Personal Independence Payment
(North Shropshire) (LD)
1. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the average
time taken to decide the outcome of personal independence payment
applications.(902750)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
The time taken to process a new PIP claim fell from 26 weeks in
August 2021 to 15 weeks at the end of January this year.
I have recently helped a constituent who waited four months for
an appeal against an initial PIP decision. The paperwork for that
decision was incorrect—it referred to another person; we do not
know who that person was—and it took another four months to
correct that, and another month to pay her. The process could
best be described as a shambles. Another constituent has
described it as a “highly stressful, bureaucratic nightmare”.
Will the Secretary of State give us some reassurance that his
Department is working to speed up the process and make it more
dignified for those people applying for help?
I set out the improvement in the processing times that people
have been experiencing. In fact, we are now at 15 weeks—that was
the figure at the end of January —which is quicker than was the
case during the pandemic. I cannot comment on the individual
circumstances that the hon. Lady has identified, but I will of
course be happy to look at the matter that she has raised.
Job Vacancies: St Austell and Newquay
(St Austell and Newquay)
(Con)
2. What steps he is taking to help fill job vacancies in St
Austell and Newquay constituency.(902751)
The Minister for Employment ()
I know that my hon. Friend knows what a fantastic job his
jobcentres do. This month, St Austell is running a sector-based
placement with Crown Rail, offering guaranteed interviews to
those who complete the training. Newquay jobcentre has worked
brilliantly to bring in 20 new employers, who are using the
jobcentre regularly to help fill their vacancies.
I thank the Minister for that answer and join her in thanking the
excellent Department for Work and Pensions staff at both Newquay
and St Austell jobcentres. Through their hard work and under the
leadership and policies of the Government, we have achieved an
80.2% employment rate locally, which is well above the national
average. We also have some great opportunities for the jobs of
the future coming through in renewable energy, lithium extraction
and the space sector. What more are the Government doing to
ensure that local people in Cornwall can grasp those
opportunities?
My hon. Friend is a formidable champion for his area. As we
speak, our partnership team is working with local employers such
as Naked Solar to design sector-based work programmes and fill
potential vacancies. I am keen to work with him and his
neighbours, because the areas that he named are all good for the
high-wage jobs that his constituents deserve.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee.
Sir (East Ham) (Lab)
One helpful change would be to extend access to employment
support to economically inactive people in St Austell and Newquay
who are not claiming benefits and do not have access to that
support. Will the Minister consider that as a step towards
increasing the prospects of filling the current job
vacancies?
We have extended the restart scheme for another couple of years,
making sure that everybody who walks through the doors of our
jobcentres is met by a work coach. What we need to do is ensure
that they have the time to look at that bespoke support.
Child Maintenance Service
(Chesham and Amersham) (LD)
3. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the
Child Maintenance Service in securing funds from paying
parents.(902752)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The Government are committed to ensuring that separated parents
support their children, taking robust enforcement action against
those who do not do so. Since December 2022, there has been an
increase from 65% to 68% in those paying something towards
maintenance through collect and pay.
Last year, I wrote to the Department about a loophole that allows
paying parents who earn non-taxable income overseas to avoid
making child maintenance payments. For one of my constituents,
that loophole has allowed their ex-partner not to pay any
maintenance and effectively engage in financial abuse towards
them. Will the Minister meet me to discuss that loophole, to
ensure that paying parents are fulfilling their financial
obligations to their children?
I am obviously concerned to hear that case. We have just had a
consultation on the possibility of moving from collect and pay to
direct pay for all claimants, which would certainly help to put a
greater focus on compliance. Although I am more than happy to
arrange a meeting, I am not sure that one with me would be much
help, because I am not in charge of child maintenance. I will ask
the relevant Minister in the Lords to have a meeting with the
hon. Member.
Jobcentres: South East Cornwall
Mrs (South East Cornwall)
(Con)
4. What steps his Department is taking to increase the support
available in jobcentres in South East Cornwall
constituency.(902753)
The Minister for Employment ()
My hon. Friend will know that her local jobcentres are doing a
good job of helping people find and progress in work in her area,
driving the recruitment of seasonal workers and creating exciting
partnerships with employers such as Morrisons.
Mrs Murray
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to put on record
my condolences to the family and many friends of my immediate
predecessor , who sadly passed away last
Thursday.
Under the Conservatives, we have near record levels of payrolled
employment and I regularly hear from employers that they cannot
get the staff needed. Last month's House of Commons Library paper
on people claiming unemployment benefits stated that 1,405 people
were doing so in my constituency. What more can the Department do
to make sure that the unemployed are ready to fit into vacancies
as they arise by looking at what local businesses need?
I am sure I speak for the whole House when I join my hon. Friend
in sending our condolences to the family and friends of her
predecessor.
Our employment relation teams are working hard with local
employers to match customers to the vacancies in my hon. Friend's
businesses. We are building skills, working with sector-based
work academy programmes and boot camps, supporting people with a
generous increased childcare offer of up to £1,000 for one child
and £1,700 for two, and helping people with access to travel. For
those on the health journey, later this year we will roll out our
WorkWell programme across England, including in areas in the
south-west.
(Inverclyde) (SNP)
On specific days, jobcentres have been closed due to ongoing
industrial action. Can the Minister assure me that anybody who
misses an appointment due to that action will not be
sanctioned?
We will always take a reasonable view and make sure that
unavoidable circumstances such as those the hon. Gentleman speaks
of will be taken into account when talking to customers.
Employment Levels
(Halesowen and Rowley Regis)
(Con)
5. What plans he has to increase levels of
employment.(902754)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
We have a near record level of employment and very low levels of
unemployment, but we are not stopping there. The Chancellor
announced our back to work plan in the previous statement.
(Halesowen and Rowley Regis)
(Con)
The latest Office for National Statistics figures show that the
number of claimants in my constituency fell over the past year.
That is good news, but more needs to be done. Does the Secretary
of State agree that we always need to make work pay, that we need
to create incentives for people to get back into work and that
local action such as my annual jobs fair, which I held recently
in partnership with the DWP, Halesowen College and the Halesowen
business improvement district, can make a practical difference on
the ground by getting opportunities to people?
I congratulate my hon. Friend on the reduction in the number of
claimants in his constituency, which I know is at least in part
due to the excellent jobs fairs he assists in organising. He is
right that work should pay; that is why I am very proud that mine
is the party that brought in universal credit, making sure that
that is exactly the case.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
May I add to the tribute paid by the hon. Member for South East
Cornwall (Mrs Murray) to my friend , who served South East Cornwall
with great dignity before her? I thank her for paying tribute to
Colin and offering condolences to his friends and family.
In our part of the world, the issue is less unemployment and more
the lack of a workforce. The Lake district has 20 million
visitors every year and a relatively small working-age
population, 80% of whom are already employed in hospitality and
tourism. Can the Secretary of State help us out by saying yes at
least to discussions with the European Commission, which has
offered a youth mobility visa programme between the UK and
Europe? Only one youth mobility visa scheme exists with Europe
already, and it is with Andorra, which is quite small.
I think the Government have already said they are not minded to
pursue the scheme to which the hon. Gentleman refers, but that is
not the same thing as saying that we do not take the issue
extremely seriously. That is why we have extensive training
provision such as SWAPs—the sector-based work academy
programmes—and the WorkWell provision that we are rolling out, to
which my hon. Friend the Minister for Employment has just
referred.
State Pension Age Changes: Compensation
(Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
(Alba)
6. What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of
providing compensation to women born in the 1950s affected by
changes to the state pension age.(902755)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
The ombudsman's report has been laid before Parliament and it is
under active and considerable consideration at the present
time.
A report in today's Scottish Daily Express notes that seven in 10
members of the public support financial compensation for women
born in the 1950s. If the Government will not act on the final
report of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which
recommended compensation, will they now listen to the voice of
the people and provide the proper financial redress that the
Women Against State Pension Inequality absolutely deserve and are
entitled to?
There are a variety of opinions as to what the outcome of the
ombudsman's report should be. There are the ombudsman's
recommendations themselves, to which some people take a
counter-view while others believe that there should be more by
way of payments. We are potentially looking at very large sums
indeed. It is important, therefore, and only fair to those on all
sides of the argument, that we take an appropriate amount of time
to consider the report thoroughly, which the ombudsman has also
invited Parliament to consider.
Mr Speaker
I call the Father of the House.
Sir (Worthing West) (Con)
I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for reminding himself and
us that the ombudsman has, unusually, suggested that Parliament
should get involved. Some were asking for £10,000 compensation
per person. The ombudsman has recommended between £1,000 and just
under £3,000. Could the Secretary of State indicate whether he
will make a decision, and, if so, when and how much?
I thank my hon. Friend the Father of the House for his question.
I cannot prejudge the outcome of the very detailed set of
considerations. He makes reference to the amounts involved, which
are considerable. As I have said, it is absolutely right that we
look very carefully at the conclusions of that report and listen
to what Parliament has to say in that respect.
(Weaver Vale) (Lab)
Roslyn Gilmore is one of several thousand WASPI women in my
constituency. It has now been six weeks since we had the
statement to the House, so I repeat the call again: when can we
expect the response to the ombudsman's report?
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that I have just given
to the Father of the House. It has to be stressed, quite rightly,
that the report was five years in the making, and that was—in
part at least—due to the complexities of the matters under
consideration. We are looking at those matters extremely
carefully.
(Dudley North) (Con)
Two things cannot be disputed. The first is that some women came
to harm because of what happened. The second is that the report,
and the assessments that came to pass prior to it, were a long
time in the making. I encourage the Secretary of State to look
into this matter not just carefully, as he says and I know he
will, but at great pace.
I have made it clear from the Dispatch Box that there will be no
undue delay in coming to conclusions on this matter.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Glasgow East) (SNP)
In evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee on Tuesday, the
ombudsman essentially said that the reason it decided to lay the
report before Parliament was that it could not trust the
Government to deal with it. I ask the Secretary of State a simple
question: does he have confidence in the ombudsman, and does he
accept its report?
I have made our position extremely clear: we are considering the
report and it will come back to the House in due course and
without undue delay. The ombudsman has, as the hon. Gentleman
indicated, invited the House to express its opinion as well. That
is something that we will consider alongside the matters raised
in the report.
The Secretary of State is right to say that “in due course” is on
people's lips, because the reality is that 270,000 WASPI women
have now died, as they do with every passing day. Indeed, nine
WASPI women would have died in the time our Select Committee
hearing took on Tuesday. Is not the issue here that the
Government hope that this issue will be lost during the course of
an election campaign, and that the two big parties can concoct a
situation in which we ignore the matter, more women will die, and
more 1950s women will be denied the justice that they
deserve?
I simply do not accept that that is a fair assessment of the very
considerable time and effort that we are putting into taking this
matter extremely seriously.
Universal Credit
(Liverpool, Wavertree)
(Lab)
7. If he will make an estimate of the number of in-work universal
credit claimants that have had payments stopped due to errors
made by his Department in the last 12 months.(902757)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
No estimate has been made, but customers can request a mandatory
reconsideration if they do not agree with a decision to stop
their universal credit.
My constituent Georgina Mitchell is a single mum to three
children, two of whom have additional needs. She works as a nurse
and is in receipt of universal credit. The Minister says that
work pays, but since October, Georgina has had her benefits
stopped intermittently because the DWP has falsely recorded her
earnings as £19,000 one month, £12,000 the next, and so on and so
forth. She cannot pay her social landlord, and her ability to pay
for childcare is severely impacted. I have raised the matter with
local officials, but despite assurances, it keeps happening. She
cannot sort this, and despite my interventions, I cannot seem to
sort it. Will the Secretary of State or the Minister investigate
the matter urgently, and advise me on why these mistakes keep
happening and on what will be done to ensure that they do not
happen again?
I am very concerned to hear about the case that the hon. Lady has
raised. I am more than happy to look into it if she contacts me
further, and I recognise the urgency with which we would need to
do that.
Pensioner Poverty
(Bury South) (Lab)
8. What recent estimate he has made of the number of pensioners
in poverty.(902758)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
Poverty among pensioners has remained stable, with no
statistically significant changes since 2022-23. The number of
pensioners with relative low income decreased by 1% in 2023 to
16%, and since 2010, over 200,000 pensioners have been lifted out
of poverty.
My inbox is full of constituents who are sick of the economic
chaos inflicted by this Government and by the former Prime
Minister, the right hon. Member for South West Norfolk (). Can the Minister explain
why the number of elderly individuals resorting to food banks has
doubled in the past year to nearly 100,000? Are the people of
Bury South wrong, and if they are, what is the reason why so many
elderly residents cannot afford to eat in this country?
In 2023, 1% of low-income pensioners lived in a household that
had accessed a food bank within 12 months. That percentage is
unchanged from the previous year's figures. I recognise the
effort that people put into supplying their Front Benchers and
Back Benchers with zinger points to make, but when I was in that
role 25 years ago, I learned to make sure I had worked out what
the Government's answer might actually be.
Mr Speaker
We now come to the temporary shadow Minister. I wish the shadow
Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Leicester West (), a speedy recovery, and look forward to seeing her
in the House. , welcome back.
Dame (Wallasey) (Lab)
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I am sure that the shadow
Secretary of State is making a good recovery—she is probably
watching us even now, in between her physiotherapy.
Is it not the case that on this Government's watch, food bank
usage has doubled for pensioners, and over 2 million
pensioners—nearly one in five—are now living in poverty? That
figure is not stable; it is rising, so what is the Minister going
to do about it?
Of course, I also pass on my good wishes to the shadow Secretary
of State, who I hope is recovering well.
Just as I gave the hon. Member for Bury South () some advice, I can now
give some advice to Labour Front Benchers: always listen to the
answer the Minister has just given. I will repeat it: in 2023, 1%
of low-income pensioners lived in a household that had accessed a
food bank within 12 months. That percentage is unchanged from
last year's figures.
Dame
But 2 million pensioners are in poverty. Labour got far more
pensioners out of poverty than the Minister's Government have,
and the number of pensioners in poverty is now rising: it was 1.6
million when the Conservatives came into office, and it is now
2.1 million, so there are more pensioners in poverty. Despite the
Minister's bluster, the Government's own statistics show that
well over a third of pensioners entitled to pension credit are
not receiving it, which saves his Department almost £3 billion a
year. Even when pensioners do apply, the Minister's Department is
missing its own 10-week service standard for processing new
claims in nearly a quarter of all cases. Why is his Department so
reluctant to ensure that pensioners are receiving the benefits
they are entitled to?
The Government are putting an enormous amount of effort into
improving the uptake of pension credit. The number of claims
received in financial year 2022-23 was more than 80% higher than
in the same period the year before, and the recent case load is
going up for the first time in over a decade. We have given cost
of living payments to pensioners on pension credit—we have given
pensioners extra money on top of their winter fuel allowance and
cold weather payments. The reality is that no Government have
supported the pensioner population more than this Government
have. As we all know, Labour is the party of 75p pension
increases; no pensioner will ever forget that.
Access to Work Assessments
(Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
(Lab)
9. What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times
for Access to Work assessments.(902760)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
Access to Work remains in high demand. We have increased the
number of staff processing Access to Work claims, and are
prioritising both renewal applications and applications from
customers about to start a job. We are also improving the service
through increased digitalisation to reduce the time from
application to decision.
On this, there is a litany of broken promises to disabled people.
Ministers have failed to tackle the backlog, failed to open the
scheme to more employers, failed to extend the scheme to
apprenticeships and failed to passport packages of support. So
why have Ministers now decided to hit disabled people with more
brutal cuts to PIP, when they have not supported disabled people
into work through Access to Work?
The average timescale for an Access to Work application decision
in April 2024 was 43.9 days. We have increased the staff on
applications, redeploying 95 staff from wider DWP work. Despite
the hon. Gentleman's points, claims for reimbursement are in a
good position within a 10-day ambition to pay. It reflects the
ambition that employers have and their mindset change to be more
open-minded with their recruitment, and I am delighted about
that.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Lewisham, Deptford)
(Lab)
Let's get some facts. On 1 January 2024, there were 24,874 people
awaiting an Access to Work decision, on 1 February, 26,924, on 1
March, 29,871 and on 1 April, 32,445. Every month, the figure
keeps increasing, so since the beginning of 2024 the Access to
Work backlog has risen by more than 7,500. Does the Minister
really think this is supporting more disabled people back into
work?
I thank the hon. Lady for her points. If we are trading figures,
at the close of business on 7 May 2024, there were 36,721
applications awaiting decision. I remind those people listening
why this matters. This is very significant support—demand-led
support—for people who are getting opportunities to work or
taking on new roles. This grant can provide up to £66,000-worth
of flexible personalised support per person per year. It is
absolutely right that we get the right information from the
individual and take time to approve a significant application
such as this.
I am absolutely shocked that the Minister brags about the Access
to Work backlog increasing to 36,721.
Last month, the UN published its latest review of how the UK has
implemented its convention on the rights of disabled persons, the
first since 2017. The Access to Work backlog was just one of the
many reasons cited as evidence that the Government are still
failing to take all appropriate measures to address grave and
systemic violations of disabled people's rights. Does the
Minister have any plans to put this right by finally implementing
the UN's recommendations, or is she going to ignore them, as
successive Tory Governments have consistently ignored disabled
people?
I am disappointed not to be enough of a bragger in this House,
but I am very pleased that we are taking time to make sure that
the tailored support is correct. We are working around fit notes
and occupational health. We are also listening to those who are
deaf and hard of hearing, who make up 36% of the total Access to
Work expenditure, and I will be bringing more to the House on
that matter. We are absolutely focused on improving this, with
online 24/7 applications for Access to Work. On the other points
the hon. Lady makes, if she listens to the BBC “Access All”
podcast, she will hear me say that we are very disappointed about
that report. We continue to work very hard for disabled people
and we will be doing all we can to make sure they are listened
to—unlike her not listening to a word I said just now.
Job Vacancies: Sittingbourne and Sheppey
(Sittingbourne and
Sheppey) (Con)
10. What steps he is taking to help fill job vacancies in
Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency.(902761)
The Minister for Employment ()
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. Fantastically, as the
timing would have it, the team in his constituency are today
holding a jobs fair at Swale leisure centre, with the support of
48 local employers. The local radio station is broadcasting live
from the event to promote opportunities, and the DWP is working
hard day in, day out to get people into work.
I thank my hon. Friend for that reply, but does she agree that it
is also important to ensure that people who are unemployed have
the education and skills training needed to take the jobs on
offer? Much of the unemployment in my constituency is on the Isle
of Sheppey. With that in mind, will she join me in welcoming the
radical shake-up of secondary education now taking place on the
island, and in addition the extension of Sheppey College to
provide additional post-16 skill training courses, which is being
part-funded by the Government's levelling-up fund?
I join my hon. Friend in that, because any way we can help lift
skills across the piece, such as through boot camps and workplace
academy programmes, to help people into high-skill, well-paid
jobs, particularly in areas where perhaps that has not been the
norm, is to be welcomed and congratulated.
(Strangford) (DUP)
rose—
Mr Speaker
Is it really linked? I call .
May I first thank the Minister for what she is going to do for
the Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency as that is absolutely
brilliant? However, I would love to see the same thing happening
across all of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland, and in particular in Strangford. Could the Minister work
with the local colleges, which can provide opportunity and
skills? It is better—
Mr Speaker
Order. I can save the Minister replying. The question is only
about filling job vacancies in Sittingbourne and Sheppey, not the
rest of the world. Let us move on. That was a good effort but,
out of 10, I would give it one.
Welfare Reform
(Waveney) (Con)
12. What steps he is taking to reform the welfare
system.(902763)
(Beverley and Holderness)
(Con)
18. What steps his Department is taking to reform the welfare
system.(902769)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
On reforming welfare, we are increasing the incentives to work
and increasing the disincentives not to work or to engage with
the system, and we are looking to better target help for those
who need it most.
I am most grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer. I
recently discussed the consultation on changes to the personal
independence payment with Waveney SHIMS—Suffolk Help in Multiple
Sclerosis—our local MS support group. It highlighted the need for
a more targeted and fair approach for those with fluctuating
conditions, which should include the scrapping of the 20 metre
and the 50% rules, and the need for assessments to be carried out
by those qualified and with a full understanding of neurological
conditions. Could he confirm that the review will take these
matters into consideration?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question and considerable interest
and knowledge in this area, and for the discussions he has held
with me on these matters. As he will know, we are currently going
through a 12-week consultation on how PIP can be reformed. I
certainly subscribe to the view that we want to examine the issue
of one size fits all and whether there are better ways of looking
after people.
I welcome the Government's welfare reforms and celebrate the
millions of additional people now in work thanks to this
Conservative Government. I note that every Labour Government
there has ever been has left more people unemployed and on the
dole queue at the end than at the beginning—theirs is a truly
disgraceful record. However, can my right hon. Friend assure my
constituents who may be chronically ill or vulnerable that,
although there will be support in place, they will not be forced
back into work if that is not appropriate?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. Work is essential and
is at the heart of the reforms we are bringing through. Indeed
the Office for Budget Responsibility has assessed the impact of
our measures with the work capability assessment reforms, for
example, as leading to over 400,000 fewer people on those
benefits by the end of the forecast period. I am very proud of
that achievement because, as he highlights, that will mean more
people have work and the benefits of it.
(Battersea) (Lab)
The Secretary of State claims that his work capability assessment
reforms are to encourage more people to get into work, yet the
independent Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that just
3% of the 424,000 people who would be denied financial support
would actually move into work in the next four years. So the
evidence is clear that these reforms are codes for cuts. Will the
Secretary of State finally come clean and admit that welfare
reforms are about denying vital protections and support for
people with serious mental and physical health conditions?
The reforms we are bringing in are not a code for cuts; they are
a clear, well thought through set of reforms for putting work
right at the centre of people's existence. The hon. Lady quotes
the Office for Budget Responsibility. She will be aware that it
believes that the measures that the Chancellor has brought in
over the past three fiscal events will overall mean 300,000 more
people in the labour market.
(Livingston) (SNP)
When the Secretary of State is considering welfare reforms, will
he please look at the shambles in the Child Maintenance Service?
Over the past year, the number of complaints to my constituency
office has skyrocketed. Chief among those is that constituents
cannot get responses. When they do, those responses differ
between different members of staff and often are in conflict with
each other. What will he do to address the extraordinary waiting
times and other communication issues within the Child Maintenance
Service?
We are looking at modernising how the Child Maintenance Agency
operates, as the hon. Lady will know. If she has specific
examples of constituents who have had undue waiting times, I will
be interested in putting her in touch with the relevant
Minister—he serves in the other place, as the House will know—for
him to consider them.
People with Autism: Employment
(Darlington) (Con)
13. What steps his Department is taking to support people with
autism into employment.(902764)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
We are continuing to run programmes to support autistic people
into employment, including local supported employment, Disability
Confident and Access to Work. The Department for Work and
Pensions will also be working with stakeholders to support the
independent task group carrying forward the recommendations
following the Buckland review of autism employment.
May I draw my hon. Friend's attention to the efforts by
Darlington building society, along with other companies in the
region, supporting the North East Autism Society to help create
1,000 jobs for people with autism? Can my hon. Friend highlight
the work being done by the fantastic team at Darlington
jobcentre, with their health and welfare roadshow this Wednesday
to help people get back into work?
I thank my hon. Friend for bringing to the attention of the House
the important initiatives going on in his patch in Darlington.
Such local programmes have a huge impact in helping autistic
people into work and tackling stigma. Once established, I am sure
that the Buckland review task group will be interested to hear
direct details of the work being done in his area.
Mr (Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
The Minister is right that the Buckland inquiry and report are a
breath of fresh air. I contributed to that inquiry as chair of
the Westminster Commission on Autism. However, is it not a fact
that too often people on the autism spectrum—or any spectrum—are
undervalued in terms of their huge potential to do great things
in our economy in many jobs? Will she look at early diagnosis,
which is so important?
The hon. Gentleman and the Minister for Employment, my hon.
Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds (), are linking together on this. We have specialist
SWAPs for people on the autism spectrum so that we can see that
talent and ability. Autistica estimates that one in 70 people are
autistic—that is around 1 million across the UK—but sadly just
three in 10 of working-age autistic disabled people are in
employment, and the Government are determined to tackle that with
the review.
Unemployment Levels
(North Warwickshire)
(Con)
14. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce
unemployment.(902765)
Dr (Bridgend) (Con)
19. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce
unemployment.(902770)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
We are bearing down on unemployment, not least through the
sterling work of our JCP work coaches, as well as through the
back to work plan that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor
recently announced.
This Friday, I will be hosting my next jobs fair in Atherstone,
along with the local DWP. While these events have been
successful, with more than 30 businesses typically on hand with
live jobs on offer, one of the regular bits of feedback I get is
that access to transport is often a barrier to people taking up
jobs, particularly where those jobs might be out of the town
centre or in industrial parks, and particularly before that first
pay packet comes in. Will the Secretary of State set out what if
any support is available to help as many people get into some of
the fantastic opportunities we have in North Warwickshire and
Bedworth?
I thank my hon. Friend for the extraordinary work that he does
locally to support people into work. He asks what support there
is for those with travel challenges. The flexible support fund is
there for a variety of different uses, but one is to help with
exactly the issue he raises for the first three months of
employment.
Dr Wallis
We have successfully halved inflation, but we must get people
back into work. In Bridgend, we have lost the Ford factory and
Biomet. It is about local jobs. I have always said that
maintaining close contact with local employers and working with
businesses on the ground is the way to do it. Could the Secretary
of State tell the House what his Department is doing to work with
employers to get people back to work?
We do a huge amount with employers both at national level and at
local jobcentres. If my hon. Friend has not already engaged with
his local jobcentre staff, I strongly recommend that he does so.
The results speak for themselves. Unemployment is around half the
level in 2010 under the last Labour Government. We have near
record levels of employment. Youth unemployment under this
Government has fallen more than 40%; under Labour, it went up by
almost 45%.
(Somerton and Frome) (LD)
More than 39,000 south-west companies are classed as being in
significant economic distress, according to Begbies Traynor's
“Red Flag Alert” report. The loss of those businesses would
deepen regional economic inequality and increase regional
unemployment. What steps is the Minister taking with Cabinet
colleagues to ensure that those businesses, which provide vital
jobs, find a way out of significant economic distress?
As we have set out, there is a clear and detailed back to work
plan, which is working for the reasons that I have given. If the
hon. Lady has examples of specific employers under the distress
that she outlined, the Minister for Employment will be happy to
look at what we may be able to do as a Department in her
constituency.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Wirral South) (Lab)
The Prime Minister said this morning, and the Secretary of State
just repeated it, that the Government introduced universal credit
to help people into work. That is not a real account of the
situation. The truth is that not only do we have record
sickness-related inactivity, but young people are faring the
worst. I know what Ministers will say—the questionable allegation
that Labour Governments leave office with unemployment higher has
already been trotted out. Actually, Full Fact found that that is
particularly true of post-war Conservative Governments. So will
the Minister acknowledge what is going on today: for the first
time ever, we have 3 million inactive 16 to 24-year-olds? That's
true, isn't it?
I have already set out that we have universal credit, as the hon.
Lady identified, as well as WorkWell and universal support to
address exactly the individuals to whom she referred. On the
general point, it should be pointed out that economic inactivity
is below the OECD, G7 and European Union average, and lower than
in France, Italy and the United States and in every year under
the last Labour Government.
I said they would and I hear what the Secretary of State said
about scheme after scheme and initiative after initiative, but
what have the results been? If the Tory plan was working, the OBR
would have forecast an increasing employment rate, wouldn't it?
But what is the truth? Not only is employment forecast to go
down, but the forecast was downgraded in response to the
Government's policies. That's the truth, isn't it?
Our record speaks for itself: 4 million more people in work since
2010. Unemployment has halved since the last Labour Government,
on the hon. Lady's watch. Youth unemployment has fallen by more
than 40%; under her watch it rose by more than 40%. As I have
stated, the last Labour Government's record on economic
inactivity is that it was higher than today every single
year.
Support for Pensioners
(Rother Valley)
(Con)
15. What steps his Department is taking to support pensioners.
(902766)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The state pension provides the foundation of support for older
people. In the next year, we will fund more than £167 billion of
benefits for pensioners—some 6% of GDP.
Older people should be able to retire in comfort and dignity,
which is why this Government created the triple lock and
increased the state pension by 8.5% this year and 10.1% last
year. However, many of my constituents are concerned about being
taxed on those pensions, as the personal allowance has, in
effect, been frozen for nearly five years. Will the Minister
encourage the Chancellor to look again at the personal allowance
and allow more pensioners to keep more of their well-deserved
money?
As I am sure my hon. Friend is aware, it is this Government who
have doubled the personal allowance since 2010. It is absolutely
clear that those who rely solely on the state pension are not
liable for income tax.
(Birmingham, Selly Oak)
(Lab)
We must all be aware of a growing number of pensioners who are
struggling with rent, council tax and other cost of living
increases. Given that state of affairs, does the Minister think
there may be an argument that the threshold to access pension
credit is too high and that if he were to lower it just a little,
he would help a great many more people who are obviously
struggling?
I draw the hon. Gentleman's attention to the fact that the state
pension has gone up by 8.5% this year, after an increase of 10.1%
last year. On top of that, for those in receipt of pension credit
we have added £900 in cost of living payments, and 8.9 million
have received a £300 top-up to their winter fuel payment. We have
spent billions on supporting pensioners through the cost of
living crisis. As we established in the exchanges earlier,
pensioner poverty remains stable.
Pensioners: Cost of Living
(Leeds East) (Lab)
16. What steps his Department is taking to support pensioners
with increases in the cost of living.(902767)
(Edinburgh North and Leith)
(SNP)
17. What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of support
for pensioners with increases in the cost of living.(902768)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The Government have provided total support of over £108 billion
to help households and individuals with higher bills. As I just
said, in addition, the basic state pension has gone up by 8.5%
this year.
But a new poll today shows that two thirds of people think the
Government should urgently pay fair compensation to all WASPI
women, including many in east Leeds, who were hit by the change
to the state pension age. It has been over six weeks since the
Secretary of State got the parliamentary ombudsman's final
report, but nearly three years since the ombudsman said that the
Department for Work and Pensions had committed maladministration
through its failure to properly inform affected women of the
state pension age changes. With a WASPI woman dying every 13
minutes, time is not on their side. When will the Government stop
dragging their feet? To help ensure justice, will the Government
allow MPs to vote on a compensation package before the
summer?
The hon. Gentleman has heard the Secretary of State reply at
great length to a number of questions on that subject today. As
he said, we are looking carefully at the report and considering
what is a very complex set of recommendations and proposals to
make sure that we do the right thing.
Ministers certainly seem to prefer the comfort of their own
massaged figures to facts. The Trussell Trust, however, says it
has seen a 36% rise in pensioners turning to food banks in the
past six months, and that is likely to increase. The hard fact is
that the UK devotes a smaller percentage of GDP to state pensions
and pensioner benefits than most other advanced economies. When
will they take pensioner poverty seriously and fix this
scandal?
The households below average income statistics, which are cleared
by the Office for National Statistics, show that 1% of low-income
pensioners live in a household that has accessed a food bank
within 12 months. Given all the effort we are putting into the
ongoing campaign to increase access to pension credit and the
success that campaign is having, I am very confident that we will
make continued progress in reducing pensioner poverty.
Topical Questions
(Heywood and Middleton)
(Con)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(902775)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
May I first extend my best wishes to my opposite number the
shadow Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Leicester West
(), and wish her a speedy recovery? Since my last
appearance at the Dispatch Box, we have announced the areas for
the WorkWell pilot, which will cover about a third of England. I
am extremely pleased that we have also gone out for consultation
and a call for evidence on fit note reform. That will feature
within it the 15 pilots I have just referred to. On 8 May, we
announced that Access to Work has gone digital. Finally, I
congratulate the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work,
my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex () on her elevation to Minister
of State, which reflects both the seriousness with which we take
her portfolio and, of course, her undoubted abilities and
contribution to my Department.
I join the Secretary of State in congratulating the Minister on
her elevation—it is not before time.
This Conservative Government have an enviable record when it
comes to employment, with 4 million more people in work since
2010. I was pleased to hear that one of the integrated care
boards involved in the WorkWell scheme, which my right hon.
Friend has just mentioned, will be Greater Manchester ICB, which
means that my constituents will have access to integrated health
and employment support from October. [Interruption.] The hon.
Member for Wirral South () is heckling from a
sedentary position; the only job that she has created recently
has been one for a couple of clowns. [Interruption.] To be fair,
that is topical, Mr Speaker.
Will my right hon. Friend explain how the WorkWell scheme will
benefit people in my constituency and throughout Greater
Manchester by ensuring that they can access work?
My hon. Friend is right. The scheme is being rolled out in
Greater Manchester, in parts of London, in Cambridgeshire and all
the way to the Isles of Scilly and parts of Cornwall. It brings
together healthcare support and work coach support to ensure that
we do everything we can to help into work those who face barriers
to work.
(Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
(Alba)
T3. It is an unavoidable fact that the United Kingdom has one of
the lowest pensions in the developed world, and pensioner poverty
is a very real issue. I meet constituents who are pensioners
reasonably frequently, and all the increases that the Government
have provided for them have been lost through taxation. For
example, Peter's private pension will be cut by £681 a year,
while Mr and Mrs Clark's modest private pension has been slashed
by nearly 50%. They did the right thing and put away a little
extra for their retirement; will the Government now do the right
thing and correct the position so that they can enjoy
it?(902777)
Mr Speaker
Order. May I just say to everyone that I have a lot of Members to
get in on topical questions, and they are meant to be short and
punchy? I really do need to get other Members in.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
Let me simply point to what the Resolution Foundation had to say
in its Living Standards Outlook: pensioner poverty is forecast to
fall.
Sir (New Forest West) (Con)
T2. Given that it would not survive under Labour, just how vital
is the work plan?(902776)
My right hon. Friend is entirely right to raise that point: in
the absence of this Government, the work plan will be no more.
The problem is that we do not know exactly what will replace it,
because there is no plan from the party opposite—no plan on work
capability assessments, no plan on personal independence
payments, no plan on fit notes. We do not know what Labour stands
for, so let us stick with the plan, and let us elect a
Conservative Government at the next election.
(Portsmouth South) (Lab)
T4. A recent report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation revealed,
shockingly, that 1 million children experienced destitution in
the UK last year. Is it not the case that the Government have
completely failed the most vulnerable children in our
society?(902778)
The Minister for Employment ()
No, not at all. We are providing significant support through the
welfare system and expect to spend about £306 billion in the
current financial year, including £138 billion on children and
those of working age. We are focused on targeting cost of living
support to the most vulnerable families. The local housing
allowance, for instance, helped 1.6 million families in that
bracket.
Sir (Bexleyheath and Crayford)
(Con)
T6. Let me begin by praising my local jobcentre in Bexleyheath
for the tremendous work it is doing to get people into
employment. I visited it on Friday and was very impressed. Our
welfare system should always be there to protect the most
vulnerable in our society, but new challenges are threatening its
sustainability and preventing it from working as intended. I
therefore welcome my right hon. Friend's plans to target the
system better towards those who need it most, by controlling
spiralling costs and ensuring that it is fair to the
taxpayer.(902781)
My right hon. Friend is, as always, absolutely right. We must
have a system that targets the most vulnerable in society, and it
must also be fair to the taxpayer, because that is part of what
underpins the confidence that the public have in our welfare
state—and that is worth preserving.
(Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)
T5. During the time for which the ombudsman's report has been
ongoing, 270,000 WASPI women have already passed away. How many
more 1950s-born women in Lancashire will die before the
Government finally act on the report's
recommendations?(902779)
I have already replied to questions on that matter in this
session. To reiterate, we are looking extremely carefully at what
is a very complex report. It took the ombudsman five years or
thereabouts to compile, and there will be no undue delay in our
responding to it.
(Stoke-on-Trent South)
(Con)
T7. I commend the Secretary of State for his efforts to make work
pay, but for many of those in work, a lot of the excellent
support available in jobcentres is currently voluntary. Will my
right hon. Friend look at what more he can do to encourage people
in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire to upskill in order to take
on more well-paid work, and to reduce dependency on
benefits?(902782)
Mr Speaker
And it is his birthday as well.
Happy birthday! I am sure my hon. Friend's family and small
children will be wishing him well from Stoke.
As has been outlined, there is great work going on. I met the
Skills Minister only last week to discuss the better join-up that
is happening, and we are really focused on allowing people to
progress in work. Allowing them to move up and move on, and to
stay and succeed in work, is just as important as getting that
first job.
(Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
(SNP)
On 14 September 2023, I led a Backbench Business debate in this
House, supported by the hon. Members for Moray () and for Easington (). We asked the Government to
take action on footballers with brain-related injuries. The
Minister who responded spoke warmly, and the then Minister at
DWP, the hon. Member for Corby (), indicated that there would be a meeting for the
three of us, on a cross-party basis, with the Industrial Injuries
Advisory Council. I wrote to the Minister on 18 January and 13
March, and there was a Westminster Hall debate on 24 April, but
nothing has yet happened. Can we get that meeting with the
Industrial Injuries Advisory Council to make sure that we get
footballers with brain injuries the support they need?
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work ()
I have already met the chair of the Industrial Injuries Advisory
Council in my role as the Minister for Disabled People, and I
will continue to engage on whatever is required. To be clear, the
council is considering any connection between neurodegenerative
diseases and professional sportspeople, and will publish its
findings once the investigation is complete. I have also met the
Sports Minister and will be keen to share this issue with
colleagues. I will come back to the right hon. Gentleman.
(Uxbridge and South
Ruislip) (Con)
T9. This Conservative Government's next generation of welfare
reforms are to be warmly welcomed. The NHS North West London ICB,
which covers Uxbridge and South Ruislip, has been selected as a
lead partner for one of the new WorkWell pilot areas. Will my
hon. Friend meet me to discuss how we can maximise the
programme's effectiveness in integrating health advice for my
constituents?(902784)
I welcome my hon. Friend's interest in WorkWell, which is a
significant intervention. I am not sure about the Secretary of
State's diary or mine, but we are keen to meet and to highlight
the work of the NHS North West London ICB. It is one of 15
partnerships, which are backed by £64 million-worth of
investment. It will design integrated WorkWell services and
deliver them to around 59,000 disabled people so that they can
start, stay and succeed in work.
(Manchester, Withington)
(Lab)
New statistics show that there are 4.3 million children living in
relative poverty in the UK, with, as we have heard, 1 million
children experiencing destitution, including in Manchester, which
has the second highest levels of destitution in the country. What
impact does the Minister think the Government crashing the
economy and unleashing a cost of living crisis has had on those
figures?
I laid that out in replying to a previous question. Our economy
is going gangbusters, and inflation is down to 3.2%. I gently
point the hon. Gentleman to the additional support delivered
through the household support fund, which we have extended for
another six months. I might gently ask him to press the Mayor of
Greater Manchester on where the £32.3 million for his area has
gone.
(Fareham) (Con)
I warmly welcome the Government's reforms to welfare and put on
record my thanks to the great team at the Fareham jobcentre, with
whom I have worked to organise jobs, apprenticeships and skills
fairs. A child growing up in poverty is more likely to have worse
literacy, numeracy, health and job outcomes, and a shorter life
expectancy than the national average. Is it not right that the
single biggest and most effective thing the Government could do
now would be to scrap the two-child benefit cap?
I gently say to my right hon. and learned Friend that I am sure
she would agree that any system has to be balanced and fair for
the taxpayer, but also for those who need it most. Many working
families do not see their incomes rise when they have to make
choices, and we have to make the system fair. I would be more
than happy to sit down with her and explain how we do that.
(Denton and Reddish)
(Lab)
Maternity allowance, contribution-based jobseeker's allowance,
contribution-based employment and support allowance, bereavement
benefits, basic state pension and the new state pension: these
are all calculated using our contributions to national insurance.
Given the Chancellor's announcement of his desire to abolish
national insurance, costing £46 billion, what discussions has the
Secretary of State's Department had with the Treasury about how
he is going to fund it?
This scaremongering about the state pension and the £46 billion
on the back of what is an aspiration through time—maybe more than
one Parliament—to abolish national insurance is frankly
disgraceful, particularly from a party that gave us the 75p
increase in 1999 and, on its watch, saw us have the fourth
highest rate of pensioner poverty in Europe.
(South Ribble)
(Con)
Thanks to scientific research, there is an emerging picture of
the biological causes of common mental health conditions. Given
the Secretary of State's extremely welcome WorkWell announcement,
questions have been raised about how the individuals implementing
it can not only understand the diagnostic pathways that they will
need to go through, but improve the evidence base for treatment,
specifically with solid science to support this Government policy
delivery. Will he work with his colleagues in the Department of
Health and Social Care and the Department for Science, Innovation
and Technology to help academic research to provide the evidence
that we need to deliver positive outcomes for people with mental
health conditions?
I thank my hon. Friend for her pertinent question. That is
exactly why we are piloting these measures, and we want to make
sure that we get it right. I am interested in her suggestions,
and I would be happy to consider them in greater detail.
(Brentford and Isleworth)
(Lab)
The Government have been talking a lot about sick note culture.
As this is Mental Health Awareness Week, does the Minister agree
the record long waits that many people face in getting adequate
mental healthcare is delaying their return to work and keeping
them on benefits longer?
The approach we are taking with our call for evidence is to try
to find a system in which the fit note approach is improved, and
part of that must mean getting treatment to people earlier rather
than later. That is exactly why my right hon. Friend the
Chancellor came forward with 400,000 additional talking therapies
within the NHS for exactly that purpose.
(Barrow and Furness) (Con)
May I put on record my thanks to Barrow jobcentre and to the
central DWP team for the work they have been doing to support the
community through the Team Barrow project? I was also delighted
to find out that we are going to be a WorkWell pilot area in
south Cumbria. Could my right hon. Friend outline the difference
that will make to local small and medium-sized enterprises and to
people looking to get into the jobs market?
It will intervene at a very early stage of the health journey for
those falling out of work and going into long-term sickness and
disability benefits. We want to stop that journey by helping
people and, through WorkWell, bringing together healthcare
assistants and work coach assistants to make sure that we retain
people in work or, if they are not far from the labour market,
bring them into employment.
(Angus) (SNP)
Since we began this question session a little over an hour ago,
four WASPI women have died while we debate the challenges of
their pensions. The Secretary of State talks about the great sums
involved, but can I remind him that those sums belong to the
women affected? This Government showed no lack of haste in
penalising those women. Will they show the same eagerness to
compensate them?
It is important that all Government policies are properly costed
and that their cost to the taxpayer and the economy are taken
into account. I have given the House an assurance that we are
looking in great detail at the report. There will be no undue
delay, and we will come to our conclusions at the earliest
possible moment.
(Ynys Môn) (Con)
I have visited the old Rehau building in Amlwch, which is being
repurposed with business units and a new jobcentre for the north
of the island. Will the Minister visit Amlwch, meet some of my
constituents and personally thank the team who have worked so
hard to find a suitable building?
Diolch yn fawr to the team in Ynys Môn! We have been searching
for a building for a number of years to go to the added youth
offer, and I would be delighted to join my hon. Friend in Ynys
Môn and to thank the team.
Mr Speaker
I call .
(Strangford) (DUP)
I will get it right this time, Mr Speaker.
What discussions has the Minister had with the Department for
Communities, back home in the Northern Ireland Executive, in
relation to the extreme poverty surges witnessed in the winters
of 2022 and 2023?
As the hon. Gentleman will know, the Northern Ireland Executive
are at liberty to make their own arrangements on most of the
benefits for which the Department for Work and Pensions is
responsible. However, they generally choose to go with our
decisions. I assure him that officials work very closely with
their counterparts in Northern Ireland to make sure that we take
the needs of the Northern Irish people into account when we take
those decisions.
