Serious Medical Conditions: Financial Support Duncan Baker (North
Norfolk) (Con) 1. What steps his Department is taking to support
financially people unable to work due to serious medical
conditions. (902018) The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
(Mel Stride) My Department does a great deal to support the
long-term sick and disabled, including through universal credit and
its health element, and through the personal independence payment,
which is a...Request free trial
Serious Medical Conditions: Financial Support
(North Norfolk) (Con)
1. What steps his Department is taking to support financially
people unable to work due to serious medical conditions.
(902018)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
My Department does a great deal to support the long-term sick and
disabled, including through universal credit and its health
element, and through the personal independence payment, which is
a contribution to the additional costs of sickness and
disability.
My constituent Jenifer Picton is currently undergoing extensive
treatment for cancer and is consequently unable to work. I wish
Ms Picton all the very best with her treatment. She has come to
my office, which has helped with universal credit, PIP and the
new-style employment and support allowance. She has now managed
to get PIP, but given that she is seriously ill, why should she
have to come to my office for help? Why do we make it so arduous
and difficult for people who need treatment to get help?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question and the typical assiduity
with which he takes up his constituency case. May I send my best
wishes, and I am sure those of the whole House, to Ms Picton? I
am happy to meet him to discuss in more detail the circumstances
that he has described.
(Battersea) (Lab)
Data in responses to my written questions on PIP appeals shows
that more than 50,000 ill or disabled people had their appeals
upheld at tribunal without the need for new evidence. Given that
the UK Government will be examined today by the UN Committee on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities following its 2016
special inquiry that found that the threshold had been met for
grave and systematic violations, is it not time to replace the
flawed and outdated PIP system with a framework that is fit for
purpose?
Of course, we always keep all benefits under review at the
Department, including PIP and the assessment processes. As the
hon. Lady points out, there is rightly an appeals process for
those who are not happy with the conclusions of those
assessments. We keep those under review, and I can reassure her
that they represent a relatively small proportion of the total
number of applications.
Regional Variations: Unemployment and Inactivity
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
2. What recent assessment he has made of the potential
implications for his policies of regional variations in levels of
employment and inactivity. (902019)
The Minister for Employment ()
The regional employment gap is significantly lower than in 2010.
Jobcentres take a place-based approach to deliver targeted
support that reflects local need and the local economy.
Health Equity North research shows high levels of economic
inactivity in the north-east due to disability or ill health—40%
above the national average. I visited the jobcentre in Newcastle
and was very impressed by the dedication and hard work of the
staff, but I know from the Public and Commercial Services union
that one in four universal credit managers took time off in 2023
for mental illness, which is three times the figure before 2019.
We are the only country in the G7 not to have the same level of
employment as before the pandemic. Are those high rates not
because of record NHS waiting lists, low staff morale and general
Government incompetence?
As the hon. Lady found, within our jobcentres we have highly
skilled people helping people to find work. We have a higher
number of people with disabilities in work than in 2010—more than
2 million—and we intend to ensure that work coaches can work
carefully and sensitively and attend to people’s needs.
(Preseli Pembrokeshire)
(Con)
In recent months, the Welsh Affairs Committee has heard from
young adults about their experiences with the benefits system. We
have been struck by how this group of young people want to work
and feel that they can work, but they have been written off as
long-term sick and passed to the long-term sickness benefit roll
by jobcentres. They feel incredibly let down. Does the Minister
agree that we cannot afford to be signing off so many of our
young people on long-term sickness?
That is why we have WorkWell, the back to work plan, and the
occupational health group, led by Dame Carol Black, looking into
fit note reform. It is also why we have youth employment coaches
and the youth hubs. We are working to ensure that there is the
right attenuated support, including kickstart, the sector-based
work academy programme and boot camps. Only last week, I met
Steph, who is 27, 10 years out of work and grateful for the help
that she has had.
Helping People into Work
(Sittingbourne and
Sheppey) (Con)
3. What steps he is taking to help people into work. (902020)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
Jobcentre Plus provides a variety of different support to
encourage and support people into work, including training and
one-to-one, face-to-face counselling by work coaches.
In February, there were 615 claimants aged 18 to 24 out of work
in Sittingbourne and Sheppey. Does my right hon. Friend agree
that it is important that schools and businesses work together to
ensure that young people have the qualifications and skills they
need to progress into work once they finish full-time
education?
I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. It is exactly why we
have youth hubs providing advice and support on not just getting
into work but other important matters to young people, such as
housing, their health and debt management.
(Kingston upon Hull West and
Hessle) (Lab)
I was talking to the Royal National Institute of Blind People,
which represents the blind and partially sighted. It told me of
an employee who said,
“I am newly employed and I am unable to fulfil my role. It has
been extremely stressful and frustrating”,
and this is because of Access to Work. Does the Minister agree
that without having Access to Work in place within the first four
weeks of someone entering work, it is incredibly difficult for
them to maintain that position?
I am pleased that the hon. Lady raises Access to Work, because it
is extremely effective. The grant can be there year in, year out
and be up to a maximum of £66,000. Along with other approaches,
it has very much led to our meeting our employment goal for
disabled people in half the time that we set in 2017—over a
million more disabled people were in work by 2022.
(Chipping Barnet)
(Con)
What are the Government doing to use apprenticeships to help
young people engage with the labour market, to tackle levels of
economic inactivity and to give them the opportunities they need
to get the careers that they want?
My right hon. Friend raises economic inactivity, which is lower
in our country than in the United States, France and Italy. It is
below the average of the OECD, the G7 and the European Union.
Apprenticeships play a very important part in producing those
good figures, though there is of course always more to be done,
not least through our approach of engaging extremely closely with
employers, both at the national level and through our
jobcentres.
(Denton and Reddish)
(Lab)
As somebody who has fought really hard over the last four years
to overcome the difficulties presented by long covid, I am sure
that the Secretary of State will appreciate that a significant
number of the people not in work because of health conditions
will have some form of post-viral fatigue linked to long covid.
What assessment has he made of the effect of long covid on the
workforce, and what is he doing to help people who have it get
back to work?
The hon. Gentleman specifically raises long covid, which is one
of many health pressures in our society and post covid in many
other countries that were also affected by the virus. We have a
number of approaches, including universal support, which places
people in employment and gives them critical support for up to 12
months. We also have WorkWell, and we are looking at occupational
health and what tax incentives we might put in place to encourage
employers to do more on that front. We are doing a great
deal.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Wirral South) (Lab)
Arguably, the biggest barrier to growth in the UK and to turning
around the Prime Minister’s recession is the supply of labour.
Following the Chancellor’s “Back to work Budget” in the autumn
and all the measures unveiled since then, some of which the
Secretary of State has just reeled off, did the Office for Budget
Responsibility upgrade or downgrade its forecast on employment
growth in the Budget 12 days ago?
One of the most important figures in the spring Budget economic
and fiscal outlook was a recognition by the OBR that there will
be a net 200,000 more people in employment as a consequence of
that fiscal event and the one that preceded it in the autumn.
What the hon. Lady cannot get away from is that economic
inactivity in our country is at a lower level than in every year
under the last Labour Government.
What the Secretary of State cannot get away from is the fact
that, as has already been said, our employment rate has not
returned to the post-pandemic level. He cannot answer the
question because the truth is that the OBR downgraded its
forecast: the unemployment forecast is worse. The reason for that
is a truth that the British people have known for a long time
now: these Ministers sitting on the Treasury Bench have no idea,
no plan for jobs, no plan for growth. They are done; it is time
for a general election.
I have already referred to the 200,000 additional jobs that the
OBR suggests in its forecast, but the hon. Lady cannot get away
from the fact that we have record levels of payroll employment in
our country, and near record low unemployment. Let us contrast
that with Labour’s record: it always leaves unemployment higher
than when it comes into office. Economic inactivity was higher
than it is now in each year of the previous Labour Government,
and we had more people in absolute poverty after housing costs
under Labour as a direct consequence.
Welfare Reforms
(Amber Valley) (Con)
4. What his planned timetable is for the roll-out of welfare
reforms. (902021)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
We are bringing forward a number of important reforms to our
welfare system at pace. Phase 1 of our universal support has
already been activated, and phase 2 will be later this year. Next
month we will announce 15 WorkWell areas—about a third of
England—that have been successfully selected, and will be rolled
out live this autumn.
I thank the Secretary of State for listing all those reforms. The
data is clear that after 13 weeks out of work, the chances of
someone finding work starts to fall off rapidly. Therefore, there
is a need for more intensive and tailored support. Could he
update the House on the additional jobcentre support roll-out,
and when my constituents might get access to those benefits?
We are keen to do that. AJS, to which my hon. Friend refers, has
been rolled out in parts of the country at six weeks, but shortly
will be extended and strengthened for two weeks at the 13-week
stage of the unemployment journey. That is part of the more
intensive conditions that we apply to ensure that we help—and in
many circumstances, require—people to go back into work.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
Some of the poorest people I know in my constituency work for
themselves. Hill farmers have seen a 41% drop in their income
over the last four years. The welfare system does not work for
them, because they are paid less than the minimum wage. Access to
universal credit is less for them, because of the minimum income
floor. Will the Secretary of State urgently look at that, so that
small business owners—especially hill farmers in my constituency
—are not made even poorer because of the Government’s rules?
The hon. Gentleman is right inasmuch as universal credit for the
self-employed has to recognise the fact that sometimes there are
inconsistent levels of income month to month. That is why we have
a minimum income floor and the arrangements around that. I know
he has a rural, agricultural constituency; I recognise some of
those issues, and I am looking closely at them.
Social Security Benefits: Vulnerable People
(Wirral West) (Lab)
5. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his
Department's support for vulnerable people who claim social
security benefits. (902022)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
[In British Sign Language: “Happy Sign Language Week everybody.”]
It is a key priority for the Department for Work and Pensions to
provide effective support for our vulnerable customers. We
provide training on how to support customers’ mental health, and
we have a six-point plan for supporting claimants who may be at
risk of suicide or self-harm. The DWP regularly reviews processes
to make improvements through colleague and customer feedback, and
through the work of the serious case panel.
The Government estimated that 3% of households on legacy benefits
would fail to move to universal credit under managed migration.
However, by last December, 21% had not managed to do so and, as a
result, had their benefits stopped. This is a matter of real
concern. The DWP will now ask more vulnerable people who are
wholly reliant on benefits to transfer. What will the Government
do to ensure that those vulnerable people do not fall out of the
social security system?
I thank the hon. Lady for her point about vulnerable customers
who have come into our curtilage and purview. The Minister for
Employment has reminded me that we will take this very slowly,
and will engage with and support customers. Customers can speak
to help to claim advisers at Citizens Advice, and we will ensure
that we listen to them.
(North Swindon) (Con)
In addition to the financial support provided to personal
independence payment claimants, what progress is being made to
refer claimants proactively to the widest support available in
their community?
I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting this point. There is the
household support fund, help to claim, and opportunities to pop
into the local library to get additional support, for example.
There is also an extra £500 million out there on top of the £1
billion through to the end of this month. I would say to anybody:
“The benefits calculator is out there, and do talk to the CAB and
your local council”—perhaps in Swindon.
(Oldham East and
Saddleworth) (Lab)
Today the Government are in Geneva defending their policies to
the UN committee that is investigating the UK for breaches of the
convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, including
article 28 on the right of disabled people to social protection.
Given that drastically cutting disabled people’s social security
support between 2012 and 2019 and austerity were found to be
responsible for 148,000 avoidable deaths, how will the new wave
of austerity announced in the Budget affect the health and
wellbeing of disabled people?
I am pleased to have this opportunity to make it clear to the
House that the Government are committed to the UN convention on
the rights of persons with disabilities and we look forward to
outlining the UK’s progress on advancing the rights of disabled
people across this country. Our national disability strategy and
the disability action plan are delivering tangible progress. This
includes ensuring that disabled customers can use the services
they are entitled to, as we have spelled out today. Disabled
people’s needs are better reflected in planning for emergencies
as well. We are making sure that this country is the most
accessible and, importantly, equal place to live in the
world.
(Watford) (Con)
I truly welcome and am personally grateful for my hon. Friend’s
support for my campaign for parity between mental and physical
health in the workplace, and for the recent publication of the
national suicide prevention strategy, which referenced two of the
points I have been campaigning on. I understand acutely that the
Health and Safety Executive has worked hard on updating first aid
guidance, and I would be grateful if the Minister could please
update the House on this.
The DWP is also proudly committed to becoming a more
trauma-informed organisation, and we will be world-leading on
that. I was pleased to see that in Hastings. The HSE continues to
work with us, as does the Department of Health and Social Care,
to support the suicide prevention strategy for England. I can
confirm that the first phase of mental health guidance on the HSE
website has been revised to include text that emphasises the
importance of, and the need to consider, parity of risks to
either mental or physical health.
Job Vacancies: Banff and Buchan
(Banff and Buchan) (Con)
6. What steps he is taking to help fill job vacancies in Banff
and Buchan constituency. (902023)
The Minister for Employment ()
The jobcentre team are providing a broad range of support,
including partnering with Morrisons and the Co-op to fill local
vacancies in my hon. Friend’s constituency and delivering
targeted outreach at Banff library with local providers.
My hon. Friend is aware of the very low unemployment in Banff and
Buchan and the difficulty in filling vacancies with local people,
particularly in the food and drink sector. The seafood sector in
particular is still in a transition away from dependency on
overseas workers, which could take some years. What data can the
DWP provide on the measures that local businesses have taken to
maximise the employment of local people, and what other support
can the Department offer to attract workers to areas of low
unemployment such as Banff and Buchan?
There are the wages paid through the rise in the national living
wage, my hon. Friend’s local jobcentre and the range of access to
support. I am sure we will be discussing all these issues
tomorrow at the roundtable with seafood processors that I will be
attending along with the Minister for Legal Migration and the
Border, my hon. Friend the Member for Corby ().
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Select Committee.
Sir (East Ham) (Lab)
A large number of people in Banff and Buchan are economically
inactive. They are not claiming benefits so they are not eligible
for employment support from jobcentres, but the Select Committee
recommended last summer that such people should be eligible.
Would that not be in their interests and in the interests of
employers struggling to fill vacant posts at the moment, and
therefore supportive of much-needed economic growth?
We always take these matters very seriously and keep them under
full review.
Cost of Living: Food Bank Use
(Ealing, Southall)
(Lab)
7. What recent assessment his Department has made of the
potential impact of changes in the cost of living on levels of
food bank use. (902024)
Gen Kitchen (Wellingborough) (Lab)
14. What recent assessment his Department has made of the
potential impact of changes in the cost of living on levels of
food bank use. (902031)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
Food banks are independent organisations, with DWP having no
direct role in their operation. We do, however, monitor the use
of food banks through the family resources survey, and the next
instalment of that will be later this month.
Mr Sharma
Nearly 50,000 people needed help from Ealing Foodbank last year.
Some 38% of them were children under 16. It is amazing that the
food bank and its volunteers are there to help, but it is a
national shame that it is needed. What are the Government’s plans
to reduce dependence on food banks?
This is the Government who have overseen a 400,000 reduction in
the number of children in absolute poverty since 2010. Despite
the chuntering from the Opposition Front Bench, unfortunately the
figures were far worse under the last Labour Government than they
may be at the moment. The hon. Gentleman asks directly what we
are doing. We are again putting up the national living wage by
substantially more than inflation this April. The Chancellor has
already brought in national insurance cuts that will be worth
£900 to the average earner. Benefits themselves are going up by
6.7% next month. We have also changed the arrangements for local
housing allowance, which means that 1.6 million people, many of
whom are on very low incomes, will be better off by an average of
£800 a year.
Gen Kitchen
While on the campaign trail, I met the Daylight Centre and SERVE
Rushden. Both have seen their service users increase in number,
even with the extension of the household support fund, which they
both welcome. What can the Secretary of State do to expand the
eligibility of the fund, improve uptake and increase the value of
the healthy start payment?
May I welcome the hon. Lady to her place? In answer to her
question, I will simply point out that there was much speculation
before the spring Budget about whether the housing support fund
was going to be extended. In my opinion, the Chancellor took
exactly the right approach, and the fund has now been extended
for a further six months.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Aberdeen North) (SNP)
Research from the Trussell Trust reveals the devastating truth:
more than half of people receiving universal credit ran out of
food in January and could not afford more, and 2.4 million
universal credit claimants have fallen into debt because they
could not keep up with essential bills. Will the Secretary of
State back the Trussell Trust’s joint campaign with the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation, and commit to legislate for an essentials
guarantee in universal credit to reduce food bank use and ensure
that everyone has a protected minimum amount of support in order
to afford life’s essentials—yes or no?
The most important thing is that this Government recognise that
the best way out of poverty, and the best way to address the
circumstances that the hon. Lady describes, is through work. That
is why the Chancellor reduced taxation, making work pay ever
more, and why the national living wage is to be increased by
close to 10% this April, following a similar increase around this
time last year. Benefits are going up by 6.7% and increased by
10.1% this time last year. I have already mentioned local housing
allowance, and of course we have now had eight consecutive months
of real wage growth as inflation has fallen.
Jobcentres: Darlington
(Darlington) (Con)
8. What steps his Department is taking to increase the support
offered by Jobcentres in Darlington.(902025)
The Minister for Employment ()
The team are working tirelessly with Darlington Borough Council,
Tees Valley Combined Authority and other partners to deliver
through job fairs, SWAPs and skills bootcamps.
I thank my hon. Friend for her answer, and may I be the first in
the Chamber to wish her a very happy birthday? In addition to the
issues that she has highlighted, may I highlight the wonderful
work that Darlington jobcentre has done in setting up its
Facebook page? Does she agree that it is a template for others to
follow, and will she come to Darlington and meet my fantastic
work coaches?
I thank my hon. Friend—it is seemingly quite a large number on my
birthday cards today.
My hon. Friend has been a fantastic champion of his local
jobcentre, and has campaigned vigorously to ensure that
Darlington is at the forefront of innovation. I will be meeting
his team in April. I have been to seven jobcentres since the last
DWP questions, and I will make sure that his work coaches are at
the top of my list.
(Strangford) (DUP)
The Minister, in her response to the hon. Member for Darlington
(), has emphasised what she
will do for his local jobcentre. Whatever she will do for
Darlington, she will also do for the rest of the United Kingdom,
including my constituency of Strangford. Across this great United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, how can we work
better with further education colleges to get our young people
ready for the jobs that become available?
I talk regularly to colleagues in the Department for Education,
ensuring that those skilled boot camp SWAPs make people
job-ready, because they have not only the experience but a
guaranteed interview. That is the way we are driving those
numbers up.
Support for Pensioners
(South Derbyshire)
(Con)
9. What steps his Department is taking to support
pensioners.(902026)
(Buckingham) (Con)
10. What steps his Department is taking to support
pensioners.(902027)
Mr (Old Bexley and Sidcup)
(Con)
19. What steps his Department is taking to support
pensioners.(902036)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
In 2023-24 we will spend over £152 billion on benefits for
pensioners in Great Britain—5.9% of GDP—including a forecast
£125.4 billion on the state pension.
Mrs Wheeler
I thank my hon. Friend for his reply. South Derbyshire pensioners
have been in touch with me following the Budget, emailing to say
that it seemed to offer them nothing. Would he be kind enough to
set out today the help that the Government have given and are
giving to pensioners, to help them realise that “nothing” is far
from the reality of what a Conservative Government are giving
them?
I am grateful for that question. The answer could not be further
from nothing. This is a Government with a proven track record of
supporting pensioners, including our commitment to the triple
lock. In April we will see the state pension raised by 8.5% this
year, after an increase of 10.1% last year, meaning that it will
be a full £3,200 higher in cash terms than it was in 2010.
I very much welcome the record on supporting pensioners that my
hon. Friend has just outlined. A number of pensioners in my
constituency have contacted me about the effects of fiscal
drag—they may have a very modest private pension that is now
being dragged into tax when they never expected it to be. What
steps is my hon. Friend taking in conjunction with the Treasury
to ensure that we can get pensioners on modest private pensions
out of tax?
This is the Government who have nearly doubled the personal
allowance since 2010, ensuring that most of the lowest earners do
not pay income tax. Indeed, thanks to the personal allowance,
around 30% of individuals do not pay tax, and of course any
pensioner solely reliant on the state pension does not pay income
tax.
Mr French
Does my hon. Friend agree with me that while the Conservatives
proudly continue to support pensioners in their hard-earned
retirement with the triple lock and other cost of living support
measures, it is disgraceful that the Labour Mayor of London has
hammered pensioners and working people in Bexley by increasing
council tax by approximately £200 per year, and ultra low
emission zone charges to £12.50 per day?
I am sure my hon. Friend agrees with me that the Mayor of London
seems to spend more time paying extremely expensive salaries to
some of his key employees around Greater London. Of course ULEZ
has an effect on pensioners: whether they are going to the shops,
visiting their family or attending hospital appointments, they
will be the ones to pay the price for the Mayor’s overweening
ambition.
(Blackburn) (Lab)
In early December, my constituent was informed by the DWP that
they must renew their personal independence payment entitlement.
They were told that if the necessary forms were not returned by
13 January, their PIP could be stopped. On Christmas day, the DWP
informed my constituent that, as the forms had not been returned,
their PIP entitlement had been stopped and they owed some money.
My constituent returned the forms in early January, long before
the deadline, but they have had no response since then, and nor
have they received their benefits. Could I implore the Minister
to intervene in this astounding case and work out exactly how
this error could have occurred?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. If she writes to me with
further details, I will ensure that the relevant Minister is able
to look into the case.
(Birmingham, Selly Oak)
(Lab)
With more than 9 million pensioners now paying income tax —many,
as we have just heard, as a result of frozen allowances—and
almost 1 million not receiving pension credit to which they are
rightly entitled, does the Minister think it might be time to
improve the uptake of pension credit?
I am pleased to be able to say that applications to receive
pension credit are currently increasing, quarter on quarter.
indicated dissent.
If the hon. Gentleman will wait and listen to the answer, I will
explain what we are doing to increase uptake of pension credit.
Not only do we have major nationwide campaigns, our latest one
featuring Harry Redknapp; we are also carrying out experimental
campaigns, such as writing to all those pensioners who are in
receipt of housing benefit, to make sure that those most likely
to be eligible for pension credit are being targeted to take it
up.
(Glasgow Central)
(SNP)
It is all very well people applying for pension credit, but The
Well advice centre in my constituency has identified massive
delays in people getting the pension credit for which they are
eligible. One constituent got in touch with me in February,
having applied for pension credit in August 2023, and they were
still waiting for the application to be resolved, resulting in a
backdating of more than £8,000. Would that money not have been
much better in the pocket of a pensioner who needed it right
then, rather than waiting indefinitely for the DWP to get back to
them?
I am obviously disappointed to hear of that constituent’s
experience, but it is not something I hear very often about
pension credit. We have an excellent delivery record and an
extremely low level of complaints.
(Southend West) (Con)
Southend’s indomitable pensioners and WASPI women Frances Neil
and Deborah Dalton came to see me on Friday on behalf of the
10,000 WASPI women across Southend. With the ombudsman’s final
report due within weeks, will the Secretary of State please
commit to coming to the House to make a statement so that these
issues can be fully aired?
As I am sure my hon. Friend is all too aware, I am not able to
comment until the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s
report is published.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
When will this miserable Government wake up to the fact that
there is a shortage of skilled labour in this country, and at the
same time that we have an army of pensioners who could be
retained in the workforce if they were given the right incentives
to carry on working? There is a good relationship between work
and staying healthy, so will the Minister act?
I am not sure whether the hon. Gentleman is volunteering himself
for a post-Commons career, but there are many job opportunities
for pensioners across the country. Indeed, many people working on
attendance allowance in my part of Blackpool are in their 70s and
80s, and they are doing a fantastic job. We put an awful lot of
effort, not just through the mid-life MOT but through the older
worker support in our jobcentres, to make sure that we match
jobseekers to the right job for them.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Sheffield, Brightside and
Hillsborough) (Lab)
Time and again, pensioners have been let down by this Government.
They suspended the triple lock, breaking a key manifesto promise;
their disastrous mini-Budget knocked hundreds of billions of
pounds from pension pots; and their failure to get a grip on the
cost of living means that pensioners are mainly living in cold
homes over the winter and have a choice between heating or
eating. Against this backdrop, is the Minister at all surprised
that almost one in five pensioners are now living in poverty?
It is as if the shadow Minister has not noticed the almost £900
of cost of living payments made to pension credit recipients
across the country over the last year. I know the Opposition have
relied on last week’s Resolution Foundation report to criticise
what we are doing, but this is what the report actually says:
“‘Pensioners used to be by far the most likely to be in
poverty…now they are the least likely.’ This change in the
relationship between old age and low income is one of the most
profound social and economic changes this country has seen”.
We achieved that under this Government, not under our failed
Labour predecessors.
Rural Poverty: Benefits System
(Arfon) (PC)
11. What steps he is taking through the benefits system to tackle
poverty in rural areas.(902028)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
We are bearing down on poverty, not least by incentivising work
within the benefit system. As the hon. Gentleman will know, we
have reduced the universal credit taper, for example, which has
led to a record level of payroll employment and near record low
unemployment.
I commissioned a poverty report for the Arfon constituency from
the highly respected Bevan Foundation—copies are available online
in Welsh and English. One finding is that, of the people
receiving both universal credit and housing benefit in Arfon, 35%
are paying the bedroom tax, compared with 21% across Wales. This
is cushioned to some extent by the Gwynedd local authority’s
discretionary help, but will the Minister review the differential
negative effects of the bedroom tax between communities,
particularly those with a diminished housing stock because of,
for example, high levels of holiday homes?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for referring to that report, which I
will look at with interest. Of course, there is no such thing as
a bedroom tax, as it is not a tax at all; it is a spare room
subsidy. It is there for very good reason: to free up additional
space for those who need it. On the housing front, as I said
earlier, local housing allowance has been improved such that 1.6
million people on low incomes in the private rented sector will
be, on average, £800 a year better off come April.
(Ynys Môn) (Con)
One of the best ways to tackle poverty in rural areas such as
Ynys Môn is through jobs fairs. Will the Secretary of State join
me in thanking Alwen Gardiner and my brilliant Ynys Môn DWP team
for organising an excellent tourism and hospitality jobs fair,
which was attended by over 150 jobseekers in Llangefni and
companies such as Tredici Butchers & Deli in Beaumaris, and
the Breeze Hill in Benllech? Diolch yn fawr.
I thank my hon. Friend for drawing attention to her jobs fair.
She is a local dynamo in standing up for her constituents. When I
arrived there recently thinking I was very special to support yet
another jobs fair—a disability jobs fair—I was quickly reminded
of the fact that I was the 32nd Minister to have been to her
constituency in, I think, the past 12 months.
Housing Benefit: Landlords
(Loughborough) (Con)
12. What steps he is taking to tackle non-payment of housing
benefit to district councils when the beneficiary is not a
registered social landlord.(902029)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 brings
reforms to the supported housing sector to improve quality and
value for money. Any changes to funding models would need to be
considered in the context of those broader reforms, but we keep
the subsidy policy under review.
Charnwood Borough Council currently contributes £1.5 million a
year to subsidise the supported housing benefit payment to local
charities, which are unable to become registered social
landlords. The charities provide excellent support and
accommodation to those suffering from addiction, or ex-offenders
undergoing rehabilitation. However, the cost to the council is
unsustainable. Please will my hon. Friend look at funding those
services, as the Department for Work and Pensions currently does
for similar organisations that are registered social
landlords?
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. The challenging
fiscal environment means that we need to prioritise resources and
ensure that support is targeted effectively to maximise impact
for citizens. I chair a cross-Government group with the
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on quality
issues and other matters, such as subsidy loss, which she raises.
We will continue to review and monitor the concerns that she and
other local authorities have raised. However, I point to the
local housing allowance uplift, which is a central focus for
me.
Personal Independence Payment Claims
(Mid Bedfordshire)
(Lab)
13. What recent estimate he has made of the average time it takes
for claimants to complete medical assessments for personal
independence payment claims.(902030)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
We treat all claimants individually, recognising the differing
needs of health conditions and disabilities, and the impact on
claimants’ daily lives. The length of time for an assessment is
not included in the contract between the DWP and providers, but I
can confirm that the average time for 2023 was 63 minutes.
I was heartbroken to hear the experience of a constituent who had
to go through an enhanced medical assessment for PIP. A bowel
cancer survivor with severe arthritis, she was made to stay on a
phone call for over three hours to be assessed. That meant that,
due to her needs, she had to suffer the indignity of soiling
herself just to complete the assessment. How on earth can that be
okay? I would like to understand what steps are being taken to
reduce the times of these assessments and to hear what can be
done to ensure they are finally undertaken with basic human
compassion.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising a distressing case. The
DWP is committed to assessing people as quickly as possible. I am
happy to look into that particular situation to see why, in this
case, the support the claimant was entitled to did not come
promptly. Prioritising the reduction of processing times to
maximise the number of assessments completed without affecting
quality is key, but I am very happy to take that case away.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Lewisham, Deptford)
(Lab)
The Department for Work and Pensions has a staggering 288,000
outstanding PIP claims. The average clearance time is currently
15 weeks. People are waiting almost four months for a decision,
which can have a significant impact on physical and mental
health. What is the Minister doing to improve clearance times, so
that people are not left in limbo, worrying about whether they
can afford the extra costs associated with their disability or
long-term health condition? The Government urgently need to get a
grip.
Claimants’ satisfaction has remained above the service level of
90% or higher as of the three-month average that began in
September 2016. The end- to-end clearance time from registration
to a decision being made is currently 15 weeks, which has been
reduced from 26 weeks in August 2021. [Interruption.] The hon.
Lady asked very gently what we are doing. We have multi-channel
assessments and I am engaging regularly with my officials twice a
month to ensure that we are assessing the queues and the delays
and, as I said at the start of this question, that we are
treating everybody individually and in a tailored and suitable
way.
Child Poverty
(Cumbernauld, Kilsyth
and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP)
15. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number
of children in poverty. (902032)
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP)
16. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number
of children in poverty. (902033)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
We are reducing child poverty through the use of a large number
of measures, not least ensuring that work pays, hence our
increase in the national living wage in April and the reduction
in the national insurance tax that my right hon. Friend the
Chancellor announced recently.
A total of 100,000 children will be kept clear of poverty this
year thanks to the Scottish Government’s policies—primarily the
Scottish child payment. Surely the Secretary of State must now
look to rolling out some of our policies in other parts of the UK
and, at the very least, ditch the two-child limit, which
deliberately forces children into poverty.
The limit to which the hon. Gentleman refers is there for a very
good reason, which is that people in those circumstances should
face the same basic decisions as those not on benefits. That is
an important matter of fairness across those who receive benefits
as well as the many who are paying tax. As for the number of
children in poverty, that has fallen by 400,000 since 2010.
Many of those people are in work, Secretary of State. Some £14
million has been paid to more than 10,000 children’s families in
Renfrewshire thanks to the widely praised Scottish child payment.
Praise has come from the Institute for Public Policy Research
Scotland, which says that the Scottish Government are making
employment for parents central to their child poverty strategy,
but it says that devolved employment support programmes are
“held back by responsibility being split across governments and a
reserved Jobcentre system which is more often focused on
compliance than helping people reach their full potential.”
It recommends the full devolution of employment support to tackle
child poverty. Will the Secretary of State listen to the
experts?
I am always very interested in listening to the hon. Gentleman
and any ideas that he has about how we should improve our welfare
system, but I point to the fact that this country has seen a
considerable drop in absolute child poverty, after housing costs,
of 400,000 since 2010.
(Gloucester) (Con)
What correlation does the Secretary of State see between children
in poverty and workless families? Given that there is no age
restriction on most apprenticeships, and today’s announcement
that there will be 20,000 more apprenticeships and that the
apprenticeship levy can be spent on greater numbers of
contractors and sub-contractors, what opportunities does he see
for his Department to highlight those opportunities for people
who are of working age and who may have children in poverty?
My hon. Friend refers to workless households. He is absolutely
right about the correlation: a child is five time more likely to
be in poverty if they are growing up in a workless household. He
was right to draw attention to the announcement that has been
made today about even greater investment in apprenticeships, and
also the change in the way that the apprenticeship levy works so
that supply chains can benefit to a greater degree.
Topical Questions
Sir (Haltemprice and Howden)
(Con)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(902043)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
May I join the House in saying happy birthday to the Minister for
Employment, my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds ()? It should be a national holiday as far as I am
concerned—perhaps that is an idea for a private Member’s Bill, or
something similar.
I am pleased that, since the last questions, we have published
our review into autism employment, and I place on record my
thanks to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for South
Swindon (Sir ) who did such excellent
work in bringing that useful report forward.
Looking forward from April, we will see benefits generally rising
by 6.7%, the state pension by 8.5%, the national living wage by
around 10%, and the next tranche of the household support fund
being brought forward. As I have already set out, our plan is
working. It means more employment, historically low unemployment
and an economic inactivity rate below countries such as the
United States, France and Italy.
Sir
The economic inactivity rate is now very high, with 2.8 million
people citing long-term sickness as a reason. Some 17 million
days of work are lost, at a cost of £13 billion to the economy.
Has the Secretary of State seen the Policy Exchange report
published today, with policy proposals backed by two of his
predecessors, and my right hon. Friend the
Member for Norwich North ()? What steps are the Government
taking to improve the provision of workplace health services
through occupational health pathways and vocational
rehabilitation, and will he consider the 15 proposals in the
Policy Exchange report?
I will of course look closely at the report that my right hon.
Friend refers to; indeed, I reached out to him recently to invite
him to the Department to discuss that and other matters. With
regard to long-term sickness and disability, we are working on an
array of interventions, including occupational health support
within businesses; WorkWell, bringing together medical
interventions with work coaches; universal support to help people
into work, and to stay in work with that support; and fundamental
reform of the work capability assessment, such that the OBR says
that 371,000 fewer people will go on to those benefits going
forward.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Leicester West) (Lab)
In the Budget, the Chancellor said that he wants to end national
insurance contributions because the
“double taxation of work is unfair.”[—[Official Report, 6 March
2024; Vol. 746, c.
851.]](/search/column?VolumeNumber=746&ColumnNumber=851&House=1)
People’s NICs records help to determine their entitlement to the
state pension, so if national insurance is scrapped how will they
know what pension they will get?
I am not surprised that the hon. Lady brings that up, because I
am well aware of the position that her party has taken on the
announcements that we have made. She will be clear in her own
mind that the Chancellor has not guaranteed that we will reduce
at one stroke national insurance contributions; it is an
aspiration that has been spoken about as occurring over a number
of years, if not Parliaments, so the problems that she is
conjuring up to frighten pensioners are nothing short of
political scaremongering.
The Secretary of State can bluster and deny all he likes, but the
Prime Minister told The Sunday Times:
“We want to end this double taxation on work”.
It is there in black and white, so let me try again. How will
people’s pension entitlement be determined if NICs are scrapped,
and if the Government are going to merge NICs with income tax
what will that mean for pensioners’ tax bills? Is the truth not
that their unfunded £46 billion plan to scrap NICs is yet more
chaos from the Conservatives, and Britain’s pensioners deserve so
much better?
The hon. Lady quoted from The Sunday Times, and I scribbled it
down:
“We want to end this double taxation”.
Of course we do, but that is not the same as a near-term pledge;
it is a longer-term aspiration—[Interruption.] We have been quite
upfront, quite unlike—[Interruption.] If she would care to hear
me out, it is quite unlike the £28 billion firm commitment that
her party made, and subsequently U-turned on, which was nothing
short of fiscally reckless, and would have led to increases in
interest rates, inflation, unemployment, and so on.
(Crawley) (Con)
T2. I extend my gratitude to the Minister for Disabled People,
Health and Work for recently holding a menopause roundtable that
was particularly focused on employment in tourism and
hospitality, and to Gatwick airport for hosting it. What steps
will the menopause employment champion take next?(902044)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
I am delighted about the regional roundtables, including in the
leisure and hospitality sector, oil and gas, and education, among
others. They are informing the sector work of the menopause
employment champion, and her one-year report is now available,
showcasing a variety of stakeholders’ perspectives, and outcomes
for women who need support.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Aberdeen North) (SNP)
The Resolution Foundation highlights that scrapping the two-child
limit would be one of the most efficient ways to drive down child
poverty rates, and would lift 490,000 children out of poverty
overnight. Surely one child growing up in poverty is one child
too many. The Secretary of State should reverse course on this,
and the Labour party should also commit to scrapping the
two-child limit. Does the Secretary of State agree that no child
should grow up in poverty, and will he take action to ensure that
that stops now?
The hon. Lady raises the same point as her colleague, the hon.
Member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East (), about the two-child
limit. I will not detain the House by repeating exactly the same
answer, other than to agree passionately with her that one child
in poverty is one too many, and to say that, although we have
further to go, it is important to recognise that we have reduced
the number of children in absolute poverty, after housing costs,
by 400,000 since 2010.
(East Kilbride, Strathaven
and Lesmahagow) (Con)
T3. As chair of the all-party parliamentary group for disability,
I thank the Minister for recognising Sign Language Week in the
Chamber. It is so important for disability inclusion in the
workplace. Will she recommend that hon. Members from across the
House meet representatives of the British Deaf Association, who
are now welcoming people in Dining Room A at an event I am
co-sponsoring?(902045)
I am delighted to welcome Sign Language Week, which is marking
its 21st anniversary of recognising British Sign Language as a
language in its own right. I encourage Members to join the
British Deaf Association reception after these questions have
ended.
(Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)
T8. The Government will move thousands of my constituents across
to universal credit over the next year. They will be forced to
wait five weeks for their first payment or up to nine weeks if
they receive child or working tax credits. According to DWP data,
60% of the people across Merseyside who are in that situation
will take out an advance loan. Does the Minister think it right
that my constituents, who are among the most deprived in the
country, should be pushed into debt or face weeks without the
bare minimum that they need to afford the essentials?(902051)
The Minister for Employment ()
The plan is to roll out those migration notices by 31 March. We
intend to publish data for the hon. Gentleman’s constituency. We
are committed to ensuring that the transition works as smoothly
as possible for everyone.
(Tewkesbury) (Con)
T4. Has the Minister made any recent assessment of what trades or
occupations are short of workers at the moment, and what steps
are being taken to persuade people—perhaps more experienced
people—back into the workforce to fill those
vacancies?(902046)
We are working with other Departments, employers and stakeholders
to isolate where those vacancies are, and on sector-based work
academy programmes. We have put over 266,000 people through
construction, care, tourism, hospitality—all those gaps that we
need to fill.
Dame (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
Of people currently claiming tax credits, 20% are not moving over
to universal credit in the migration. The Department tells us
that those who are not claiming would have got a median amount of
£3,200 a year. Will the Minister assure me and the House that she
is doing everything she can to ensure that people are getting the
money that they are owed?
I assure the hon. Lady that we are keeping a close eye on the
issue, but ultimately it is the customer’s responsibility to
claim. I gently point out that we have been rolling out the
migration in her constituency since May ’23, with not one
complaint. There is plenty of help available to those people as
they transition.
(South East Cornwall)
(Con)
T5. As my right hon. Friend will know, fast diagnosis and
treatment are key to getting people back into work. What
representations has he made to his departmental and Cabinet
colleagues to ensure that that is the case?(902048)
I thank my hon. Friend and near neighbour for her question—I know
that she cares deeply about the issue that she has raised. We
work closely with other Departments. For example, we work with
the Department of Health and Social Care on NHS talking
therapies, of which we have announced 400,000 more over the next
five years, as well as on WorkWell, which I have mentioned, and
on fit note reform. With the Department for Levelling Up, Housing
and Communities, we are working closely on housing—I have spoken
about the local housing allowance changes coming through—and with
the Department for Education we are working on SWAPs, and on
training and apprenticeships.
(Easington) (Lab)
Schools, general practitioners, social services, charities and
housing associations can all refer their clients to a food bank
in an emergency, yet this Government, who are responsible for
benefit sanctions, have ordered DWP staff to stop referring
claimants to food banks. How can Ministers justify this decision
to the families of the 4,027 children living in poverty in my
east Durham constituency?
May I make it clear that that was just scaremongering? The DWP
has not changed its policy. There are merely improvements being
made to the signposting slip, so that we comply with our
obligations under the GDPR. We continue to provide guidance to
customers, signposting them to emergency support, as is
right.
Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey) (Con)
T6. A couple in my constituency recently received an apologetic
letter from the Department for Work and Pensions that set out a
catalogue of mistakes that it had made. Those mistakes almost led
to their losing their home, which caused them enormous stress. My
constituents are now waiting for a decision on the compensation
that they may receive. Will my right hon. Friend look into the
case, and ensure that a decision is taken as quickly as possible,
to save my constituents any further stress?(902049)
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter. I obviously
cannot comment on an individual case. However, I am very happy to
look closely into the matter he has raised, and either I or a
relevant Minister will be happy to meet him.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Ind)
The number of the long-term sick has risen from 2.1 million
pre-pandemic to 2.8 million today. This huge increase started in
spring 2021, at the same time as the roll-out of the
experimental, emergency-use vaccines—or does the Secretary of
State have an alternative explanation for the unprecedented rise
in long-term sickness in the UK since spring 2021?
Among the major drivers of the increase to which the hon.
Gentleman refers are mental health issues and musculoskeletal
issues. I am not entirely sure that he is accurate when he says
that the upward trajectory in the number occurred just as
vaccination occurred—I think it predated that moment—and I
certainly do not subscribe to the view that vaccination is in any
way unsafe.
Neil O’Brien (Harborough) (Con)
T7. For many years, the Department published statistics giving a
breakdown of welfare claims by nationality. Although the
Department still has the data, it no longer publishes the
statistics. Will the Minister look again at that, and start
publishing those important statistics once again?(902050)
I thank my hon. Friend, but I would like to inform him that at
the moment there are no plans to recommence the publication of
those statistics.
(Weaver Vale) (Lab)
The last Labour Government lifted 1 million children out of
poverty. After 14 years of Tory Government, we have 1 million
children in destitution. What has gone wrong?
I have to take issue with the hon. Gentleman. He needs to look
more closely at his party’s record in government. Fact No. 1 is
that the Labour party always leaves office with higher
unemployment. Fact No. 2 is that economic inactivity in our
country is lower than in any year in his party’s time in office.
Fact No. 3 is that absolute poverty has declined in our country
since his party was in office. Fact No. 4 is that there were more
children in workless households on his watch than there are on
ours. Perhaps most tellingly of all, during his party’s time in
office, over 1 million people languished on long-term benefits
for almost a decade. That is a disgraceful record.
(Harrow East) (Con)
T9. One of the most challenging groups of people to get back into
the workforce is those in their 50s and 60s whose jobs
disappeared during covid. They have possibly fallen back on their
personal pensions, although with inflation, that money is being
eaten away. What actions is my hon. Friend taking to get those
people back into work, and to encourage them into jobs that are
valuable and improve our productivity?(902052)
I thank my hon. Friend for that question. I would ask people to
go to their jobcentre, which can help them build their CV and
their confidence. We have 50PLUS champions across all districts,
and midlife MOTs. I for one think that working in my 50s—and now
my 60s—is a very good idea indeed.
(Caithness, Sutherland and
Easter Ross) (LD)
The two wellbeing hubs in my constituency, in Brora and Dunbeath,
are crucial to the wellbeing of pensioners. They signpost the
best mix of benefits and are a last safety net, but their future
is uncertain because of the vagaries of NHS Scotland finance.
Will a Minister meet me to discuss how we can safeguard the
future of these two centres?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
I am always happy to have a debate with the hon. Gentleman. We
sit next to each other almost every morning in Portcullis House,
and I am sure that we can have a conversation.
(Aylesbury) (Con)
Aylesbury is a wonderful place to live, work, visit and invest
in, but sadly we have some areas of economic deprivation.
Opportunity Bucks, run by Buckinghamshire Council, has identified
Aylesbury north and Aylesbury north-west as areas for extra
attention, where we could improve education, training and skills.
How can my hon. Friend’s Department assist such initiatives in
getting more Aylesbury residents into work?
We are working with employers and jobcentres on the sector-based
work academies programme and boot camps, but I am more than happy
to visit my hon. Friend in Aylesbury, and to talk to his
jobcentres and employers, to see how we can provide more
encouragement.
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