Winter Fuel Payment
(Huntingdon) (Con)
1. What estimate she has made of the number of pensioners in
poverty who will not be entitled to the winter fuel payment in
winter 2024-25.(900491)
(Aldridge-Brownhills)
(Con)
18. What estimate she has made of the number of pensioners in
poverty who will not be entitled to the winter fuel payment in
winter 2024-25.(900508)
(Farnham and Bordon)
(Con)
24. What estimate she has made of the number of pensioners in
poverty who will not be entitled to the winter fuel payment in
winter 2024-25.(900514)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
May I say briefly, Mr Speaker, that as my right hon. and learned
Friend the Prime Minister has said, 7 October last year was the
deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust, and we stand
firm in our commitment to bring the remaining hostages home and
secure the immediate ceasefire and aid that civilians in Gaza and
Lebanon desperately need.
An estimated 880,000 of the poorest pensioners are not claiming
the pension credit they are entitled to, so they do not get the
winter fuel payment or pension credit of up to £3,900 a year.
That is why we have launched the biggest ever drive to increase
pension credit uptake and ensure that the poorest pensioners get
the support they deserve.
Having spent the run-up to the election scaring pensioners into
voting for them by claiming it was the Conservative Government
who were a threat to their wellbeing, some of our poorest
pensioners will now be forced to find out how difficult it is to
keep warm huddled around Labour's gaslight. Given that the
Government's own equality analysis states that only 100,000 of
the 880,000 pensioners who are eligible for pension credit are
expected to apply for it, if all those who are eligible do apply,
how much more will that cost compared with the initial saving
from removing the winter fuel payment?
I say gently to the hon. Gentleman that upon coming into
government, we discovered that 880,000 pensioners are not
claiming the pension credit they are entitled to. Given that his
former Government failed to take action to deal with that issue,
I suggest that instead of making that point, he works with his
council to increase pension credit uptake and looks at the £1.8
million we have given to Peterborough council to make sure that
all the help for pensioners, including on winter fuel, is made
available.
I remain deeply concerned about the pensioners in my constituency
who will not be entitled to the winter fuel payment this
winter—we are now into October. Given that we now know that just
14% of pensioners in absolute poverty receive pension credit, how
can the Minister justify her Government's claim that they are
focusing support on those in the greatest need?
Again, I say to the right hon. Lady that the reason so many of
the poorest pensioners are missing out is that her Government
failed to increase pension credit uptake. We have launched the
biggest ever programme to increase uptake of pension credit. For
the first time, we will be writing to all pensioners on housing
benefit, and I urge the right hon. Lady to work with her local
council and others to make sure that the poorest in her
constituency get the money they are entitled to.
Over 18,000 people in my constituency will lose the winter fuel
payment, but this is not about figures; it is about individuals,
which is why I am running a pensioners advisory service on Friday
to help them with this issue. This is about people, so what does
the Secretary of State say to people such as Rita in my
constituency, who is looking after her husband who has multiple
sclerosis and who will not be eligible for pension credit and
therefore the winter fuel payment?
I know that the hon. Gentleman has focused over many years on
health and healthcare issues, and I would say to him that we are
in this situation because his Government left a £22 billion black
hole in the public finances. Unlike Conservative Members, we take
our responsibilities seriously, and I would urge him to work with
his councils—they have received £7.1 million in Hampshire and
£5.3 million in Surrey from the household support fund—to make
sure that all pensioners get the money they are entitled to.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee.
(Oldham East and
Saddleworth) (Lab)
I welcome the work that my right hon. Friend is doing in ensuring
that the uptake of pension credit is increased, but there are
genuine concerns about people who are just above that threshold
who will remain in poverty—just under a quarter of a million in
the north-west alone. In addition to the fantastic commitment
there has been through the household support fund, will my right
hon. Friend be undertaking any other mitigations to ensure that
those pensioners living in poverty, particularly disabled
pensioners, will not fall foul of this?
I thank my hon. Friend for her question, and I welcome her to her
position as Chair of the Select Committee. Alongside our work to
increase pension credit uptake, the household support fund is
available for those just above the pension credit level. My own
council has done a lot of work to make sure that pensioners just
above that level can get extra help with the costs of heating or
energy debt. There is also the warm home discount, which is
available not just to those on pension credit, but again to those
just above that level if they are on low incomes and have high
housing costs.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
I congratulate the Secretary of State on her ambition to sign
people up to pension credit, but we know that about 780,000
people will not sign up in time and also that there are 1 million
people in fuel poverty above that mark. Given that we are really
worried now, as winter is approaching, about the impact that this
is going to have, particularly on the health of older people,
will she look at the work done by Energy Systems Catapult and NHS
Gloucestershire on social prescribing to ensure that people can
receive energy payments in that way?
My hon. Friend raises a very important point. This is not just
about urging people to come forward and claim. We are writing to
pensioners on housing benefit for the first time ever, and I am
determined to bring forward the merger of housing benefit and
pension credit, which the former Government delayed for years. I
very much agree about the need to bring together social
prescribing with help from the household support fund and other
areas to make sure pensioners get all the help they need, and
about the need to work with frontline NHS staff, as we are also
doing, to make sure that the poorest who may be stuck at home
with chronic conditions also know what they are entitled to.
(Hitchin) (Lab)
It is clear that one of the drivers of pensioner poverty is the
sheer number of pensioners eligible for pension credit who have
been left not claiming it for successive years by the previous
Government. I welcome the Secretary of State's zeal for making
sure that we put that right, but how can we as Members from
across the House work with her Department to make sure that there
are no unnecessary barriers for those who are eligible and in
need of pension credit to claiming it this winter?
I would urge all hon. Members in this House to work with their
local councils, as I am doing, to make sure that those on housing
benefit and other pensioners know what they are entitled to, and
to make sure that their councils know that the household support
fund—the £421 million we have set aside this year, despite all
the problems we face—is also available to those pensioners just
above the pension credit level.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Central Devon) (Con)
In the general election, the Labour party promised that it had no
plans to means-test the winter fuel allowance, yet we learn that
millions of pensioners are to be affected. Indeed, in 2017 the
right hon. Lady's party produced an analysis suggesting that
around 4,000 pensioners would die prematurely were this policy to
be brought into effect. Does she stand by that figure of around
4,000? If not, how many premature deaths does she believe will
occur as a result of this policy?
In 2017, the right hon. Gentleman's party manifesto promised to
means-test winter fuel payments. Until Conservative Members know
that they have to apologise to the British people for the 200,000
extra pensioners in poverty over the past 14 years, and for a £22
billion black hole in the public finances, which we are now
putting right but that has put the public finances at risk, they
will remain on the Opposition Benches and we will remain on the
Government Benches.
I think I need to correct the right hon. Lady: there were
actually 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty under the
previous Conservative Government. She quite rightly is pressing
the uptake of pension credit, but if all those who are eligible
for it take it up, that will cost £3.8 billion, which is
substantially more than the saving that is scored at £1.4
billion. If she is successful in her aspiration, the costs will
substantially outweigh the savings; if she is not successful,
potentially millions of pensioners will be plunged further into
poverty. May I ask her which it is?
There are 200,000 more pensioners in poverty, and I am happy to
put those figures into the public domain to set the record
straight. The savings we have put forward take into account the
increase in uptake that we foresee. Unlike Conservative Members,
we are determined and will do everything possible—they should
perhaps ask themselves why they first announced the merger of
pension credit and housing benefit in 2012 and then put it off
until 2028—to change things and get people the money they are
entitled to. We will bring that forward to ensure that all the
poorest pensioners get what they are entitled to.
Mr Speaker
I call Liberal Democrat spokesperson .
(Torbay) (LD)
There are 2.7 million pensioners over the age of 80 who would
have benefited from the £300 winter fuel allowance. They are
among the most vulnerable in our society. The right hon. Lady is
right to say that the previous Government let them down, but let
us not add insult to injury and have the new Government let them
down. Can she reassure the House that she will reverse the
regressive approach that she has taken to the winter fuel
allowance, and not hit the most vulnerable people who are over
80?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. He will know that
this was not a decision that we wanted or expected to make. The
reason we have taken it is that we have to deal with the £22
billion black hole in the public finances left by Conservative
Members. But in doing so, we will as a progressive party always
prioritise the very poorest pensioners. That is why we are so
determined to end a situation where up to 880,000 people miss out
on the winter fuel allowance because they are not getting pension
credit. We are determined to put that right.
Access to Work Programme
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
South) (Lab)
2. What steps she is taking to reduce the time taken for Access
to Work claims to be processed.(900492)
The Minister for Employment ()
I thank my hon. Friend for her question. Labour's manifesto said
that we will tackle the backlog of Access to Work claims, and we
will. We have improved the process and increased the number of
staff processing claims, but there is more to do and that work is
ongoing.
Does the Minister agree that delays to the processing of Access
to Work claims not only impact the individual and their health,
particularly their mental health, but impact their ability to
fulfil their potential and contribute to our economy? What
further steps will she take to ensure that the process for
helping disabled people back into work is reformed, to ensure
that it is genuinely one of support that allows people to fulfil
their potential and enables businesses to thrive?
I agree wholeheartedly with my hon. Friend. Disabled people have
the right to work like everybody else. We have an ambition to see
an 80% employment rate in this country, and we cannot do that
without the contribution of people with disabilities. We are
working on an employment White Paper and developing our policies,
and we want everybody in this country to make their full
contribution, especially disabled people.
Child Maintenance Service
Mr (Woking) (LD)
3. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Child
Maintenance Service in collecting payments.(900493)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The Child Maintenance Service is committed to ensuring that
separated parents support their children financially and to
taking robust enforcement action against those who do not do so.
Between March 2023 and March this year, the percentage of parents
paying something towards maintenance through collect and pay
increased from 65% to 69%. This Government recognise that child
maintenance payments play a crucial role in keeping hundreds of
thousands of children out of poverty each year, and we are
determined to do all we can to increase those collection levels
further.
Mr Forster
Given that around half of children in separated families—that is
1.8 million children—are receiving no support from their
non-residential parent, does the Minister know when that figure
might change?
The hon. Gentleman raises an important point about those families
who receive no support. I am told that the figure is actually
around 40%, but none the less it is not good enough. Although
there are varied reasons for that—indeed, there are some parents
who do not want an arrangement—we are looking, as he may be
aware, at a recently concluded consultation on the future of the
Child Maintenance Service. We will consider our next steps with a
view to trying to increase collection levels wherever we can.
Mr Speaker
Members have to stand to be called. I am not a mind reader; I am
pretty good, but I cannot win the lottery.
(Mid Cheshire) (Lab)
Two constituents have contacted me with separate but similar
cases relating to obtaining child maintenance payments from
abusive ex-partners. In both cases, their abusers have been able
to use features of the system to avoid paying their fair share to
their victims and their children, leaving my constituents with a
shortfall of thousands of pounds. Can my hon. Friend tell me what
steps are being taken to reform the child maintenance system to
protect victims of abuse, such as my constituents?
The Department takes domestic abuse extremely seriously. My hon.
Friend will be keen to hear that the recently concluded
consultation I referenced in my previous answer looked to address
some of the issues with the direct pay service. Indeed, it
consulted on the potential removal of that service moving
forward. That service has been open to abuse and has led to
victims of domestic abuse continuing to be terrorised. That is
unacceptable, and we will look to address it moving forward.
Winter Fuel Payment: Medical Conditions
(Bromsgrove) (Con)
4. If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of
means-testing for winter fuel payment on people with medical
conditions that are exacerbated by cold weather.(900494)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his place. Pensioners with a
long-term health condition or disability may be eligible for
disability-related benefits, such as disability living allowance
or attendance allowance, and these benefits also provide for an
additional amount in pension credit for those on low incomes.
The Government's impersonal approach is cold comfort to thousands
of disabled pensioners, including Ann in my constituency. She has
to boil water to prevent infection and uses an electric
nebuliser, and as a result she has high energy usage to protect
her health. Can the Minister tell Ann what sacrifices she should
make to protect her health this winter?
This is a decision that we neither wanted nor expected to make,
but when we came into office there was a £22 billion black hole
in the public finances. There are mitigations in place. We have
extended the household support fund and the hon. Gentleman's
council will receive an extra £3.9 million. We are increasing the
state pension. Through the triple lock, the state pension will
increase by £1,700 in this Parliament. We will also deliver the
warm home discount scheme, and I hope he will join me in making
sure that every pensioner who is eligible for pension credit
receives it, which will passport them to the winter fuel
payment.
(Poole) (Lab)
We know that 2 million older people currently live in poverty in
this country, with millions more with incomes just above the
poverty level. Does the Minister agree that the Government should
set up a pensioner taskforce to look at how pensioner poverty can
be tackled once and for all?
I thank my hon. Friend for that question. I will meet him and any
other Members of this House who have concerns on this matter.
Pension Credit
(Mid Bedfordshire)
(Con)
6. What steps she is taking to ensure pensioners who are eligible
for but have not previously claimed pension credit receive a
winter fuel payment in winter 2024-25.(900496)
(Colne Valley) (Lab)
8. What steps her Department is taking to help increase uptake of
pension credit.(900498)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
We have been running a national campaign since September across a
range of channels, including print and broadcast media, to
encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim,
and we will continue to work with external partners, local
authorities and devolved Governments to boost the take-up of
pension credit.
Around 93% of pensioners in Mid Bedfordshire face losing the
winter fuel payment this year; some of them earn less than £1,000
a month. What further support will the Minister give them to fill
Labour's black hole in their household finances so that they can
keep warm this winter?
The winter fuel payment was once described as the
“largest benefit paid to pensioners…regardless of need, giving
money to wealthier pensioners when working people on lower
incomes do not get similar support.”
Those are not my words, but the words of the Tories' 2017
manifesto.
Claiming pension credit can provide pensioners with additional
help for housing costs, council tax and heating bills. We all
have a duty to boost pension credit uptake to ensure that
low-income pensioners in all our constituencies receive the
necessary support. I welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister and the
Work and Pensions Secretary collaborating with local authorities
and charities for the annual pension credit week of action, which
took place during recess. What more can be done to ensure that
low-income pensioners receive pension credit?
We were pleased to see 160 local authorities respond positively
to our call for action. They are working with us to drive the
boost in uptake of pension credit. Apart from the national
campaign that we have been running, we will bring together the
administration of housing benefit and pension credit in a way
that the former Government failed to do.
Women's State Pension Age: Compensation
(Bedford) (Lab)
7. What progress she has made on responding to recommendations on
compensation made by the Parliamentary and Health Service
Ombudsman in his report on changes to women's state pension
age.(900497)
(Waveney Valley) (Green)
23. What her Department's timetable is for responding to the
recommendations on compensation made by the Parliamentary and
Health Service Ombudsman in his report on changes to women's
state pension age.(900513)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
I was the first Minister for eight long years to meet Women
Against State Pension Inequality campaigners to hear their
experiences directly. However, we do need time to carefully
consider the ombudsman's report and evidence before we can
outline our approach.
I have long supported women in Bedford born in the 1950s who have
been failed by the DWP. We must do right by the WASPI women, some
of whom are struggling to make ends meet. Will the Minister tell
them today when the Government will respond to the report by the
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which recommended a
compensation scheme?
The ombudsman's report is a serious report that took six years to
complete and deserves serious consideration. We are carefully
reviewing the details of that complex report and will come to a
conclusion in the round.
I echo the sentiments of the hon. Member for Bedford () on this serious injustice,
which is being compounded by the lack of swift action for
redress. It really matters to all our constituents, including
mine in Norfolk and Suffolk, where I have spoken to the local
WASPI women group, which highlighted just how a big an impact it
is having, including on women born in the 1950s who are
struggling to make ends meet. Will the Minister please set out
the timescale by which she will respond to the report and the
action that will be taken?
The ombudsman took six years to look into what is a serious,
significant and complex set of cases. We need time to look at
that seriously, and we are doing precisely that.
Vulnerable People: Support into Work
Dame (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
9. What steps she is taking to support vulnerable people into
work.(900499)
The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir )
We are committed to supporting vulnerable customers into work. At
jobcentres, for example, we can identify the support needed and
signpost people to courses or organisations to help them overcome
barriers. We will be saying more about our proposals in the
forthcoming employment White Paper.
Dame
In my local jobcentre on Mare Street in my constituency, there is
an extremely good team of DWP staff who work closely with
vulnerable constituents to help them overcome the hurdles to
getting benefits and getting into work. However, for people with
fluctuating conditions, and particularly mental health
conditions, there are many barriers both for them and for
prospective employers. I wonder whether the Minister could give
us a taster of what might be in the White Paper in terms of
support for employers in particular to encourage them to take on
people with such challenges.
Sir
I very much welcome my hon. Friend's positive report of the work
in her local jobcentre. She highlights a major challenge behind a
significant proportion of increased inactivity over the past few
years. We will set out our response in the “Getting Britain
Working” White Paper, but we are already providing tailored
support in partnership with NHS talking therapies and individual
placement and support in primary care. My hon. Friend is
absolutely right that there is a good deal more to be done.
(Eastbourne) (LD)
Conservative-run East Sussex county council is threatening to
close the Steps to Work programme, as well as Linden Court in
Eastbourne, which supports people with learning disabilities to
work towards employment. Will the Minister urge the county
council to halt its plans and to consider alternatives such as
selling off council buildings to raise the funds needed to
provide these essential services for people with learning
disabilities?
Sir
The hon. Gentleman draws my attention to a concerning
development. My view is that we need more support for people with
learning disabilities to get into work, not less. If he sends me
the details of the concerns he has raised, I will be happy to
look into them further.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(East Grinstead and Uckfield)
(Con)
The well-received and groundbreaking Buckland review of autism
employment focused on the action needed to help to tackle the
lack of opportunities and outdated recruitment practices that do
not meet the employment needs of autistic people. How is the
Minister—I welcome him to his place—going to use this review,
which I seem to remember him welcoming, to tackle the lack of
understanding and ongoing stereotypes to help to make real change
via Access to Work and other DWP interventions?
Sir
I thank the hon. Lady for her welcome. I am looking forward to a
meeting with Sir Robert later on this month, and we will be
talking exactly about that matter.
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that answer. The disability
action plan mid-year update is now somewhat overdue. Can the
Minister confirm to the House when there will be a much-needed
update? In helping vulnerable people to thrive in all walks of
life, whether in employment or in respect of equality of
opportunity, will the Minister's Government commit, like the
previous Conservative Government did, to working towards hosting
the 2031 Special Olympics?
Sir
We will be saying more and we will provide an update in the
forthcoming “Getting Britain Working” White Paper. If the hon.
Lady would like to drop me a line about the Special Olympics, I
would be happy to look into that as well.
Jobcentre Access: Rural Areas
(South Shropshire)
(Con)
10. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the
accessibility of jobcentres to people living in rural
areas.(900500)
The Minister for Employment ()
We need jobcentres to be better everywhere, including those in
rural areas with unique challenges. In the autumn we will publish
a White Paper on our plans to transform the employment support
system, which will change jobcentres. I welcome input on that
issue from Members from all parts of the House.
In South Shropshire, youth unemployment has risen over the past
month. What is the Minister going to do to stop this worrying
trend in rural communities like mine?
I thank the hon. Member for bringing that point to the House; it
is a major focus of the work that is currently going into the
White Paper. We have had very worrying developments for young
people since the pandemic, and we need to do much better to give
them the best possible start in life. I will say it again: on
this issue we welcome input from Members on all sides of the
House.
(Suffolk Coastal)
(Lab)
Housing associations are the second largest investor in
employment support in the UK, second only to the Department for
Work and Pensions. Their work invests in employment support for
some of the hardest-to-reach communities, including rural
communities such as mine in Suffolk Coastal. Will the Minister
commit to working with housing associations to co-design and
co-invest employment support over this Parliament?
I thank my hon. Friend again for her very welcome point. Housing
associations are extremely important for connecting with
residents, who often have multiple vulnerabilities. When thinking
about the journey into work we need joined up services between
the NHS, the local authority and our housing associations. They
will be a part of the future partnership, and I look forward to
working with her for her constituency.
Jobcentre Plus
(Southport) (Lab)
11. What recent assessment her Department has made of the
effectiveness of Jobcentre Plus in helping people get back into
work.(900501)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
To be frank, the current system is focused on the problems of
yesterday. In the last Parliament, economic inactivity increased
and the employment rate fell. We are planning fundamental reforms
to the system that will focus on the problems of today and get
more people into work, details of which will be set out in our
forthcoming White Paper, “Get Britain Working”.
Will the Minister set out how the proposed merger between
Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service will help to
tackle economic inactivity and change the way that jobcentres
work with their customers?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question; I was pleased to hear
that one of his earliest visits as the first ever Labour Member
for Southport was to his local jobcentre with the Minister for
Employment, who I know would want me to commend all the staff at
the Southport jobcentre. The truth is that, at present,
jobcentres seem to function more as places from which benefits
are administered than as centres supporting people into work. The
merger of Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service will
address that, enabling us to get more people into employment and
help those on low pay increase their earnings, through more
personalised and localised support, ensuring that no one is left
behind.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
The challenge that jobcentres in Kendal and the rest of Cumbria
face, as well as getting people back into work, is the fact that
our workforce in Westmorland is far too small. The average house
price in our constituency is 12 times average earnings, and
waiting lists for social housing are through the roof. Some 66%
of all employers surveyed in our community recently said that
they were working below capacity because they could not find
enough staff, so if we want to tackle the problem in our economy,
we need to do two things: first, increase the amount of social
housing and secondly, allow more flexible visa arrangements.
Would the Minister's Department work with housing colleagues to
provide more housing grants for our community and sign up to the
youth mobility visa arrangements?
Mr Speaker
Order. The hon. Member should know better. He gets in a lot, so
he should not take advantage of other Members.
The hon. Member will be pleased to know that we intend to work
considerably more flexibly to support the needs of communities in
a varied and bespoke way. He has particular challenges because of
the rural nature of his constituency and various other factors,
but he will appreciate that I will not make housing or Home
Office policy on the hoof from the Dispatch Box.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(East Grinstead and Uckfield)
(Con)
Jobcentres are extremely good, as we just heard from the hon.
Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch (Dame ), who is leaving the Chamber. Yet the new Minister
for Employment previously described jobcentres as places nobody
wants to go, and claimed that they do not offer real help. Our
jobcentres help to ensure that almost 4 million more people have
work, compared with when her party left office in 2010. More than
2 million of those employed are women. Will the Minister and the
DWP team who have made disparaging remarks apologise to work
coaches and DWP staff, who she and they have rubbished but who
now have to look up to them as the new ministerial team?
I fear that the hon. Lady has misunderstood the criticism, which
is levied not at our outstanding work coaches but at the policies
of the previous Government, who have left us with economic
inactivity at its highest rate in years. We are the only G7
economy with a lower employment rate than before the pandemic.
Those are the challenges that we have been left with, and the
problems that we will solve.
Jobcentre Claimants: Travel Costs
(Cannock Chase) (Lab)
12. What guidance her Department has issued to private
contractors working in partnership with Jobcentre Plus on
reimbursing claimants' travel costs.(900502)
The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir )
Provider guidance, which is published on gov.uk, makes clear that
contractors on all our employment programmes must reimburse
customers' reasonable travel costs.
I thank the Minister for that response. My constituent Connor is
in a predicament: he is out of pocket for taxi fares to weekly or
even twice weekly sessions with a Jobcentre Plus private
contractor. Connor told me that the sessions last barely 15
minutes and are not helping him to reach his goal of becoming a
mechanical engineering apprentice. Will the Minister review the
value of Jobcentre Plus private contracts to both jobseekers and
taxpayers?
Sir
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Performance is reviewed
regularly and there are customer satisfaction surveys, but unlike
the previous Government, this Government want to publish
performance data so that everybody can see what is going on.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister very much for his response. I think everyone
wishes for claimants to be able to get job opportunities without
finding themselves in a financial mess due to having to pay out
for travel costs when they should be reimbursed. This is a big
issue in my constituency in Northern Ireland. Will the Minister
help directly those constituents who have been accordingly
disadvantaged?
Sir
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. I am not familiar with the
arrangements in Northern Ireland, but certainly in the rest of
the UK it is very clear that contractors ideally need to pay
up-front, buy tickets and give them to the jobseeker before they
embark on their journey, or, if not, reimburse them very quickly
on production of a receipt.
Child Poverty Taskforce
(Swansea West) (Lab)
13. What steps she is taking to progress the work of the child
poverty taskforce.(900503)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
Tackling child poverty is a top priority for the new Government,
and a personal priority for me. Children cannot fulfil their
potential without food in their belly or a decent roof over their
head, and we cannot fulfil our potential as a country when the
talents of so many are left behind. That is why our new child
poverty taskforce will drive action across every area of
government to drive up family income, drive down family costs and
give every child the best start in life.
I welcome the establishment of the child poverty taskforce. How
will the taskforce ensure that lessons, including on the role of
housing costs in driving up relative poverty and the necessity of
growth to drive down absolute poverty, will be learnt from
previous attempts to drive down child poverty in Wales and across
the UK?
My hon. Friend makes a very important point about learning the
lessons from the last time we were in government and lifted more
than 600,000 children out of poverty, and looking at similarities
and differences, not least that there are more children growing
up in poverty in households, whether in the private rented sector
or in social housing, and that there are more children growing up
poor in a household where somebody works. Getting and creating
more good quality jobs, and helping families into those jobs, is
absolutely a crucial part of our child poverty plan.
(Aberdeen North) (SNP)
Yet we have a situation where families with more children are
impacted by the two-child cap and the benefit cap, and the
Government are refusing to get rid of those things. At a stroke,
they could lift thousands of children out of poverty and improve,
overnight, their life chances. I appreciate the fact that the
Government have the child poverty taskforce, but that is not
making a difference to these children today, is it?
I am under no illusion about the impact 14 years of the
Conservatives and the social security system has had on child
poverty. That is why we are determined to take action across
government to increase family incomes, drive down costs and,
crucially, put in place long-term support, particularly in the
early years. We will produce the strategy by spring. I am
absolutely sure that every part of the plan will lift more
children out of poverty.
Child Poverty
(North Durham) (Lab)
14. What assessment she has made of trends in the level of child
poverty in the last 10 years.(900504)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
The last Labour Government lifted 600,000 children out of
poverty. Under the Conservatives, the number went up by 700,000.
There are now more than 4 million children living in poverty in
the UK in the 21st century. In one of the richest countries in
the world, that is a complete disgrace. That is why the work of
the child poverty taskforce, which I co-chair with the Education
Secretary, is so urgent and so important.
Almost a third of children in the north-east live in poverty. The
problem is particularly acute in the region. Will the Secretary
of State work with our Mayor of the North East, , on her excellent regional
plans to reduce child poverty?
Yes, we have already met , on 19 September, when she
set out the actions she is already taking. Let me say to Members
on both sides of the House that our strategy will be out in the
spring, but we will not be waiting until then to act. Nationally,
we have put £421 million into the household support fund to help
the poorest families, and mayors such as are doing amazing work:
they are working with schools to ensure that people claim the
benefits to which they are entitled, and, crucially, working with
businesses to help them to do all that they can to tackle in-work
poverty and ensure that working families receive the money for
those children.
Carer's Allowance Overpayments
(Scarborough and Whitby)
(Lab)
15. What steps she is taking to tackle carer's allowance
overpayments.(900505)
(Shipley) (Lab)
16. What steps she is taking to tackle carer's allowance
overpayments.(900506)
The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir )
The work of unpaid carers is vital and often heroic, and we are
determined to give them the support that they need. We are
currently looking at options for tackling the problem of
overpayments, including the possible introduction of a text
message alert service.
Carers make incredible sacrifices to care for loved ones, but
they can be left deep in debt as a result of repaying the
allowance after unintentionally breaching the qualifying rules.
Does my right hon. Friend agree that we, as a society, have a
duty of care to carers, and can he say more about the progress
that the Government are making in overhauling carer's allowance
and addressing the earnings cliff edge?
Sir
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I agree that we need to
support carers properly. We want to get to the bottom of what has
gone wrong with these overpayments and why so many people have
been caught out. We have been piloting the introduction of a text
message service, as I have mentioned, which has involved texting
3,500 claimants to alert them when His Majesty's Revenue and
Customs informs the DWP that they have breached the current
earnings limit. We are currently looking at the results, and if
they are positive, that will be the first step towards addressing
the overpayments problem. We will need to do more, but it will be
a good first step.
There are nearly 1,200 recipients of carer's allowance in
Shipley. The current earnings limit leaves people vulnerable to
accidentally accruing overpayments if they become ineligible for
the allowance, and it also acts as a disincentive, deterring
people from working as much as they would like to. Will the
Government consider raising the earnings limit?
Sir
My hon. Friend has written to me about this matter, and I welcome
her commitment to making progress. In an excellent piece of work,
the former Work and Pensions Committee made a number of
recommendations on the earnings rules, and once the new Committee
is in place, we shall respond to the former Committee's
proposals.
(South Antrim) (UUP)
The Minister has referred to the army of carers that we have
across the country, but we also have an army of unpaid carers who
are being deterred from applying for carer's allowance because of
concerns about the financial implications. Can the Government
reassure those who have not yet come forward that they will be
supported properly?
Sir
I very much hope that we can, because the hon. Gentleman is
right: there is a good deal of anxiety about these overpayment
problems. We hope that the alert service will at least inform
people when they run into a problem so that they do not then
develop a large overpayment, which has happened all too often in
the past, but we also need to look at the other arrangements
relating to carer's allowance in order to provide the reassurance
for which the hon. Gentleman has rightly called.
Benefit Sanctions
Dr (Ealing Central and Acton)
(Lab)
17. What assessment she has made of trends in the number of
benefit sanctions in the last five years.(900507)
The Minister for Employment ()
In May 2019 the universal credit sanction rate was 3.17%. It
reduced considerably during the pandemic, gradually returning to
3.51% by November 2021. It then continued to rise, reaching a
peak of 7.29% in October 2023, but it is now falling, with a rate
of 6.17% in May 2024.
Dr Huq
According to recent research by Gingerbread, a high percentage of
sanctions have been misapplied to single parents, not because
they have not met the job search requirements but because of
missed meetings for reasons connected with childcare. Max, a
bereaved single dad of two, had his sanction overturned, which
involved a fairly challenging process. Will my hon. Friend please
look into the possibility of overhauling the mess of a system
that was left behind by that lot over there?
I thank my hon. Friend for her question and, through her, I would
like to thank Gingerbread for its work on this issue. There have
always been, and always will be, conditions attached to social
security, but the past 14 years show what happens when we have a
Government who are more interested in blaming people and creating
cheap headlines than offering real help. In our manifesto, Labour
committed to review universal credit so that it makes work pay
and tackles poverty, and the report that Gingerbread has written
will also help inform our child poverty taskforce.
Topical Questions
(Blackpool South) (Lab)
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental
responsibilities.(900526)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
I am determined to put transparency at the heart of the DWP, so I
have today published 31 reports that were sat on by the previous
Government—something that my right hon. Friend the Minister for
Social Security and Disability has long campaigned for. Under
this Government's leadership, the DWP will be honest about the
problems that the country faces and focused on the solutions
needed to help people build a better life. That starts with our
forthcoming White Paper, to get Britain working again.
I first joined WASPI women—Women Against State Pension Inequality
Campaign—in their welcome campaigning activity back in 2017.
Seven years later, they are still fighting for justice. Can the
Minister assure women in my constituency and across the country
that she will act urgently, unlike the previous Government, and
bring this injustice to an end?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I met representatives of
the WASPI campaign before this Government were elected. My hon.
Friend the Minister for Pensions was the first Minister to meet
them in eight years. It really is a serious report that requires
serious consideration. We will do everything possible to get this
issue resolved as soon as possible.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Central Devon) (Con)
On 10 September, two days before recess, I led a debate in this
Chamber, secured by the Conservative party, on the winter fuel
allowance. The right hon. Lady spoke just now about transparency,
but there was no equality impact assessment made available for
that debate. Indeed, on 30 August, by way of a written question,
my hon. Friend the Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans)
established that the Government had no intention of publishing
that particular report. Yet on 13 September—two days after the
debate and the vote, and one day after Parliament had risen—the
report was made available. It was clearly, in my opinion,
deliberately withheld. Does the right hon. Lady agree?
That is not true. The Conservative Government did not even allow
the Office for Budget Responsibility to do an analysis of Liz
Truss's disastrous mini-Budget and sat on 31 publications that,
under their own rules, should have been published. We published
an equality analysis. The right hon. Gentleman will know that
that was never done for secondary legislation when he was in
government, but this Government will be open and transparent,
which is what we are already doing.
(Colne Valley) (Lab)
T5. Since the election, numerous constituents have contacted me
to raise concerns about the Child Maintenance Service's
inefficiency in collecting arrears payments. Can the Minister
outline the measures being taken to enhance the service's
effectiveness in this area?(900530)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
My hon. Friend is entirely right to raise this issue. He will be
pleased to know that this Government are looking to utilise new
powers to obtain a liability order without recourse to the
courts, reducing the time taken to secure such an order from 22
weeks to around six.
Mr Speaker
We come to the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
(Torbay) (LD)
Mr Speaker, may I draw your attention to a report recently
published by the University of Bath, which highlights that
benefit claimants face a series of cliff edges if they claim
additional funds? If a family earn just £7,399, they lose the
ability to claim free school meals. What plans does the Minister
have to tackle the lack of compassion in the system?
The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir )
I am not familiar with the report to which the hon. Member
refers, but we committed in our manifesto to reviewing universal
credit, nearly 15 years after it was first launched. The cliff
edge issue and others will be among those that we will want to
look at in the course of that review.
(Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
(Lab)
T6. After 14 years of Tory economic chaos and 17 years of
Scottish National party public service failure, as many as one in
four children in my constituency now live in poverty. Last year
the Scottish Children's Commissioner said that the former First
Minister, , had “absolutely” failed
young people in Scotland. Does the Secretary of State agree that
tackling child poverty will be a crucial part of the work of this
Labour Government? As part of the important work that she is
doing with the taskforce to develop a new child poverty strategy,
will she come to my constituency—(900531)
Mr Speaker
Order. These are topical questions, so please can we keep them
short? I have to try and get through the list to help others.
My hon. Friend has raised these issues with me before, and I will
absolutely meet children, families and child poverty
organisations from her constituency. We aim to visit every region
and every devolved nation as part of that strategy, and I look
forward to meeting her and her constituents then.
(Mid Dorset and North Poole)
(LD)
T2. Data from Marie Curie suggests that 90,000 people die in
poverty every year, many of them after a terminal diagnosis. Even
with the help of the special rules system, there have been
reports of terminally ill people facing mounds of red tape when
trying to claim benefits. Is the Minister satisfied that the
current 12-month limit on special rules is sufficient, and has
she assessed how the current administrative burden on terminally
ill people claiming benefits can be reduced?(900527)
The hon. Lady raises an extremely important question, which I
have discussed with a hospice and other organisations such as
Marie Curie and Sue Ryder in my own constituency. I want to look
at how the system can be made to work as quickly and swiftly as
possible, particularly for people at this very difficult time in
life, and I would be happy for the Social Security Minister and
my office to contact her directly to get more information.
(Battersea) (Lab)
T7. Research by Sense has found that none of the computers in
jobcentres across Britain are equipped with specialist assistive
technology, and it has estimated that it would cost £5 million to
ensure that every jobcentre had that specialist assistive
technology. Will the Minister commit to introducing a jobcentre
assistive technology fund in order to aid disabled people in
their quest to look for work?(900532)
The Minister for Employment ()
My hon. Friend is an absolute expert on this kind of inclusive
change that we need to make to our employment support system so
that we can help everybody, and I look forward to working with
her on ideas just like that when we bring forward our White Paper
in the autumn.
(Didcot and Wantage) (LD)
T3. Members of the AEAT pension scheme have collectively lost
millions of pounds from their pensions, despite being told that
they would be no less favourable following the privatisation of
their pension scheme in 1996. The Public Accounts Committee found
that they had received inadequate information from the Government
and lost money as a result. Will the Minister provide a clear
timescale for redress for AEAT pensioners in this unique case, as
promised by a previous Pensions Minister?(900528)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
I thank the hon. Member for his question. I have looked into this
issue, which has a long and complex history, and I would be very
willing to meet him to discuss it in more detail.
(Ealing Southall)
(Lab)
T8. The Secretary of State has today published 31 research papers
commissioned but hidden by the previous Government, which among
other things provide valuable insight into the experience of
disabled people applying for personal independence payments in
order to live and work independently. Why does the Minister think
the last Government chose not to publish these
findings?(900533)
Sir
My hon. Friend asks an extremely good question. The policy of the
previous Government was to publish all such commissioned research
reports within 12 weeks of receiving them. That policy was
complied with until 2018, when Ministers stopped complying with
it, so we have had to publish all these reports today. My right
hon. Friend the Secretary of State's announcement is a vital
first step in rebuilding the trust in the Department that was so
shattered by the culture of secrecy, obfuscation and cover-up by
Conservative Ministers.
Sir (New Forest East) (Con)
In response to several hon. Members, Ministers have spoken about
the complexity of the ombudsman's report on the WASPI campaign.
While appreciating that, may I ask for a statement in principle
that the Government will eventually offer significant
compensation to the WASPI women?
As I said previously, the ombudsman took six years to consider
this complex case. We are looking into it very seriously, but I
cannot make any announcements today. The right hon. Gentleman
will have to wait for our announcement on this issue.
Mr (Cardiff West)
(Lab)
T9. The Government's proposed youth guarantee will help to ensure
that young people are either learning or earning. Of course, the
young person's guarantee is already a key commitment of the
Labour-run Welsh Government. Can the Minister assure me and my
Cardiff West constituents that this Government will learn from
the work being done in Wales?(900534)
I assure my hon. Friend that we will work with the Welsh
Government, Welsh local authorities and all our colleagues across
the United Kingdom to get the policy right for young people, who
I believe have been failed over recent years. It is about time
they had the future they deserve.
(Witham) (Con)
With employers in Witham and across the country about to be
whacked with a barrage of higher taxes, thanks to this
Government, how do the Government expect employment levels to
stay high? How do they expect small businesses to be at the heart
of any employment strategy that they claim to have?
Under the previous Government, we had the highest taxes in 70
years, and jobcentres to which only one in six employers ever
went to recruit. We will transform our jobcentres into a new jobs
and careers service, so that people get the help they need, and
so that employers can recruit the staff they desperately
need.
(Penrith and
Solway) (Lab)
T10. I welcome the Government's proposed fraud Bill. Can the
Minister explain how it will claw back money from people who
cheat the system, while also protecting privacy?(900535)
I welcome my hon. Friend's support for the proposed fraud Bill.
The level of fraud in the welfare system is absolutely
unacceptable; almost £10 billion was lost last year. Increased
use of data will be essential to clamping down on both capital
fraud and broader fraud. However, we will do that without sharing
any information at all with banks and financial institutions.
(Beverley and Holderness)
(Con)
I thank the Secretary of State for her personal commitment to
transparency. Further to the question asked by the shadow
Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Central
Devon (), will she share with the House how many thousands of
people will die as a result of Labour's choice to cut the winter
fuel payment?
I am very happy to share the data: there are 200,000 more
pensioners living in poverty after 14 years of Conservative
government. I am also very happy to publish information showing a
152% increase in pension credit claims, thanks to the big, bold
campaign run by this Labour Government.
(Burnley) (Lab/Co-op)
My constituents want a fair and robust welfare system, but they
have no truck with fraud. Can the Secretary of State assure my
constituents that she is doing everything she can to crack down
on fraud, and to make sure that those who genuinely need help get
it?
My hon. Friend is correct to raise this issue. As I said, we will
not tolerate the current levels of fraud in our welfare system.
He will be pleased to note the Prime Minister's recent
announcement of the forthcoming fraud, error and debt Bill, which
will begin the necessary work to drive down fraud in the
Department.
(Angus and Perthshire Glens)
(SNP)
Can I share with the Secretary of State the plight of my
constituent, who went without child maintenance payments for six
months? That happened not because of anything done wrong by her,
or the paying parent, or the paying parent's employer, which
processed the direct deduction of earnings order, but because the
Child Maintenance Service misplaced the payments. Will the
Secretary of State apologise for that mishap? What plans does she
have to rectify that deeply flawed organisation?
I am very sorry to hear of this case. I am not familiar with it,
but I will look into it, if the hon. Gentleman contacts me with
the details.
