhanced and better performing support, which is the
purpose of the changes, in the future.
Universal Credit
-
(Gordon) (Con)
6. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of
universal credit in helping people into work. [903736]
-
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Ms Esther
McVey)
Universal credit has had a positive impact since its start,
as shown through published research and analysis.
Independent research shows us that people are spending more
time looking for work, applying for more jobs and even
doing jobs they would not have considered doing before.
-
Constituents in Gordon will face longer waiting times for
payments due to the Scottish Government’s policy of
fortnightly payment. What support can my right hon. Friend
offer the devolved Administration in Edinburgh to help
reduce those times?
-
Ms McVey
The advice would be to take the approach of England and
Wales. As my hon. Friend says, the Scottish approach delays
payment at the end of the assessment period, with 75%
rather than 100% of money on time, due to the fortnightly
payment.
-
(Dudley North) (Lab)
The introduction of universal credit is not helping to keep
250 highly skilled HMRC staff working on tax credits in
Dudley in work. They were told they would be transferring
to the Secretary of State’s Department to work on universal
credit. Last week, they were told that her Department has
cancelled that, their office will close and they will be
made redundant. Will she ensure that the transfer goes
ahead as originally planned, so that my constituents can
keep their jobs, and will she meet me to discuss it?
-
Ms McVey
I will indeed meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss that. Back
in 2016, HMRC announced that move and transfer of jobs. It
now seems that as many jobs were not needed for UC. I know
that it wants to retain the staff and their skills and
knowledge, but I will meet him to discuss the best way
forward.
-
(Thornbury and Yate)
(Con)
Does the Secretary of State agree that universal credit is
helping all those people who are stuck in a situation where
they are only paid to work 16 hours a week and that it is
fairer to those employees, the other employees in those
businesses and taxpayers, who end up supporting the bill?
-
Ms McVey
My hon. Friend makes a very good point. The reason we are
making this significant change from the legacy system is to
ensure that every hour of work counts. We will not have a
situation where people are stuck not working or paying
punitive rates of income tax of 90% and above if they take
work after 16 hours. This is cutting-edge technology. The
UK is leading the way on flexible benefits that accompany
flexible working, which nowhere else has.
-
(Manchester Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
May I welcome the Secretary of State to her position?
Perhaps she might think to show a little more humility when
answering some of these difficult questions on universal
credit. Has she considered some of the other benefits that
are not included in universal credit, such as free school
meals, free uniforms, free bus passes and so on? Many
low-paid working families will lose out on those benefits
under universal credit, which will make them worse off in
work than if they were still on benefits.
-
Ms McVey
These are precisely the things that have been considered in
bringing forward universal credit. What support are we
giving? The extra childcare support. What is the extra
support? Tailor-made career advice and support. We all need
humility, but, equally, we all need to hand out and deliver
the correct facts to people, not embellish them, resort to
sound and fury or drama, or provide obviously incorrect
information, as the UK Statistics Authority has levelled
against the Labour party.
-
(Cleethorpes)
(Con)
Last month, I visited Grimsby jobcentre, which serves my
constituency, and it is very clear that the staff are
handling the changeover to universal credit very
efficiently. Will the Secretary of State join me in
complimenting the staff, including the work they do in
motivating claimants and improving their self-confidence so
that they can seek employment?
-
Ms McVey
My hon. Friend makes a very good point, and I have actually
met the tremendous work coaches in his constituency. I go
out to speak to work coaches all the time, and they are
saying to me that the change we are delivering through
universal credit is the best thing they have ever
delivered. The support they can give—[Interruption.] Rather
than Opposition Members laughing, they would be well
advised to come and join me or others in meeting work
coaches. I will tell them how we know this is working: if
it were not working, we would not have an extra 3.1 million
people in work.
-
(Airdrie and Shotts)
(SNP)
Contrary to the “SNP bad” broken record from the hon.
Member for Gordon (Colin Clark), will the Secretary of
State join me in welcoming the Scottish Government’s
recently introduced flexibilities for universal credit
payments, and will she consider implementing Scotland’s
model down here, especially as her colleague in the
Scottish Parliament, , has said he is “very
much in favour” of them?
-
Ms McVey
The underlying principle of how we get people into work is
working right the way across the United Kingdom. It is
working in Scotland, and that is correct. Equally, we agree
with giving extra powers to devolved Governments, and
Scotland has the right to do things in its own way. As we
pointed out earlier, however, some of the changes taken on
board in Scotland have actually resulted in slower payment
to people who need their benefits.
Unemployment Rates: Europe
-
(Chelmsford) (Con)
7. What recent comparative assessment she has made of rates
of unemployment in the UK and other European countries.
[903737]
-
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Ms Esther
McVey)
The UK has the joint fifth lowest unemployment rate in the
EU—better than France, the Netherlands and Denmark. The
UK’s unemployment rate, at 4.3%, is the lowest in 42 years.
It is less than half that of the euro area, which is 8.7%,
and 3 percentage points below the EU28 average of 7.3%.
-
Unemployment in my constituency of Chelmsford is now less
than 1.5%, and those who are able to work are finding jobs,
but will the Secretary of State reassure my constituents
who need our financial support that they will continue to
be supported when universal credit is rolled out later this
year?
-
Ms McVey
I congratulate my hon. Friend on the work she is doing as a
new MP, and her constituents on the work they are doing to
find employment, getting on in their careers and moving
forward. As I have said, this Government believe in hand-up
support and opportunity. The support of universal credit—a
benefit that supports people in and out of work—will
continue not only for her constituents, but for people
right across the country.
-
(Rochdale) (Lab)
Will the Secretary of State confirm that of those who have
gone into work as a result of this Government’s
policies—and that is a good thing—many are living in
poverty because of low pay and the inadequacy of our
benefits system?
-
Ms McVey
It is interesting how differently people measure getting
into work, poverty and life chances. Children born into
workless households are actually five times more likely to
be in poverty than those in working households. Under this
Government, we have seen 3.1 million more people in work,
and the number of workless households has gone down by over
600,000. We are helping people out of poverty: we are
helping them get a job.
-
(Shipley) (Con)
Earlier the Secretary of State mentioned dodgy statistics
from the Opposition. I have heard people say that lots of
the new jobs created are on zero-hours contracts and for
part-time work. Can she say what the actual figures are for
the number of jobs created that are full-time, permanent
jobs?
-
Ms McVey
It was not me talking about dodgy statistics, it was the
chair of the UK stats authority who said that, but I thank
my hon. Friend for pointing that out. The overwhelming
majority of jobs are full-time and permanent jobs, and the
vast majority of those in part-time jobs have chosen to be
in part-time jobs.
-
(Liverpool, Wavertree)
(Lab/Co-op)
On job searching, has the Secretary of State had the
opportunity to review the very helpful and generous offer
made by Liverpool City Council to her predecessor to
provide office space for closure-threatened jobcentres?
There are two jobcentres in my constituency—not one, but
two—that her Government wish to close, leaving my
constituency with zero jobcentres. They are due to close in
just a few weeks’ time. Has the Secretary of State had an
opportunity to review that offer, to ensure that my
constituents continue to receive employment support?
-
Ms McVey
It is really important that everybody gets the support they
need, and a lot of the support going forward will be
outreach work, so that people do not need to go to
Jobcentre Plus, thanks to further support in the community.
Obviously I am pleased that in the Liverpool city area—and
in the north-west area—which is my hometown, employment is
now far higher than it was in 2010. The unemployment rate
under the Labour party was 2.8 million in 2008, even before
the banking crisis, but now it is 1.4 million, so we are
supporting people and we will continue to support people,
because that is what this Conservative Government does.
Universal Credit: Disabled People
-
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Sarah
Newton)
I do not want to see anyone living in poverty, and no
Conservative Member of Parliament wants people living in
poverty. Disabled people are some of the biggest
beneficiaries of universal credit, with around 1 million
disabled households having on average around £110 a month
more on universal credit than they would have had on the
legacy benefits.
-
As disability charity Leonard Cheshire has pointed out,
many disabled people do not have internet access, assistive
technology or the necessary support to fill in the online
form to apply for universal credit. Does the Minister agree
that the application process needs to be more accessible,
so that disabled people can easily apply for these
benefits?
-
The hon. Lady raises a very important point about
accessibility of the benefits system for everyone, which is
something we all take very seriously. I am grateful for the
support that the Leonard Cheshire foundation and a whole
range of stakeholders give us in designing the process, to
make sure that it is as accessible as possible.
-
Mr (Middlesbrough
South and East Cleveland) (Con)
Does the Minister agree that it is important that we are
absolutely scrupulous in our presentation of the facts
about universal credit? As the Secretary of State referred
to earlier, I wrote to the UK Statistics Authority to query
the shadow Secretary of State’s claim that
“40,000 children will wake up in poverty on Christmas Day
because the Tories refuse to pause”
the roll-out of universal credit. On Friday, Sir David
Norgrove told me:
“It is clearly important that statements by a political
party should be fully supported by the statistics and
sources on which they rely. We do not believe”—
-
Mr Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman must resume his seat. He has got
the thrust of his question across, and the House doubtless
will be grateful to him, but this is not a debate; it is
question time about the policies—
-
Mr Clarke
rose—
-
Mr Speaker
No, no, the hon. Gentleman has finished for today on this.
This is about the policies of the Government. The Secretary
of State has made the point about the Statistics Authority,
which I allowed her to make, perfectly properly, but it is
not now the occasion for dilation on the attitude of the
Opposition. This is questions to Ministers about the
policies of the Government. That is the situation.
Minister, very briefly—please, do not dilate on that
matter, because it is out of order.
-
It is very important that anybody who stands up in this
Parliament takes their responsibilities towards the truth
extremely seriously.
-
(Arfon) (PC)
Some specialist employment services for people with
disabilities such as drug, alcohol or mental health
problems—for example, Agoriad in my constituency—are
subcontracted to these small local agencies, but minus a
management fee and with unsatisfactory remote control.
Would not direct contact with these small local agencies
provide more resources where they are needed, as well as
better value for money and more people in work?
-
The hon. Gentleman raises the important issue of specialist
providers of employment. This is a very important sector,
which the Government have a proud tradition of supporting.
I meet stakeholders regularly, and we are always looking to
see what more we can do to help them sustainably provide
the invaluable employment opportunities that they do.
-
(Battersea)
(Lab)
Despite the Government’s claim that no severely disabled
person moved on to universal credit would be worse off, we
now know that that is not the case: scrapping the
disability premiums will have just that effect.
Transitional protection for existing claimants can easily
be lost where there is a change in circumstance, such as if
someone moves into work and if that job does not last. What
assessment has the Minister carried out of the impact of
abolishing these disability premiums on disabled people,
and does she agree that transitional protection should be
retained, so that it is not lost where there is a change in
circumstance?
-
Unlike the previous system, universal credit is more
targeted, and support is focused on those who need it most.
Transitional protection is available for people who move
into universal credit from other benefits, provided their
circumstances stay the same. When giving evidence to the
Select Committee last week, my hon. Friend the Minister for
Employment said that he was aware of the situation, and he
is thinking carefully about this issue.
Universal Credit: Household Debt
-
(Makerfield)
(Lab)
9. What recent assessment her Department has made of trends
in the average level of household debt for people on
universal credit. [903739]
-
The Minister for Employment (Alok Sharma)
The Government have taken a number of steps to reduce the
risk of problem debt, including capping payday lending
costs and promoting savings.
Within universal credit, we also have interest-free
advances and a system of priority deductions to help
claimants who have got into arrears.
-
The Government’s own data shows that rising numbers on
universal credit are falling into rent arrears, and many
claimants in my constituency are going to food banks or
approaching payday lenders. Although an advance is
available, this is a loan, which is to be repaid at 40% of
the standard allowance. Another 40% can be deducted to
repay creditors—for example, utilities. That is a total of
80%. Can the Minister reassure me that 80% of the
individual allowance cannot be deducted, and that
affordability checks, like those that all payday lenders
have to do, are carried out before any deductions are
actioned?
-
Of course the hon. Lady is absolutely right to highlight
that we want to make sure we help those who are in arrears.
She will know that research done by the National Federation
of ALMOs—arm’s length management organisations—has reported
that three quarters of tenants were in rent arrears already
before they moved into universal credit. She talks about
deductions; the percentage is 40%. However, I am happy to
meet her to discuss this matter further.
-
(Torbay) (Con)
It is a genuine pleasure to welcome the Minister to his
place and, through him, to thank his Parliamentary Private
Secretary for arranging a visit for me to see universal
credit working in his constituency this Friday. Further to
the question, will my hon. Friend outline the steps being
taken to ensure that organisations on the ground help
vulnerable people access 100% of universal credit advances
rather than get into debt?
-
Yes, I can confirm that work coaches and those who perform
the interviews at jobcentres make people aware that they
can access 100% advances, which are of course interest
free, as I said. The other aspect that is available is
personal budgeting support, which individuals who need it
can also receive.
Older Workers
-
(South Basildon and
East Thurrock) (Con)
10. What recent assessment she has made of trends in the
level of employment of older workers. [903740]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions (Guy Opperman)
Since 2010, 1,272 new jobs have been created in South
Basildon and East Thurrock—an increase due in no small part
to my hon. Friend’s efforts. He will be aware that older
worker employment levels are at a record high. In his
region, 850,000 50 to 64-year-olds are in employment—an
increase of over 120,000 people since 2010—and 120,000
people aged 65 and over are in employment. Again, that is
another increase of 45,000 since 2010.
-
Does my hon. Friend agree that encouraging businesses to be
flexible in how they employ older workers is one way to
bridge the skills gap and keep older workers in the
employment market for longer, sharing their experience and
knowledge?
-
My hon. Friend is correct. The fuller working lives
strategy, launched by the Department last year, is there
specifically to support over-50s into employment and
provide them with the skills and retraining that they need,
and which businesses specifically value. There are a number
of exemplar businesses. He will also be aware that
individual people have created over 26,000 new businesses
since 2011—that is for the over-50s.
-
Dr (Stroud) (Lab/Co-op)
Many older workers are not necessarily there by choice. I
think in particular of the WASPI women, who are having to
work because of the inadequacies of their pension
provision. What are the Government going to do about this?
-
The Government have no intention of revising the Pension
Acts of 1995, 2007 or 2011 introduced by previous
Governments and by the coalition, but I make the point very
strongly that average employment among the over-50s and the
over-64s has increased dramatically since 2010.
Universal Credit
-
(Glasgow East)
(SNP)
11. What recent progress her Department has made on the
roll-out of universal credit. [903741]
-
(Inverness, Nairn,
Badenoch and Strathspey) (SNP)
12. What recent progress her Department has made on the
roll-out of universal credit. [903742]
-
The Minister for Employment (Alok Sharma)
Universal credit transforms the welfare state and the
rollout is proceeding to plan, with universal credit now
available in one third of all jobcentres in Great Britain.
-
Easterhouse Housing and Regeneration Alliance is a
coalition of eight independent housing associations that
has been based in my constituency and operating for pretty
much my entire lifetime. It has profound concerns about the
rollout of universal credit in Glasgow. Given that the
Government have given a lot of commitment to go and meet
various people on their Benches today, will the Minister
come to my constituency to meet it and listen to its
concerns?
-
When we have rolled out universal credit, we have done it
in a manner that makes sense and works. Right now, 9% of
those who will eventually end up on universal credit are on
universal credit, and it will reach 11% by June this year.
I am, of course, undertaking a whole range of visits to
jobcentres across the country. I will make sure that I make
a visit to Scotland, and we can have a discussion about
whether there is an opportunity to visit the hon. Gentleman
as well.
-
A terminally ill man has won the right to raise a landmark
challenge to the Government after the introduction of
universal credit left him significantly worse off. Having
already acted unlawfully to 1.6 million PIP claimants at a
cost to taxpayers of £3.7 billion, does the Minister
guarantee that his Government will not be found guilty of
unfairly treating the terminally ill?
-
I want to be absolutely clear: the changes that we are
making in universal credit and in the benefit system are
there to focus on protecting the most vulnerable. That is
the underlying policy of universal credit and we will
continue to do that.
-
(East Ham) (Lab)
Has the Minister had any discussions with colleagues in the
Department for Education about their proposals for the
eligibility of universal credit claimants to free school
meals? If the current proposal were to go ahead, it would
introduce a huge new benefit trap into the system, far
worse than anything in the old system. Universal credit was
supposed to remove such traps, not create new ones.
-
Currently, 1.1 million young people—students—receive free
school meals. If the policy that has been put forward as
part of the consultation goes ahead—where there is an
earnings threshold of £7,400—an additional 50,000 young
people will benefit from free school meals.
Universal Credit: Child Poverty
-
(Kingston upon Hull
North) (Lab)
13. If she will make an estimate of the number of children
who will no longer be living in poverty as a result of the
roll-out of universal credit. [903744]
-
(Lincoln) (Lab)
15. If she will make an estimate of the number of children
who will no longer be living in poverty as a result of the
roll-out of universal credit. [903747]
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions (Kit Malthouse)
Both hon. Ladies are right to recognise the role that
welfare reform is playing in alleviating child poverty.
Work is the best route out of poverty, and universal credit
strengthens the incentives for parents to move into and
progress in work. However, it cannot be considered in
isolation: it is a key component of a broader strategy to
move Britain to a higher wage, lower welfare and lower tax
society.
-
Owing to policies pursued since 2010, we now have 20,700
children in poverty across Hull, and food poverty and
holiday hunger are growing, including, despite what the
Secretary of State says, in working families. Will
restricting free school meals in universal credit create a
cliff edge and make the situation even more dire in the
most disadvantaged communities?
-
Undoubtedly, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State
said earlier, children are five times more likely to be in
poverty if they are in a workless household. The
Government’s entire thrust is to get as many people into
work as possible, and we would never contemplate anything
that would get in the way of those kinds of incentives. As
my hon. Friend the Minister for Employment said, nobody
will lose out under the current proposals on free school
meals; in fact, there might well be more recipients in the
future.
-
Figures published last month show that 27% of children in
my constituency live in low-income households—and these are
families who rely on universal credit. Does the Minister
believe that it is acceptable that families living in
poverty in Lincoln have to rely on food banks, particularly
when due to problems with the roll-out of universal credit?
-
I am sure that the hon. Lady, like me, welcomes the 43%
fall in the claimant count in her constituency over the
past few years—[Hon. Members: “That wasn’t the question.”]
On her question, as she and many Members will know, the
causes and drivers of people going to food banks are
complex. [Interruption.] In my constituency, for example,
the food bank was established in 2006—at the height of
Labour’s conduct of the economy and welfare system—but the
Department needs to think carefully about some of these
issues, and we will be doing so in the future.
-
(Mid Dorset and
North Poole) (Con)
I warmly welcome my hon. Friend to his place. Does he agree
that, on the important subject of children living in
poverty and universal credit, it is important to have a
sensible, grown-up discussion and debate, rather than
bandying around unqualified figures?
-
My hon. Friend makes a strong point, and he is absolutely
right. National statistics, on a number of measures, have
shown child poverty falling. In particular, we have seen
200,000 children over the past few years move out of
absolute poverty.
-
(Chippenham)
(Con)
For too long, parents have been able to hide their earnings
from their child maintenance payment calculations, creating
and adding to child poverty. What action are the Government
taking to stop this?
-
As my hon. Friend knows, the child maintenance system was
put in place to enable greater co-operation between
parents, on the basis that that often results in a much
better outcome for children, but there are parents who fail
to do so, and for those circumstances, we have invested
significantly in the financial investigations unit of the
Child Maintenance Service. We will be consulting further on
what more we can do to strengthen our enforcement powers.
-
(Wirral West)
(Lab)
I welcome the Minister to his place. When the benefit
freeze was introduced in April 2016, inflation stood at
0.3%; it is now over 3%, and food prices in December were
over 4% higher than a year earlier. A recent study by the
Institute for Fiscal Studies showed that one in four of
Britain’s poorest households are struggling with problem
debt, and new figures from the End Child Poverty coalition
show that in some parts of Britain, such as Bethnal Green
and Bow in London and Ladywood in Birmingham, over half of
children are living in poverty. Their families are no
longer just about managing. Will the Government end the
social security freeze that is pushing families into
poverty?
-
I would advise the hon. Lady to be slightly careful about
the statistics she is using. As we heard earlier, there are
some particular problems, but in that report in particular
there were enormous caveats saying that the measures were
not accurate and the numbers not necessarily reliable,
particularly on a constituency basis. The Government are
committed to a strategy to tackle poverty that involves
work, and since 2010 we have 954,000 fewer households in
unemployment and moved into work. That is the best thing we
can do for their futures.
Disability Confident Scheme
-
(North West
Leicestershire) (Con)
14. What progress her Department has made on the
implementation of the disability confident scheme. [903745]
-
Mr (Nuneaton) (Con)
20. What progress her Department has made on the
implementation of the disability confident scheme. [903753]
-
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Sarah
Newton)
There are 5,550 employers currently signed up to the
disability confident scheme. The disability confident
business leaders group, comprising prominent national
businesses, is promoting the scheme to other employers, and
all main Departments have now achieved disability confident
leader status. I encourage all hon. Members to come along
to a drop-in centre I have organised on Wednesday 21
February, 3 pm to 5 pm, in Portcullis House, Room Q, so
that they too can become disability confident employers.
-
Mr Speaker
It is always useful to have a little bit of additional
information, and we are deeply obliged to the Minister.
-
Last year, I attended a disability confident workshop in my
constituency, where unemployment now stands at an all-time
low of 1%. Also present were representatives of the DWP and
the local council, as well as local employers, many of whom
signed up to the scheme immediately. Will my hon. Friend
give further feedback on the national roll-out of a
programme that encourages employers to take advantage of
keen, loyal staff who are disabled?
-
I congratulate my hon. Friend on his local support for the
disability confident scheme. I urge all Members to become
involved in these wonderful events, where we see hundreds
of people signing up to the scheme. It is important for us
to continue to build on the constructive and positive
feedback that we receive from employers by giving them
practical support, so that they can employ more disabled
people.
-
Mr Speaker
Finally—and, I am sure, with admirable succinctness—Mr
.
-
Mr
I recently visited the excellent Oak Wood School in my
constituency, whose leaders are working hard to get
talented young people with special needs into work and work
placements when they finish school. Will my hon. Friend,
like me, encourage employers in my area to join the
disability confident scheme, so that we can give
opportunities to those young people, and not just give them
hope for the future, but provide the labour market with a
number of people who will be able to bring a vast amount of
experience and difference to our workplaces?
-
I was very pleased to hear about the important work being
done by Oak Wood School. Last year, more than 500 young
people took part in supported internships, and this year
the Department for Education has made available just under
£10 million of additional funding, which will provide more
work placements, particularly for young people with special
educational needs. I agree with my hon. Friend that it is
vital for us to ensure that more of those young people are
given the opportunity to work.
-
Mr Speaker
I am grateful to the Minister. I am sure that Members will
have an opportunity to pore over her comprehensive reply by
moving speedily to the Library, where copies will, I am
sure, be located within minutes.
Topical Questions
-
(Houghton and
Sunderland South) (Lab)
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental
responsibilities. [903721]
-
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Ms Esther
McVey)
We had a record-breaking 2017 for employment, and I am
delighted to see the trend continue as we enter the new
year. The proportion of people in work is at an all-time
high at 75.3%—so 32.2 million people are now in work,
415,000 more than were working last year. Figures also show
that there are a record 810,000 vacancies in the economy at
any one time, which proves that the Government are
delivering on our promise to build a strong economy.
-
No child in modern Britain should grow up in poverty, but
figures from both the End Child Poverty coalition and the
Secretary of State’s own Department reveal that we face a
growing crisis. Does she seriously believe that ploughing
ahead with universal credit will do anything to help the
millions of children who are trapped in avoidable poverty
in our country or will bring that number down?
-
Ms McVey
One thing on which both of us will agree—on which, indeed,
Members in all parts of the House will agree—is that no
child should be growing up in poverty. If we take action to
ensure that families are working, those children will not
be in poverty. We know for certain that if a child’s family
are working, that child is much less likely to be in
poverty when it grows up and is more likely to attain
higher school qualifications. That is the action that this
Conservative Government are taking.
-
(Thirsk and Malton)
(Con)
T3. Ryedale citizen’s advice bureau has seen a significant
drop in the number of universal credit problem cases as a
result of the measures introduced by my right hon. Friend
and her predecessor, but we are seeing instances of advance
payments being used to clear debts. What help and advice is
being given to claimants in respect of budgeting and
support, so that they can clear problem debts sensibly and
sustainably? [903723]
-
The Minister for Employment (Alok Sharma)
Through universal credit, we are providing personal
budgeting support, which is available through conversations
with work coaches. That is making a great difference to
those who need such help.
-
Mr Speaker
Front Benchers will have to be very brief, because we are
running short of time on account of the length of questions
and answers. A pithy sentence, or whatever, will suffice.
-
(Airdrie and Shotts)
(SNP)
What is the Secretary of State’s response to the report
from the European Committee of Social Rights that said
statutory sick pay and support for those seeking work or
the self-employed is “manifestly inadequate” and therefore
in breach of the legally binding European social charter?
-
I am happy to have a discussion with the hon. Gentleman on
this point. All the policies we have put forward are based
on being as fair as we can be to all recipients.
-
(Sittingbourne
and Sheppey) (Con)
T7. We have heard a lot today about universal credit, and
making it work properly will depend to a great extent on
DWP staff. With that in mind, will my right hon. Friend
join me in congratulating the staff in Sittingbourne and
Sheerness jobcentres, who are showing immense dedication
and enthusiasm to ensure that benefit claimants in my
constituency are not adversely affected by the roll-out of
UC? [903728]
-
Of course I join my hon. Friend in congratulating the staff
at Sittingbourne and Sheerness jobcentres. When I have
spoken to work coaches in the visits I have made, they are
incredibly enthused: they tell me this is the first time
they are able to do what they want to do, which is help
people into work.
-
(Birmingham, Erdington)
(Lab)
The behaviour of Philip Green on BHS pensions was
outrageous; likewise, Carillion paying dividends and big
bonuses, while running up a £900 million pensions deficit.
We expect better from our universities; does the Secretary
of State agree that it cannot be right that they are
proposing to cut the pension benefits of staff just when
one vice-chancellor alone at Edinburgh university has
accepted a 33% salary hike as part of a package worth
£410,000?
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions (Guy Opperman)
With respect, this is not a matter for Government to
respond on. The joint negotiating committee, which is made
up of trustees, employers and unions, is responsible for
approving an appropriate recovery plan to ensure the scheme
is adequately funded. The universities are subject to
regular assessment of their overall financial
sustainability management and governance, and I am sure the
Pensions Regulator will therefore be watching this
situation.
-
Mr (Hazel Grove)
(Con)
Developing a theme from this side of the House, I had the
pleasure of visiting my local jobcentre on Friday. Will my
hon. Friend pay tribute to the hard-working staff who are
delivering record levels of employment in my constituency?
-
Absolutely: I congratulate the staff in my hon. Friend’s
jobcentre, and by the end of the process of rolling out UC,
we will have 5,000 extra work coaches across the country.
-
(Garston and Halewood)
(Lab)
T2. About 20,000 people in Liverpool have had their
personal independence payments cut due to the blatantly
discriminatory regulations that the Secretary of State has
now accepted were unlawful. When will my constituents get
their money back and their entitlement returned? [903722]
-
Ms McVey
The first decision I made was to make sure we did not
appeal that question about PIP and what we on this side of
the House were going to do to live up to the expectations
of PIP, and I think it is a very true, honourable and
correct thing that we have done. However, to make sure we
deliver it correctly and give the correct amount of money
to the people who need it, it will take time for us to
thoroughly research what needs to be done.
-
(West Aberdeenshire and
Kincardine) (Con)
The attractiveness to many of the two-weekly payments of UC
are obvious, but does my right hon. Friend share my
concerns that the Scottish Government’s decision to offer
this to my constituents and other people across Scotland
will leave those who choose it to be worse off than
claimants in the rest of the UK?
-
It is absolutely the case that under the Scottish system
individuals will be at a cash-flow disadvantage after a
number of weeks. I would point out that, of course,
alternative payments are available in England, too.
-
(Portsmouth South)
(Lab)
T4. Following last December’s High Court ruling, can the
Secretary of State tell me by what date all 1.6 million PIP
claims will have been reviewed: will it take weeks, months
or even years? [903724]
-
Ms McVey
This reviewing will be an administrative process, so we
will not need to see the people, but what is most important
is that the right people get the right amount of money, and
that will take the time it needs.
-
(Brentwood and Ongar)
(Con)
We had a very interesting session on assistive technology
in the Select Committee on Work and Pensions recently. Will
the Government commit to looking at how assistive
technology can be used to help more disabled people into
work?
-
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Sarah
Newton)
I thank my hon. Friend for his question, and I really
welcome the work that the Select Committee is doing. I
believe that the fourth industrial revolution has the most
enormous potential to transform the lives of disabled
people, and of course I will read that report thoroughly.
-
(Lancaster and Fleetwood)
(Lab)
T5. My constituent Mrs Allinson suffers from multiple
sclerosis. She has been receiving the personal independence
payment for 24 months, but was recently reassessed and
denied it on the ground that she can work, although only
part time. Given that she is no longer getting that money,
she is working full time and damaging her health. Do the
Government recognise that disabled people need support to
stay in work for as long as possible? Will the Minister
meet me and ensure that Mrs Allinson’s case is reviewed?
[903725]
-
Of course I would be delighted to meet the hon. Lady to
discuss the case of her constituent. Let us be clear that
we want to achieve the maximum amount of support for people
who want to and can get into work as well as ensuring that
the right support is available for those who cannot do so.
-
(Shipley) (Con)
The Child Support Agency was set up to pursue absent
fathers who were not paying anything at all towards their
children’s upkeep. Too often, the Child Maintenance Service
seems to file those people under “too difficult” and just
pursue people who are already paying. Can the Minister
guarantee that the Child Maintenance Service will continue
to go after people who are not paying anything at all
towards the upkeep of their children, rather than just
pursuing those who are already making a contribution?
-
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions (Kit Malthouse)
I can reassure my hon. Friend that that will indeed be the
case, and we will shortly be consulting on what more we can
do to enforce against those who are unwilling to support
their children.
-
(Eastbourne) (LD)
T6. One of the challenges in the design of universal credit
is that it does not take into account the fluctuating
incomes of people who are freelance. They can earn a low
amount one month and a high amount the next, but universal
credit does not manage that properly. A self-employed
person who has earned £15,000 in a year will get less under
universal credit than an employed person who has earned the
same amount. Will the Government to commit to fixing that
anomaly? [903726]
-
As the hon. Gentleman knows, universal credit works on a
monthly basis. When someone earns a large amount in a
month, we apportion that over the following months. It is
worth pointing out that it is entirely possible for people
with those kinds of earnings to budget over the year, just
as many businesses do.
-
(Telford) (Con)
The GKN takeover proposal announced
last Thursday seeks to pay a £1.4 billion sweetener to
shareholders, despite a £2 billion pension deficit. Does
the Minister agree that the Government should act to
protect the interests of GKN pension fund members?
-
Ms McVey
Of course the Government agree that we have to look after
the concerns of the GKN workers. Here we have actually
seen the trustees of the pension fund coming out, being
bold and wanting reassurance from the other company that it
can indeed pay for the pension scheme. We can look at the
argument from two sides. GKN has to be strong and robust,
but also Melrose should voluntarily ask the regulator to
look into the implied costs in that benefit scheme to make
sure that it can afford to take over the other company.
-
(Colne Valley)
(Lab)
T8. On 14 December last year, I asked the Minister not to
ignore the voices of the 7,000 women in my constituency who
are affected by state pension inequality, because we are
not going away. Is the Department now any closer to paying
us what we are due? [903729]
-
The position has not changed. The Government do not intend
to change the Pensions Act 1995, or the 2007 and 2011
Pensions Acts. I would point out that a £1.1 billion
transitional arrangement was put forward in the 2011
statute.
-
(Chippenham)
(Con)
Some 70% of the rise in UK employment involves
higher-skilled jobs. This is true in Wiltshire, which
expects more than 2,500 jobs from Dyson alone. What work is
the Minister doing with other Departments to tackle the
science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills gap
in the UK, so that Wiltshire can benefit from those jobs?
-
I have started to have conversations with ministerial
colleagues, and my hon. Friend is absolutely right to say
that we need to work as one Government to ensure that
high-skilled jobs are created across our country.
-
(Harrow West)
(Lab/Co-op)
Given the significant rise in household debt and the fear
that payday lenders will seek to take advantage of that
situation, is not this the right time to seek a significant
expansion of credit unions across the UK? What might the
Minister do to facilitate such an expansion?
-
The hon. Gentleman and I have a meeting in our diaries for,
I believe, a week Monday, when I hope to expand on that
specific point. He will know that credit union membership
has doubled in the past 10 years, and I can assure him that
we are discussing these matters with the Treasury, which
has ultimate control over credit unions.
-
(Chelmsford) (Con)
I am a mathematician and a mother, so I am concerned that
the head of the UK Statistics Authority had to write to a
shadow Minister to point out that statements that they made
were not based on real sources or real statistics. Does my
right hon. Friend agree that the shadow Minister should
apologise?
-
Ms McVey
My hon. Friend puts it so eloquently. It is about time that
Opposition Members apologise for their scaremongering.
-
Mr Speaker
Even mothers and mathematicians have to respect the method,
and the method in the House is that Members question
Ministers about the Government’s policies. I do not blame
the Secretary of State for taking the opportunity to ram
home her point with force and alacrity, but Members must
understand that this is not Question Time about the
policies, tactics or preferences of the Opposition; this is
Question Time about the policies of the Government. Even if
there is some Whip handout saying, “Ask the Minister about
the behaviour of the Labour party,” that does not make it
in order. It is not in order—end of subject.
-
(Nottingham South)
(Lab)
T9. Thousands of women born in the 1950s are being left in
serious hardship as a result of accelerated changes to the
state pension age, and as my hon. Friend the Member for
Colne Valley (Thelma Walker) said, they are crying out for
justice. In the week when we celebrate the centenary of the
first women gaining the right to vote, how dare this
Government ignore their voices? [903730]
-
The hon. Lady will know that the policy continued for 13
years under the Labour Government, and her Government could
have done something about it between 1997 and 2010, but she
maintained that it was the right policy. This Government
continues to maintain that it was the right policy, and if
individuals require assistance, the Government give over
£50 billion to the disabled on an ongoing basis.
-
(Mid Dorset and
North Poole) (Con)
rose—
-
Mr Speaker
I am going back and forth, so the hon. Gentleman can have
another go. In fairness to colleagues who have not asked
questions, a short sentence—one, that is—will suffice.
-
What benefit has auto-enrolment provided for my
constituents?
-
Seven thousand employees are now signed up, and 900
employers are doing the right thing and are providing
auto-enrolment to my hon. Friend’s constituents.
-
Mr Speaker
I thank the hon. Gentleman and the Minister.
-
(Dundee West) (SNP)
Later, we will debate benefit uprating, which will maintain a
freeze on many key working-age benefits even while the
consumer price index sits at 3%. We all know that the freeze
is pushing people into crisis, so will the Minister take this
opportunity to lift the freeze to ease claimants’
suffering—yes or no?
-
As the hon. Gentleman knows, the freeze was enacted in
primary legislation, and we would need a vote of the whole
House to change it. I am afraid that it forms part of a
general suite of welfare reforms that have driven an enormous
number of people into work and out of poverty.
-
(Delyn) (Lab)
rose—
-
Mr Speaker
A short sentence from the voice of Delyn.
-
Will a Minister look at how universal credit is paid into
credit unions? My local credit union is raising real concerns
about the DWP’s efficiency and organisation in doing so.
-
I am happy to take representations from the right hon.
Gentleman, and I will look at that point with my colleagues
who handle universal credit.
-
(High Peak) (Lab)
Bearing in mind the Secretary of State’s call for clear
statistics, will she welcome today’s Library paper, which
clarifies that 113,000 children will cease to receive free
school meals under the proposed changes to universal credit,
withdraw the claim that 50,000 more children will benefit at
one point in time and bring that to the attention of the
House?
-
A consultation is taking place, and the Department for
Education will respond to it. Everyone who is currently on
universal credit will have that benefit protected as long as
the children remain in that education setting.
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