Cold Weather Payments Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab) 1. What
recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the criteria
for cold weather payments.(901910) Mr Speaker Welcome, Secretary of
State. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mel Stride)
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I also associate myself with your remarks
regarding Paul Pelosi and the Speaker in the United States. Our
thoughts are with them both. It is a huge honour to stand
here...Request free trial
Cold Weather Payments
(Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)
1. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the
criteria for cold weather payments.(901910)
Mr Speaker
Welcome, Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I also associate myself with your remarks
regarding Paul Pelosi and the Speaker in the United States. Our
thoughts are with them both.
It is a huge honour to stand here as the new Secretary of State
for Work and Pensions. In so doing, I pay tribute to all those
who have preceded me, in particular my right hon. Friend the
Member for Norwich North (), who was an outstanding
Secretary of State and also an outstanding Minister of State for
disabled people.
The cold weather payment’s design ensures that support reaches
those most vulnerable. The energy price guarantee is supporting
millions of households with energy costs from now until April
2023. This is on top of the cost of living support worth more
than £37 billion for around 8 million households on means-tested
benefits.
Mr Speaker, may I associate myself with your remarks about the
Pelosi family?
I congratulate the right hon. Member on his appointment. The £25
cold weather payment rate has not been updated since 2008. In
today’s money, it should be worth £37. Parts of Blaenau Gwent are
more than 1,000 feet above sea level, and the constituency itself
is one of the most deprived in the UK. Will the Secretary of
State look again at the criteria for this scheme? Surely areas
with bad weather, higher energy costs and lower incomes should
get a fairer deal.
I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s question, because these are very
important payments. They are automatic, as he will know.
Typically, they are received within 14 days and they are targeted
at those who are most vulnerable. His point about the particular
local conditions and the elevation of parts of his constituency
are well made and I would be very happy to have further
discussions with him about that. I should point out though that I
believe there are 72 different weather stations to serve as
reference points for different temperatures, so it may be that
there is one very close to the area he describes.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Con)
I welcome my right hon. Friend to his new position. Will he tell
the House what progress his Department is making to increase the
uptake of pension credit, which means that more vulnerable
elderly people will be eligible for cold weather payments?
My hon. Friend is right to raise this very important benefit,
pension credit. He will be aware that the Department has been
fully engaged in encouraging pensioners who will qualify to take
up this benefit, and it is important that they do, because it is
worth more than £3,000 a year and it is a gateway benefit for
other benefits in turn. I pay tribute to the Minister of State,
my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (), who has done a great deal to push greater uptake,
including a week of effort back in June when the uptake increased
by 275% in that week.
Economically Inactive People
(Hastings and Rye)
(Con)
2. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number
of people who are economically inactive.(901911)
(Cambridge) (Lab)
3. What recent assessment he has made of the implications for his
policies of the level of economic inactivity in the labour
market.(901912)
(Preseli Pembrokeshire)
(Con)
19. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number
of people who are economically inactive.(901928)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
The labour market has recovered strongly since 2020, with payroll
employment up on the pre-pandemic level in all 12 regions of the
United Kingdom. We have comprehensive support in place to help
people to find, progress and stay in work, with additional
support for groups we know are more likely to be inactive, such
as those aged 50-plus and people with a disability.
Work is the best route out of poverty, and it is concerning that
claimants of, and public spending on, working-age benefits have
increased significantly since 2019. There is more that the
Government can do beyond the conditionality regime, so can the
Secretary of State confirm that implementing universal support,
which is designed to help those facing barriers to work and to
overcome the complex challenges holding them back, will be
considered?
I agree entirely with my hon. Friend that work is the best route
out of poverty, and in that regard I commend her for her private
Member’s Bill, which the Department is pleased to support. Our
low unemployment rate demonstrates our extensive support for
those moving into work; universal support has been replaced, as
she may know, by Help to Claim, which provides tailored support
to individuals making a universal credit claim across England,
Scotland and Wales.
The economy is plagued by labour shortages, from care to
hospitality. On Saturday, 200 bus services in Cambridge were
cancelled because of a lack of drivers, leaving health workers
unable to get to and from their places of work. After a decade of
zero-hours and short-term contracts, it is no surprise that
people want out—they do not want to be at work because it is too
tough. Is it not time for the Government to recognise that good
workplace rights are not just good for workers, but good for
employers and good for us all?
I could not agree more with the hon. Gentleman. He is right to
raise the issue of economic activity. That will be a major focus
of mine as Secretary of State: we have 9 million people who are
economically inactive, and we desperately need to get as many as
we can into the workforce, not least because under this
Government we have very low unemployment, very high levels of
employment and 1.25 million vacancies in the economy.
I congratulate my right hon. Friend and send him my best wishes
for his time in this important job. May I suggest that he has a
look at some research published earlier this year by the Prince’s
Trust, which found that there are hundreds of thousands of young
people not in education, employment or training, many of whom are
economically active? They want to work, but many of them are
living with physical or mental disabilities. Does he agree that
the right support would enable them to stay in touch with the
labour market and prevent patterns of worklessness from setting
in at a very young age?
I recognise the great work that my right hon. Friend did as a
Secretary of State. There are 820,000 young people out of work
and not in full-time education, and he is right that there are
many things this Government can do, and indeed are doing, with
our youth offer. That includes our youth employment programme,
youth employability coaches and 150 youth hubs across Great
Britain.
(Exeter) (Lab)
I welcome the right hon. Gentleman, who is one of my neighbours,
to his new post and congratulate him on his appointment. What
estimate has he made of the number of people who would like to
work but currently cannot do so, because they are among the
hundreds of thousands waiting on record-long NHS waiting
lists?
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his warm words. That is a
question that would probably be best answered by the Department
of Health and Social Care, and I would be happy to look into that
for him. We know that there is a long tail of people who would
otherwise like to work but who are long-term sick—some 2.5
million in total—and, to go back to my earlier answer, it will be
a prime focus for our Department, working with the Health
Department, to see how we can assist and support them back into
the workplace.
(Norwich North) (Con)
I wish my right hon. Friend and his team every success in leading
this vital mission in Government, helping people into work and
protecting the most vulnerable. As he says, with more vacancies
than people unemployed, and with 9 million people—and
rising—economically inactive, does he agree with British business
that labour shortage is one of its greatest obstacles? What is
his plan to unlock the talents of those who have not recently
looked for work?
My right hon. Friend’s analysis is entirely right. We have an
overheated labour market and a high number of vacancies, and the
key issue that businesses up and down the country constantly
raise is a lack of staff to be taken on. Broadly speaking,
economic inactivity breaks down into several sectors, although I
will not go through all of them; we have already touched on the
2.5 million long-term sick, and we have 900 disability employment
advisers within the Department for Work and Pensions. We also
have 1.2 million people who retired early, for whom we do have
some schemes, but we need to give further attention to coming up
with new ways forward for that group.
(East Renfrewshire)
(SNP)
At last week’s Work and Pensions Committee meeting on the plan
for jobs and employment support, Tony Wilson from the Institute
for Employment Studies highlighted the role of Scotland’s local
employability partnerships in providing tailored support that
reflects local circumstances. In the light of recent analysis by
the Institute for Fiscal Studies showing that health-related
economic inactivity in the working-age population has had its
largest increase since the end of 2019, will the UK Government
consider following Scotland’s approach of providing more
customised support and helping people into work, instead of the
Department’s punitive sanctions regime?
We already have a local skills improvement plan, but I would be
delighted to listen to the hon. Lady’s thoughts; we are always
happy to share best practice, and to learn from her experience
and that of the devolved Administration in Scotland.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Wirral South) (Lab)
I welcome the new Secretary of State and all the new Ministers to
their positions. We have heard Conservative Ministers, not least
the many Prime Ministers we have had in recent months, crowing
about low unemployment, but the new Secretary of State will know
from his time chairing the Treasury Committee that sometimes it
is important to look at the figures yourself. There are 1.2
million people unemployed in our country, but also 1.8 million
inactive people who say they want a job. Taken together, that is
a disaster for our country. I want to know what it is about years
and years of Tory misrule that always leaves 3 million people on
the scrapheap.
I have taken a personal vow not to engage in too much Punch and
Judy politics with the hon. Lady during Question Time, so I will
not talk about what happens to unemployment when different
parties get into power; I will leave that for another day. She is
absolutely right about the key challenge around economic
inactivity. That is why the Department doubled the number of new
work coaches in the last two years; there are an additional
13,500 people working to support the exact people whom she
rightly identified as needing that assistance to get into work.
As I said, I intend to put considerably more energy into the
whole issue of economic inactivity, and to bring announcements on
the subject to the House in due course.
Universal Credit Sanctions
(Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)
4. What assessment his Department has made of changes in the
level of the sanction rate for universal credit between November
2021 and May 2022.(901913)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
No assessment has been made. Emergency measures brought in during
covid meant that the sanctions rate was artificially low. We
always expected the rate to increase when we reintroduced
face-to-face appointments and conditionality in order to help
fill record numbers of job vacancies.
I am disappointed with that answer. The current high rate of
universal credit sanctions is unprecedented. Right now, twice as
many people on universal credit are being sanctioned and having
their benefits cut as did before the pandemic, three years ago.
At this very moment, families face the reality of hunger and
freezing homes because of soaring food prices and energy bills,
as well as rising rents. Instead of making things harder for
those who are struggling, and punishing those on the lowest
incomes, will the Minister commit to raising social security in
line with inflation and end the sanctions regime, which will only
inflict more hardship and homelessness this winter on those in
areas such as mine?
I am afraid that I do not agree. People are sanctioned only if
they fail to attend appointments without good reason, and fail to
meet the requirements that they have agreed to meet.
Conditionality is an important part of a fair and effective
welfare system. It is right that there should be a system to
encourage claimants to take reasonable steps to prepare for and
move into work. I reiterate that claimants with severe mental
health or wellbeing conditions are not subject to work-related
requirements or sanctions.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister, .
(Westminster North) (Lab)
The Secretary of State has indicated that there will be a
difference in tone in the Department. There is a way that he can
demonstrate that. The Department conducted an examination of the
effect of sanctions and conditionality that his predecessor
refused to publish. He has the opportunity to allow us to have an
informed debate in the Chamber on the effectiveness of sanctions.
Will he now publish that report?
Sanctions are incredibly important to support the work coach in
doing their job. This really matters, because engaging with the
work coach is important where there can be underlying issues—if
an individual is a care leaver or there is something going on at
home. Sanctions do not apply to all claimants. As I said earlier,
if an individual has limited capability to work or there are
issues around how they can work, work coaches will use their full
discretion to ensure that people are supported, but not engaging
is not the right option.
Cost of Living Payments: Isle of Wight
(Isle of Wight) (Con)
5. What recent estimate he has made of the number of Isle of
Wight residents who will receive the second cost of living
payment.(901914)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
We published an impact analysis for the Social Security
(Additional Payments) Bill, which estimated that, in the Isle of
Wight constituency, 18,300 families are eligible for the
means-tested benefit cost of living payment and 17,300
individuals are eligible for the disability cost of living
payment.
I congratulate all the Ministers on their new roles and thank the
Minister for that information. Regarding the cost of living, what
reassurances can the ministerial team give me that pensioners on
the Isle of Wright, and indeed throughout Britain, will be looked
after this winter, considering that they are on fixed
incomes?
My hon. Friend is always a passionate advocate for people on the
Isle of Wight, raising the issues and concerns that are relevant
to them. We have a Prime Minister who has consistently
demonstrated that he is on the side of vulnerable people and
hard-working people across the country. That will continue to be
the case. We have put in place a £37 billion package of support
to help with these cost of living pressures, and of course we
always keep the appropriateness of that under review.
Jobseekers and People on Low Incomes: Skills
(Clwyd South) (Con)
6. What steps his Department is taking to help ensure jobseekers
and people on low incomes develop the skills required for highly
skilled and well-paid jobs.(901915)
(Southend West) (Con)
15. What steps his Department is taking to help ensure jobseekers
and people on low incomes develop the skills required for highly
skilled and well-paid jobs.(901924)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
Our dedicated work coaches engage with claimants to determine
what additional support they may need to enter or progress in
work. Where skills gaps are identified, claimants will be
encouraged to access skills-related employment programmes such as
sector-based work academies, skills boot camps or appropriate
local training provision.
My constituent in Clwyd South, Kerry Mackay, recently wrote to me
saying:
“There’s lots of talk about getting people back into work and
those on low incomes finding a better job, but I think the
government is missing a trick by not highlighting how much they
will help people, single mothers and mature students like me, to
get a decent education and ultimately pull themselves out of
poverty for good.”
Will the Minister advertise as effectively as possible how
universal credit can support people like Kerry to study for their
degrees?
We want to support our constituents like Kerry, and I thank my
hon. Friend for his question. I suggest that he writes to me with
the specific details, but I can assure him and Kerry that
recipients of UC can take part in training without compromising
their benefit entitlement. Generally, there are great efforts
being made to ensure that people who want to get into work can do
so.
I welcome the new Secretary of State to his place, and the whole
of his new Front-Bench team. I am sure that we can expect great
things. Does my hon. Friend the Minister agree that
apprenticeships and further education are a key way of upskilling
our young people? Will he visit Southend West soon and meet some
of our successful apprentices, such as Holly at Guardian
Exhibition and Display in Eastwood, and Ipeco in Southend, which
also offers fantastic apprenticeships?
All roads lead to Southend as far as I am concerned. My hon.
Friend is proving to be a fantastic champion and successor of our
good friend . I would be delighted to visit.
I welcome the great work of the companies she mentioned and
believe very strongly that we need to improve skills through the
package that we are taking forward.
(Rutherglen and Hamilton
West) (Ind)
May I start by sending my condolences and thoughts to all those
who were tragically killed in Seoul, South Korea, at the weekend?
I am sure that we will all be thinking of them at this time.
Education, formal and informal, is vital to developing a highly
skilled workforce. Adults with neurodivergences such as autism or
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may require personalised
support with their learning. What assessment has the Minister
made of the efficacy of the support currently in place, and what
steps are the Government taking to improve it?
Skills and education are a devolved matter. I echo the hon.
Lady’s worthwhile words about South Korea. Obviously, great work
is being done in youth hubs in particular, which I recommend to
her.
Universal Credit: Food Insecurity
Sir (East Ham) (Lab)
7. What assessment he has made of the impact of the level of
universal credit on food insecurity. (901916)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
I begin by recognising the important work that the right hon.
Gentleman carries out as Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee
and thank him for the co-operation that he showed me when I was a
fellow Chair of a Select Committee. I look forward to appearing
before his Committee before too long.
As the right hon. Gentleman will know, universal credit is but
one factor in addressing food insecurity. The Government have
provided significant support with the £37 billion cost of living
package.
Sir
I congratulate the Secretary of State on his appointment and
warmly welcome him. We already have a date in the diary for him
to come before the Committee and we look forward to that.
Current large-scale food bank dependence is shameful. It was up
by 46% in August and September on a year previously, according to
the Trussell Trust, and it is reported in the press today that
hospitals are seeing a big rise in malnutrition cases. The family
resources survey also says that food insecurity among universal
credit claimants fell from 43% to 27% after the £20 a week uplift
was introduced. Does not all that show how crucial it is that the
Prime Minister keeps the promise he made as Chancellor to uprate
benefits next April by 10.1%?
I am not going to pre-empt my decision on the uprating of
benefits or indeed the triple lock. We will need to wait until at
least 17 November when my right hon. Friend the Chancellor will
come to the House with his autumn statement and those details
will be known at that point.
The right hon. Gentleman raises the family resources survey. One
statistic that caught my eye was that the percentage of
households with UC claimants who are in food security rose from
57% in 2019-20 to 73% in 2020-21. Any element of food insecurity
is too much—I recognise that—which is why this Government and
this Prime Minister are absolutely determined to use whatever we
have at our disposal to work on those figures and to improve
them. That includes the various interventions that we have
already discussed during these questions.
Cost of Living: Social Security Payments
(West
Dunbartonshire) (SNP)
8. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of social security
payments in meeting the cost of living. (901917)
(Glasgow Central)
(SNP)
23. What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of
benefits in meeting increases in the cost of living. (901932)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
We have already taken decisive action to make work pay by cutting
the universal credit taper rate to 55% and increasing UC work
allowances, which mean that on average low-income households have
about an extra £1,000 a year. In addition to that, two cost of
living payments, which total £650, are being paid to more than 8
million low-income households on UC, tax credits, pension credits
and legacy benefits. There has also been extra help for
pensioners and those on disability benefits. That totals more
than £37 billion this year.
I am grateful for the Minister’s answer, but the Joseph Rowntree
Foundation has warned that if social security does not get
uprated with inflation, it will be the
“largest permanent deliberate real-terms cut”
to the basic rate of social security by a British Government in
history. According to the Child Poverty Action Group, that would
push 200,000 children into poverty. Even the UN rapporteur on
extreme poverty and human rights warns that it will mean that
“lives will be lost”. What will the Minister do to stop that?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question. I note that he will
be visiting his Dumbarton Jobcentre Plus shortly, which I am sure
will help him to see the range of interventions in jobcentres, as
well as the benefits calculator and the cost of living
interventions on gov.uk. I remind him that the Scottish
Government have a range of powers, including the ability to
provide their own welfare benefits to people in Scotland using
existing reserved benefits. The Scottish Government can see how
they would like to use their powers and budget themselves.
Happy Hallowe’en, Mr Speaker. Many of my constituents have found
social security payments inadequate, because they have not kept
pace with the cost of living. For William Thompson and Anne
McCurley, however, it is even more frustrating because they
narrowly miss out on pension credits and all the passported
benefits—Anne misses out by only £3 a week. Will the Minister
review the cut-off so that as many people as possible can access
the support that they badly need this winter?
I thank the hon. Lady for the point, and I have mentioned two
particular websites that I think are incredibly important for
people to make sure they get every single bit of help they need.
There is always a cut-off point, which is very challenging. I
understand there is a huge amount of work going on in her own
community to support people, including getting people into work
and progressing them, and working with local employers. Of
course, the pensions issue is something that the Secretary of
State has just answered and will be further updated on 17
November.
(Bolton West) (Con)
I thank my hon. Friend for the answers she has already given for
those people meeting the costs of living on social security
payments. A big concern many of my constituents have is about the
cost of energy over the course of the winter, and the Government
have a plan for the next six months to support people. Can my
hon. Friend give my constituents reassurance that that plan, when
it comes towards its end, will be under review to see what
ongoing support could be offered, if required?
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that matter. I worked with the
Prime Minister on the plan for jobs, and he has been very clear
that he wants to protect the most vulnerable, which is why we are
providing families with direct payments worth at least £1,200
over the winter. We will all look with interest at what the
Chancellor does on the 17th.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Lewisham, Deptford)
(Lab)
Too many disabled people have been disproportionately hit by the
cost of living crisis, with extra costs of over £600 a year.
Sadly, we have seen too many unable to cope with this. The
Information Commissioner ruled that the DWP unlawfully prevented
the release of over 20 reports into the deaths of benefit
claimants. We must be able to scrutinise whether the actions
taken by the DWP were sufficient or timely enough to prevent the
harms identified from happening again. So will the new Secretary
of State agree to publish these and all other secret reports—and
a yes or no would actually suffice?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question, and I understand the
Opposition have an interest in such reports. However, my role at
the DWP is about people—helping people up and down the land—and
that is what we are doing for people with disabilities. With the
extra costs part of the disability payment, about 6 million will
be helped by the extra one-off payment of £150, ensuring that we
all across the DWP are focused on the most vulnerable.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Aberdeen North) (SNP)
I welcome the new ministerial team to their place. I hope to meet
the new Secretary of State in early course; it was quite
difficult to secure a meeting with some of his predecessors,
unfortunately. The new Prime Minister spoke of the difficult
decisions that will have to be made, but the real difficult
decisions are those being forced on our constituents—people on
low incomes struggling to afford the basics, pay their bills,
heat their homes or feed their children. Let us not forget the
reality of the tragic human cost of over a decade of Tory
austerity, which urgently needs to end. Does the Minister agree
that uprating benefits in line with inflation is not a difficult
decision, but is instead the only moral course of action?
That is not a matter for me, but I would like to reiterate at the
Dispatch Box that the Government fully understand the pressures
we are all facing. We all have constituents facing these matters,
and it is absolutely right that we take that decisive action to
support people with their bills. Members are talking as if we are
not supporting people, but there is £37 billion of help with the
cost of living, including the £400 of non-repayable discounts to
eligible households provided by the energy bills support scheme.
In addition to the benefits calculator and the cost of living
webpage on gov.uk, I would ask people please to reach out to
their councils. Members are talking this afternoon as if there is
no help, and it is important that our constituents know that that
is far from the case.
Women’s State Pension Age: Additional Support
(Hayes and Harlington)
(Lab)
9. If he will take steps to provide additional support during
winter 2022-23 to women affected by the rise in state pension
age.(901918)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
A wide range of support is available to those of state pension
age and for those on low income who are entitled to pensioner
benefits.
Members across the House will have appreciated the sense of
grievance and injustice from women born in the 1950s who were not
given proper notice of the rise in the state pension age. The
ombudsman has recognised this as maladministration, the right
hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (), when he was the Prime
Minister and leading the campaign in the 2019 general election,
said he would address this matter. Since then, more of those
women are now living in poverty and 200,000 of them have died,
yet not a single Minister has met them since 2016. Is the
Minister willing to meet a delegation from the WASPI campaign to
talk about their plight and find a way forward?
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question and understand
where he is coming from, but there is an ongoing investigation so
it would be inappropriate for me to meet people at this
stage.
Mr Speaker
I call the Scottish National party spokesperson.
(Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
(SNP)
The Minister knows that in July 2021 the Parliamentary and Health
Service Ombudsman found the DWP guilty of maladministration
regarding state pension age increases. The PHSO also suggested
that the Department could consider being proactive in remedying
the injustice suffered by 3.8 million women, rather than waiting
for its final conclusions. Given the ongoing cost of living
crisis, does the Minister agree that now is the time for the
Government to step up to the plate and agree fair and swift
compensation for the women suffering that injustice?
I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman but I must repeat
that I cannot comment where there is an ongoing
investigation.
Pension Credit Claimants
(Delyn) (Ind)
10. What recent estimate he has made of the number of pension
credit claimants. (901919)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
As of the latest public data of February 2022 there were 1.38
million pension credit claimants.
I welcome the new Minister to her place and hope she can continue
the excellent work done by the hon. Member for Hexham () in this area. Despite all that excellent work,
however, take-up is still relatively low, and my constituency has
20% more over-65s than the UK average. Will the new Minister meet
me to discuss how we might be able to make pension credit at
least in part an automatic benefit so that struggling pensioners
can get the money they are rightly entitled to?
The hon. Gentleman makes a good point but it is difficult to
enrol people automatically on pension credit given the data the
Government hold. I am, however, keen to see how increased data
sharing could be used to produce a larger number of claims.
Cost of Living Crisis: Support for Pensioners
(Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
(Lab)
12. What support his Department is providing to pensioners during
the cost of living crisis. (901921)
(Slough) (Lab)
14. What support his Department is providing to pensioners during
the cost of living crisis. (901923)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
This winter more than 8 million pensioner households will receive
an increased winter fuel payment; in addition, those eligible for
pension credit will receive an extra £650. This Government will
always support the most vulnerable.
Earlier this month I contacted approximately 6,000 people in my
constituency who may have been eligible for pension credit, and
about 200 people attended a local action day organised with my
local citizens advice bureaux. Citizens Advice informs me that as
of last week at least £200,000 has been accessed in take-up of
pension credit and other benefits as a result of contacts on that
day. So far the Department’s action has been limited and
half-hearted; the Government should put their money where their
mouth is and pay pensioners what they are entitled to. With the
information and data the Government have at their disposal, what
further action will they take to increase pension credit
take-up?
I applaud the hon. Gentleman for the work he is doing in his
constituency. This is an incredibly important matter; seven out
of 10 people who are entitled to pension credit claim it and we
want to drive that rate up. My hon. Friend the Member for Hexham
() has done a huge amount of work on this and I intend
to continue that in the Department.
Mr Dhesi
Irresponsible Conservative policies have meant pension funds
needed three emergency bail-outs to the tune of billions of
pounds, while the spiralling prices of energy, food and other
essential items have meant millions of people will be facing a
very difficult winter. Statistics from earlier this year, before
the cost of living crisis worsened even further, showed that 20%,
or well over 2 million, pensioners already lived in poverty, a
dramatic increase from a decade ago. Why should pensioners trust
this Government to help them through this mess when the reckless
behaviour of Conservative Ministers has worsened their
plight?
I point the hon. Gentleman to our record: absolute pensioner
poverty has gone down; real incomes have gone up. This Government
are on the side of pensioners.
(Aldridge-Brownhills)
(Con)
I welcome my hon. Friend to the Dispatch Box and I welcome the
work that the Government are doing to support pensioners,
particularly on winter fuel costs in difficult times. However,
many of my pensioners in Aldridge-Brownhills are anxious about
the continuous rise in the cost of living. When can we have some
clarity regarding the triple lock?
I completely understand my right hon. Friend’s question. However,
that is a matter for the autumn statement, and I would not want
to pre-empt that.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Reading East) (Lab)
I welcome the new Minister to her place. The last few weeks have
been difficult and, at times, chaotic. The Government have
crashed the economy and there has been a revolving door in
Downing Street and Government Departments. After all that
confusion, will the Minister take the opportunity to reassure the
House that the Government are truly committed to the triple lock?
Will she apologise to pensioners for the stress and uncertainty
that the Government have caused through their repeated attempts
to wriggle out of their manifesto commitment?
I do understand the uncertainty, but we must wait for 17
November. However, the average state pension is £185 a week,
which is about double what it was in 2010 when we took over.
Uprating of Benefits
(East Lothian) (Alba)
13. What recent discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet
colleagues, (b) the devolved Administrations and (c) other
relevant stakeholders on uprating benefits in line with
inflation. (901922)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
I am currently conducting my statutory annual review of state
pensions and benefit rates. The outcome of that review will be
announced in due course.
I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. The Trussell
Trust is reporting that 40% of universal credit claimants are
skipping meals due to budgetary constraints. Does he accept that
with the full energy crisis costs yet impacting them and, indeed,
with winter still to arrive, it would be perverse if bankers’
bonuses were to be uncapped while pension benefits were not to
increase at least in line with inflation?
The hon. Gentleman will be aware of the various answers given
from the Dispatch Box about the support that the Government are
giving, particularly to those who are most vulnerable, across
winter. In respect of food and food banks, that is pertinent.
However, I am afraid that he will receive the same answer about
when the House will come to know of the uprating that may be
applied to pensions and benefits more generally, and the pensions
triple lock. That is a decision for me as Secretary of State, of
course in conjunction with discussions with the Treasury, and
those figures will be available at the time of the autumn
statement on 17 November.
(Penrith and The Border)
(Con)
I very much welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment that
compassion will be at the heart of Government. It is so important
that we support the most vulnerable in society. With that in
mind, does my right hon. Friend agree that we can show that
compassion and support by uprating benefits in line with
inflation?
I am afraid that, unfortunately, I need to refer my hon. Friend
to my previous reply.
Universal Credit: Housing Element
(Epsom and Ewell) (Con)
16. If he will review the calculation of the housing element of
universal credit. (901925)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
In April 2020, the local housing allowance rate in Epsom and
Ewell increased to the 30th percentile of local market rents. The
Government further boosted LHA rates by £1 billion.
I congratulate the new ministerial team on their appointment. The
challenge in a constituency such as mine in the south-east and
inside the M25 is that, even when the Government are spending a
substantial amount of money on housing support, the local housing
allowance simply does not enable people to get into private
rented accommodation. Will my hon. Friend and his colleagues look
again at how local housing allowance is structured and allocated
across the country to try to ensure that it works everywhere?
My right hon. Friend is a doughty campaigner on this issue. He
will be aware, though, that it cannot be looked at in isolation
and that we must look at the additional support available such as
discretionary housing payments through the local authority—they
are worth up to £1.5 billion overall across all local
authorities—as well as the cost of living support package of £37
billion-plus and the household support fund, which again is
administered by local authorities.
Supporting People into Work
(Loughborough) (Con)
17. What steps his Department is taking to support more people
into work. (901926)
(Tewkesbury) (Con)
25. What steps he is taking to help more people enter the
workforce. (901934)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
Unemployment is at 3.5%. That is the lowest in nearly 50 years.
We have recruited an extra 13,000-plus job coaches and are taking
specific action to ensure that we are rolling out our new in-work
progression offer.
Loughborough jobcentre is doing a great job in supporting new and
fledging business owners to become gainfully self-employed. What
steps is the Department for Work and Pensions taking across the
country to help support small business owners and to support the
growth and development of the self-employed across the UK?
I thank the staff at Loughborough jobcentre. My hon. Friend is
absolutely right: they are doing an outstanding job and I know
they usually hold a very successful jobs fair. On the
self-employed nationwide, universal credit gives them a 12-month
start-up period to grow their earnings to a sustainable level. We
believe that is the way forward.
Mr Robertson
To try to help fill the very many vacancies that exist in a
number of industries, will the Minister have discussions with
fellow Ministers in the Treasury to see if more changes to the
tax system can be brought in to really make sure that work does
pay?
I completely agree with my hon. Friend, who makes a very good
point. It is absolutely the case that we are working on that. I
highlight in particular the taper rate, which was reduced from
63% to 55%, but also the additional work we are putting into job
coaches, the sector-based work academy and the increased work
allowance, which makes sure that individuals get an extra
£1,000.
(Rhondda) (Lab)
One of the things preventing people from getting back into work
is waiting for operations, thanks to the massive NHS backlog. One
thing making that even worse is that lots of doctors are retiring
early because they are worried about the pension cap issue. When
will the Government rectify that issue, so that more doctors can
stay in the profession, more people can get their operations
quickly and more people can get back into work?
I appreciate that this is a genuine issue. The Treasury is
looking specifically at the high earners pension situation. I am
sure the Treasury will get back on that very shortly.
Topical Questions
(Plymouth, Sutton and
Devonport) (Lab/Co-op)
T2. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(901936)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
I am honoured to have been appointed as the Secretary of State
for Work and Pensions. I can inform the House that I have two
early key missions: to focus on those who are economically
inactive, as I have been suggesting already at the Dispatch Box;
and to pursue with vigour the Prime Minister’s personal
commitment to us being a compassionate, caring Department
supporting the most vulnerable, which, at the end of the day, is
a hallmark of a civilised society.
I welcome the Secretary of State, a fellow Devon MP, to his
position. Will he agree to meet me and Barnardo’s to discuss the
concerns of care leavers from Devon, whom I recently hosted in
Westminster, who without a rent guarantor cannot afford a deposit
on a rental property of their own. Will he consider a pilot to
help those young people get a better start in life?
I thank my hon. Friend—I will call him an hon. Friend,
certainly—and colleague from Devon for his question. I know of
the excellent work he has been carrying out with Barnardo’s in
that area. I would be delighted to meet him and Barnardo’s, and
whoever else he feels appropriate, to discuss those issues.
(Rugby) (Con)
T5. We heard earlier about those who are economically inactive.
Figures show that in the west midlands, including in my
constituency of Rugby and Bulkington, over-50s have been less
likely to return to the workplace after covid than their younger
counterparts. Businesses in all sectors tell me just how badly
those workers are needed. What initiatives is the Department
working on to get more older people back into work? Will the
Minister join me in coming along to an over-50s fair we are
holding in Rugby in the new year?(901940)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
I would, of course, be delighted to go to Rugby and I welcome the
fact that my hon. Friend is holding an over-50s fair. He will be
aware that the Department is rolling out 50 PLUS: Choices and the
mid-life MOT to ensure that those matters are addressed.
(Leicester South)
(Lab/Co-op)
I welcome the new Secretary of State to his post. I also welcome
the new Ministers and welcome back returning Ministers. I
listened carefully to the Secretary of State saying that he wants
a compassionate approach, so may I press him further on the point
that numerous Members have put to him? He will know that not
sticking to the triple lock for pensioners will mean a real-terms
cut in their pension of hundreds of pounds. He will know that not
inflation-proofing universal credit will mean an average
household will lose £450 and that a household with a disabled
person in it will lose over £550. Why does he no longer agree
with himself when he said, on 4 October, that this is
“one of those areas where the Government is going to have to
think again”?
I reassure the House that I always agree with myself. That is not
the same thing as saying that I am always right, incidentally,
but at least I am always consistent in that respect. We will have
to wait—sorry, I should say that it is a pleasure to serve
opposite the right hon. Gentleman and that I look forward to many
months of constructive engagement with him.
It is very important that we do not overlook the huge amount that
the Government are doing to target assistance at the most
vulnerable. In the cost of living support package alone, there is
£650 for 8 million of the most vulnerable households, £300 for
pensioners on pension credit and £150 for those who have
disabilities. That is very important.
The Prime Minister tells us that we do not need a general
election because the 2019 manifesto gives him and the
Conservative party a mandate. Given that that manifesto committed
to the triple lock, why can he not give pensioners the
reassurance that they deserve? Let me ask him about a second
point: can he give a categorical assurance that, in the autumn
statement, he will rule out means-testing personal independence
payments, carer’s allowance, attendance allowance and disability
living allowance for children?
The right hon. Gentleman is inviting me, in a whole host of
areas, to break with what has been a very long-standing and quite
correct convention that Ministers simply do not provide a running
commentary about what may or may not be in a major fiscal event.
However, he has my personal assurance that when and as it is
appropriate to pass him information of that kind, he will be the
first to know.
(Ashfield) (Con)
T6. Now then: last week in Parliament, I met a young lady called
Florence who has Down’s syndrome. She told me that she has five
paid jobs and three voluntary jobs, because she is trying to get
into the workplace, and she is coming across lots of barriers.
Does the Minister agree that we should do more to help people
with special educational needs, like Florence, to get into the
workplace? What better place to start than right here in
Parliament?(901941)
The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions ()
I strongly agree. Programmes such as the Access to Work scheme
have supported the Government in meeting five years early their
commitment to see a million more disabled people in work in the
decade to 2027. We want to create more of those opportunities—in
which spirit, I commend Florence for her determination. As a
Government, we are determined to help her to succeed.
(Newport West) (Lab)
T3. Since I came to this place in 2019, I have worked with and
fought the corner of all the women in Newport West who face
discrimination due to their gender and age. Those WASPI
women—Women Against State Pension Inequality—have shown
incredible perseverance and tenacity over the years. Will the
Minister set out the steps that are being taken to address this
issue? If she cannot meet the women because of the ongoing
investigation, will she meet me to discuss this important issue
at the earliest opportunity?(901938)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
I am happy to meet the hon. Lady. I point out, however, that the
state pension system corrects some of the historical inequalities
of the previous system, producing considerably higher outcomes
for women.
(Runnymede and Weybridge)
(Con)
T8. At Runnymede and Spelthorne citizens advice bureau, I
recently met and was incredibly impressed by Becky and her superb
team of staff and volunteers and the crucial support that they
give to Runnymede and Weybridge residents, working alongside the
Department for Work and Pensions. Will my hon. Friend join me in
thanking Becky and her fantastic team for the work that they
do?(901943)
I echo and support what my hon. Friend says, and he is right to
laud what Becky and her team are doing. He will be aware that
over the past few years, Citizens Advice in England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland has done fantastic work and plays a
hugely valuable role in rolling out the Help to Claim scheme
across the United Kingdom.
(Kingston upon Hull East)
(Lab)
T4. I, too, congratulate the Secretary of State on his
appointment and welcome his team of Ministers on to the Treasury
Bench. He will understand that lots of people, including many,
many people in east Hull, work incredibly hard and incredibly
long hours, but despite all their efforts still rely on benefits.
Does he agree that it would be incredibly mean if the Chancellor
of the Exchequer was now to row back on the commitment of
uprating benefits in line with inflation?(901939)
The hon. Gentleman has been in the Chamber during questions for
long enough to know that I cannot comment on the uprating or
otherwise of benefits. However, he should take into account the
numerous positive tax changes that there have been over the years
for the hard-working constituents he refers to—not least the very
significant increase in the personal allowance since 2010 and the
change to the taper under universal credit, which makes a
difference to many millions of people up and down the land.
(Cheadle) (Con)
My constituent suffered months of worry and stress because his
employer failed to pay any pension contributions into his
workplace scheme. Raising it with his boss made him fear for his
job. The regulator gives no feedback on investigations, so will
the Secretary of State consider whether the current £400
statutory penalty notice and regulatory powers are sufficient to
ensure that employers fulfil their pension contributions
duties?
The independent Pensions Regulator has robust powers in place to
investigate compliance and issue fines; I urge my hon. Friend’s
constituent to report his concerns to it in confidence. I am
happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the matter further.
(Barnsley Central) (Lab)
Harry, my 11-year-old constituent, has cerebral palsy. He was
previously awarded the higher rate mobility component of the
disability living allowance, until it was downgraded. It took
nearly two months for a mandatory reconsideration to uphold the
decision, which his family are now appealing. There is currently
no tribunal date, which means that the family face a prolonged
period of uncertainty and anxiety. Will the Minister look at the
detail of Harry’s case with a view to expediting a date for the
tribunal?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for the constructive way in which he
has approached the issue. I will be very happy to contact him if
he shares the details of the case with me. What I can say, which
I hope will give some reassurance, is that 400 extra people are
dedicated to mandatory reconsideration work and waiting times are
dropping. We need to sustain that performance as well as getting
things right the first time.
(Walsall North) (Con)
I have no doubt that this fine ministerial team will be pleased
to know that my recent jobs fair perfectly complemented the
employment and skills pathfinder programme. Will a Minister come
to Willenhall jobcentre to meet its excellent policy and
partnership staff and discuss what more we can do together to
help people to progress in employment?
I am fantastically pleased to hear about my hon. Friend’s jobs
fair. He is a doughty champion for Walsall. Either I or our much
more illustrious Secretary of State would be delighted to come to
Walsall and see the great work being done there.
(East Dunbartonshire)
(SNP)
Saturday was World Stroke Day. I simply ask if this Government
will uprate benefits in line with inflation, which would
particularly help the growing population who are living with a
disability. I know that I will not get an answer or a commitment
today, but I ask them to consider it for the autumn
statement.
I am very grateful to the hon. Lady for making that argument. As
my colleagues and I have said consistently at the Dispatch Box,
we will not provide a running commentary ahead of the autumn
statement on 17 November, in which the Chancellor will set out
the situation in the normal way.
(Ipswich) (Con)
A few weeks ago, at Paul’s Sports and Social Club, I met my
constituent Nigel Seaman, who is a veteran, to discuss his work
with Combat2Coffee to get veterans who may be homeless or
struggling with the transition to civilian life into work and
employment. Will the Minister meet me and Nigel to discuss what
more can be done to support excellent veterans’ charities such as
Combat2Coffee with helping veterans into work?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
I am very pleased that I am wearing my Help for Heroes band
today. I am delighted to hear about the work of the charity that
my hon. Friend mentions. We are working with our champions in
jobcentres to get people who have been service leaders into work,
and we have work coaches who are dedicated to that. I would be
happy to meet my hon. Friend to find out more about the charity
and tell him more about what we do in jobcentres.
(Battersea) (Lab)
It appears that the Government’s plan to clear up the economic
disaster that they created is to implement austerity 2.0. Nearly
1.5 million people, including many of my constituents, have now
been pushed into poverty as a result of their policies: the cuts
to the social security net, the benefit cap and the cuts to
support for disabled people, as well as the cruel and inhumane
conditionality and sanctions regime. What discussions is the new
Secretary of State having with the Chancellor to ensure that
those in low-income households will not have to face any further
cuts to social security to help to clear up this mess created by
his Government?
The benefit cap is important because it restores fairness to the
balance between those on working-age benefits and taxpayers in
employment. Along with changes in the taper rate, this means that
moving people into work wherever possible is the best way out of
poverty.
(Darlington) (Con)
Last year an estimated 1 million people of working age were
receiving carer’s allowance. A constituent of mine, after three
and a half years of caring for his father full time—his father
passed away recently—is now unable to access jobseeker’s
allowance because he is not considered to have been employed.
What is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State doing to
rectify the position?
If my hon. Friend writes to me giving the specific details, I
will ensure that the ministerial team and the civil servants
involved look into it as a matter of urgency.
(Weaver Vale) (Lab)
Does the new Secretary of State—whom I welcome to his place—still
agree with his statement that cutting maternity rights will be
good for business?
Given that I never made that statement, I do not agree with it,
no.
(Sleaford and North
Hykeham) (Con)
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker—sorry, Mr Speaker. [Laughter.] I
will not be called next time, will I?
The Government have done a great deal to help people with their
cost of living challenges, but elderly residents in my
constituency are troubled by reports in the newspapers suggesting
that we may not meet our manifesto commitment to retain the
pensions triple lock. Pensioners face a triple whammy of
dwindling savings value due to low interest rates, rising costs
due to inflation and, owing to their age, an inability to go out
and earn any more. Will my right hon. Friend please confirm that
we will increase pensions in line with inflation?
I admire my hon. Friend’s persistence on this matter, but I am
afraid I must give her the same response that I have given on
numerous occasions this afternoon, namely, that we will have to
wait until at least 17 November for an answer. I understand the
particular pressure that pensioners are under because they are
often unable to change their economic circumstances, as others
within the labour force can; but we will have to wait.
(Inverclyde) (SNP)
A number of my constituents who work for the DWP have told me
that they are not being given the enhanced holiday pay that they
were promised in return for working overtime consistently. In
response to my inquiry, the DWP has told me that current
legislation provides no definition of regularity. Will the
Minister please address this issue?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising the matter; I shall be
happy to look into it if he writes to me with the details.
(Don Valley) (Con)
I have written to the DWP twice about the relocation of
back-office staff from Crossgate House in Doncaster city centre
to Sheffield, but have received only negative replies. This is
not what the staff want and, with many council offices empty
owing to the new model of hybrid working, Doncaster is losing
much-needed footfall. Will the Minister meet me so that we can
establish whether the decision can be reversed?
This is an issue that I was already looking into. I am aware of
my hon. Friend’s concern, and I shall be happy to meet him and be
given an update on the situation.
(North Shropshire) (LD)
Along with many other Members who are present today, I have
received a number of emails from concerned pensioners, including
one who wrote that if the triple lock is not maintained:
“myself and many others will have to pare our spending even more.
Occasional meet-ups with friends will be the next to go and then
more and more people will become isolated and depressed.”
Does the Secretary of State agree that maintaining the triple
lock will improve the health and wellbeing of our pensioners as
we go into the winter?
I completely understand those concerns, but that is why we have
provided a package of support—now—which is worth more than £850
for everyone receiving a state pension and £1,500 for those
receiving pension credit.
(Grantham and Stamford)
(Con)
Last week we celebrated the 10th anniversary of automatic pension
enrolment. This is, genuinely, an amazing cross-party policy
achievement which has transformed the saving culture across our
country. As we look back on that success, will the Ministers
consider expanding the system to 18-to-22-year-olds?
In my former life I was very much looking at that specific policy
and I am quite sure that the Government will address it
shortly.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
This morning I attended the York cost of living summit and heard
about the impact that food poverty, heating poverty and housing
poverty are having on my constituents. One issue is the rate at
which the benefits cap is set. By 2027, it will not have been
reviewed for 11 years, so will the Secretary of State make
representations to the Chancellor to ensure that it is reviewed
before 17 November?
I am in the process of reviewing just that matter and many of the
others that we have discussed, so we will have to wait, but it is
one of the matters that is under review.
(Glasgow South West)
(SNP)
We look forward to the Secretary of State appearing before the
Work and Pensions Committee. Can he give us an assurance before
he does so that the Department will publish the systematic
evidence-based review of food bank use that it promised to
publish and place in the Commons Library two years ago, so that
we can debate the policy issues required to eliminate hunger
across these islands?
I look forward to appearing before the hon. Gentleman and his
fellow members of the Committee. He raises a specific point, and
I will look into it and come back to him.
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