Child Poverty
(Rugby) (Lab)
1. What recent estimate she has made of the level of child
poverty in Rugby constituency. (901102)
(Edinburgh North and Leith)
(Lab)
6. What recent estimate she has made of the level of child
poverty in Edinburgh North and Leith constituency. (901108)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
This morning the nation fell silent to pay tribute to all those
who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces, and
those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Today we honour and
remember them. I quote the words inscribed on Lutyens' beautiful
Arch of Remembrance in Leicester from the hymn “O Valiant
Hearts”:
“All they hoped for, all they had, they gave to save
mankind—themselves they scorned to save”.
Some 4.3 million children are growing up in poverty—700,000 more
than in 2010. That is why the work of our cross-Government child
poverty taskforce is so urgent, and why we will use all levers
available to increase family incomes, reduce family costs and
give every child the best start in life.
I have had the privilege of assisting the brilliant volunteers at
the Make Lunch organisation in Rugby, which provides holiday
lunch clubs with play activities for entire families, including
those with complex needs. Last summer it fed 25 families, last
Christmas it bought slow cookers for families and this Christmas
it is offering hampers. They treat families with dignity. As with
food banks, is it not an indictment of the record of the last
Government that such charitable support is needed in the first
place?
Make Lunch sounds like an absolutely brilliant charity, and I ask
my hon. Friend to pass on our great thanks for its fantastic
work. That work is urgent, because the Child Poverty Action Group
estimates that a quarter of children in my hon. Friend's
constituency are growing up poor. Our child poverty strategy will
be published in the spring, but we will not wait to act. That is
why the Budget announced a new fair repayment rate to slash
universal credit deductions and give 1.2 million of the poorest
households £420 on average a year, lifting thousands of children
out of poverty.
Previous Labour Governments have tackled not only poverty but its
root causes. Can my right hon. Friend outline how the child
poverty taskforce will identify and tackle the root causes of
poverty in my constituency and across the UK, to ensure a
permanent end to child poverty?
I am sure that, like me, my hon. Friend thinks that it is
unacceptable that an estimated one in six children in her
constituency is growing up poor. We have taken immediate action
to help the poorest families in Scotland through our fair
repayment rate, which will benefit 110,000 households in
Scotland. We are tackling the root causes of poverty with our
reforms to make work pay, tackle exploitative zero-hours
contracts and create more good-quality jobs in every part of the
country.
(Central Suffolk and North
Ipswich) (Con)
Child poverty is a scourge in British society, and I am grateful
that the Secretary of State is bringing forward a child poverty
strategy. Has she decided how to measure child poverty? May I
warn her against using the much discredited relative measure,
which, as we know, shows poverty decreasing during times of
economic decline and increasing during times of economic growth?
I implore her to use an absolute measure, which has a much better
record of showing deprivation and long-term increases and
improvements in living standards.
I am afraid I will disappoint the hon. Gentleman: we will look at
relative poverty after housing costs, but we will go further and
look to alleviate the very deepest poverty. It is appalling that
hundreds of thousands of families are forced to rely on food
banks—something that I know only too well from my time chairing
Feeding Leicester. We will look at relative poverty, deep poverty
and what it will take to give every child the very best start in
life, by bringing together support from public services,
charities and other groups. That is the way to bring down poverty
and make the changes sustainable.
(Strangford) (DUP)
Northern Ireland has some of the highest child poverty figures in
the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland. I am sure that the Secretary of State wants to help. We
have had a 70% increase in food bank usage in my constituency in
the past 12 months, which is an incredible indication. Will she
kindly tell me what discussions she has had with her counterpart
in the Northern Ireland Assembly on what more can be done to
help?
The Minister from Northern Ireland is a member of our child
poverty taskforce. I hope to visit soon and the co-chair of the
taskforce, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon.
Friend the Member for Houghton and Sunderland South (), also plans to visit.
We have introduced the new fair repayment rate to slash the level
of universal credit deductions because, as food banks in my
constituency have told me, that really pushes people into
poverty. That is not what the Government should be doing, and
that is why we have taken action. I look forward to coming to
Northern Ireland to talk to the hon. Gentleman, his constituents
and the organisations fighting poverty to see what more we can
do.
PIP Application Process
(North Devon) (LD)
2. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the personal
independence payment application process. (901103)
The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir )
The application process for personal independence payment is
being kept under review. An online process is being trialled and
we are looking at further potential improvements.
One of my constituents in receipt of PIP is sight-impaired,
deaf-blind registered and cannot use a phone or fill out forms.
Can the Minister tell me why PIP reassessments are being
scheduled for people with incurable disabilities and terminal
illnesses?
Sir
The hon. Gentleman raises a very fair point. It is, of course,
important that we keep the awards under review, because sometimes
they go up as well as down and we want to ensure that the support
being provided is appropriate for the claimant. We also need to
ensure that the process is accessible—I agree with him about
that. Help can be provided to manage the assessment process. If
he would like to send me more details about his constituent, I
would be glad to see what we can do to help.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee.
(Oldham East and
Saddleworth) (Lab)
Yesterday, it was reported in the Sunday papers that a blind
woman with additional complex needs had her PIP assessment over
the phone, which was approved, but was then sent a letter to
confirm that. The charity Sense says that over half the people it
surveyed feel humiliated by the process. I know my right hon.
Friend is very keen to get this right, so will he expand a little
more on the type of things the Department is changing?
Mr Speaker
Before the Minister replies, may I ask Members to look at the
Chair, as third party, when they are asking or answering
questions? I am being cut out. Those are not my rules but those
of the House on how we should address each other, so if anybody
has a problem, please have a word with the Clerks.
Sir
My hon. Friend raises a very important point. Indeed, she and I
worked on an excellent Select Committee report on health
assessments for benefits, which provides some very important and
valuable recommendations to the Department. We will continue to
look at this issue. I am not familiar with the case that she
refers to, but I will dig out the details. Clearly, it is vital
that the process should be accessible to people with sight
impairments or any other impairments. I completely agree with
her.
Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training
(Peterborough) (Lab)
3. What assessment she has made of trends in the number of young
people out of work, education and training. (901105)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
The legacy we inherited is almost 1 million young people not in
education, employment or training—nearly one in eight—with all
the long-term consequences we know that can bring for their
future earnings, job prospects and health. That is why our new
youth guarantee will ensure that every young person is earning or
learning, which is better for them, better for the economy and
better for our country as a whole.
The DWP has described Peterborough as a national youth
unemployment hotspot. In September, the youth claimant count was
running at nearly double the national average. Places like
Peterborough college, through its Jobsmart provision, are already
pulling together a coalition to respond to that challenge. I
welcome the Government's youth guarantee and “Get Britain
Working” plans to ensure that young people in places like
Peterborough are given the opportunity to earn or learn. Will the
Secretary of State please confirm a timetable for the publication
of the White Paper?
The “Get Britain Working” White Paper will be published
imminently, backed by £240 million of investment announced by the
Chancellor in the Budget. I look forward very much to talking to
my hon. Friend and the organisations that are working so hard
locally, because I believe that the man, or even woman, in
Whitehall can never know what is best in Peterborough, Leicester
or Leeds.
Mr (Basildon and Billericay)
(Con)
A small business in my constituency to which I have spoken over
the last few weeks has raised concerns about the impact of the
national insurance rises in the Budget on, in particular, those
in lower-paid work, who in many cases are young people starting
their jobs. What impact do the Government think that those rises
will have on young people and youth unemployment?
Just last week I visited a very large employer in my
constituency, Tesco, and saw the fantastic work that it is doing
with the King's Trust to ensure that more people get into work
and stay in work. It is determined to work with us and our local
schools, and employment and other providers, because they know
that rather than writing off nearly a million young people, which
led to the situation that we inherited, this new Government have
a plan to get people into work, enable them to get on in work,
and ensure that every young person has the chance in life that he
or she deserves.
Mr Speaker
I call the new shadow Secretary of State, and welcome her to her
post.
(Faversham and Mid Kent)
(Con)
May I say how nice it is to be sitting opposite the right hon.
Lady again, albeit, regrettably, having swapped places with her?
I enjoyed our exchanges on social care during the last
Parliament, and appreciated our constructive conversations during
the pandemic, although, given how well she knows the care brief,
I suspect that she was gutted, as I was, to see the incoming
Government abandon the care cap and scrap more than £50 million
of funding for social care training. The consistent feedback from
jobcentres was that the biggest barrier to young people taking up
job opportunities in social care was lack of career progression,
hence our reforms to create a career path for care workers and
investment in training. Has the right hon. Lady spoken to her
counterpart in the Department of Health and Social Care about the
impact of those social care cuts on her ambitions to get more
young people working or learning?
I, too, welcome the hon. Lady to her post. As she has said, while
we will always have our political differences we have also worked
closely and constructively on issues that matter across the
House, such as the terrible problems facing social care during
the pandemic. I will continue that work, and I hope that the hon.
Lady will as well, in her new role.
The hon. Lady asked about the impact of what is happening in
social care on people's opportunities and chances to learn. I
have already had many discussions with, among others, members of
integrated care boards, and they are passionate about the
opportunities that exist to get more people into work and enable
them to get on in their work, including jobs in social care.
Joined-up working between the Department of Health and Social
Care and the Department for Work and Pensions will be at the
heart of our plans to get Britain working, because, unlike some
Opposition Members, we do not find it acceptable for 2.8 million
people to be locked out of the workforce owing to long-term
sickness. We have a proper plan to get Britain working and
growing again.
The right hon. Lady will know that under the Conservative
Government youth unemployment fell by 380,000, and that we were
tackling inactivity with our WorkWell programme, helping people
to stay in work or return to work, which I am delighted to see
the right hon. Lady continuing. Unfortunately, however, as a
result of her Government's Budget and Employment Rights Bill,
businesses will slash the number of their employees. Moreover,
the Government have just broken another promise and hiked up
university fees. What advice would the right hon. Lady give a
young person who is currently out of work and education, and must
choose between worse job prospects and more expensive university
degrees thanks to her Government's choices?
The hon. Lady's party left nearly a million young people not in
education, employment or training, and almost a record number of
people—2.8 million— out of work owing to long-term sickness. They
failed to introduce reforms to join up work, health and skills
properly, and they have not learnt from those mistakes. I am
proud that this Government are investing an extra £240 million to
get Britain working again, giving people the opportunities that
they need to work and build a better life.
Pension Credit: Uptake
(Sunderland Central)
(Lab)
4. What steps she is taking to increase uptake of pension credit
in winter 2024-25. (901106)
(Caithness, Sutherland and
Easter Ross) (LD)
10. What steps her Department is taking to help increase uptake
of pension credit. (901112)
(Gower) (Lab)
20. What steps she is taking to increase uptake of pension credit
in winter 2024-25. (901124)
The Parliamentary Secretary, His Majesty's Treasury ()
We have launched the next phase of our pension credit campaign on
radio, TV and print media, and the Government have written to
120,000 pensioners on housing benefit who may be eligible but are
not currently claiming pension credit. After less than five
months in government, we are bringing forward the merger of
housing benefit and pension credit, which the Conservatives
announced 13 years ago but failed to deliver.
Under the previous Conservative Government, many eligible
pensioners in Sunderland Central did not receive the pension
credit that they were due. When I speak to organisations such as
Age UK Sunderland, they tell me that that was often because
people did not know how and whether to claim. How many pensioners
are now taking up pension credit thanks to the actions taken by
this Government?
We have seen a 152% increase in pension credit claims since late
July, with over 74,000 pension credit claims up to mid-September.
We know that many local authorities and, indeed, Members of this
House—including me last Thursday—are helping pensioners on low
incomes to ascertain whether they are due pension credit.
There will be people who are eligible for pension credit living
in very remote areas, where connectivity is less than great. It
is an appalling thought that they might miss out on what they are
due. May I suggest to the Department that the way to reach out to
those people might be through a database, followed by a
mailshot?
In addition to merging housing benefit and pension credit, which
will help some of the people whom the hon. Gentleman has in mind,
the Secretary of State and I have asked the Department to look at
what can be done to make the application form simpler. The
Department will report back to us by the end of the month, and we
will update the House in due course.
I welcome the Government's campaign to get people to sign up for
pension credit, and I urge every pensioner in Gower to sign up
and attend my pension credit event on 22 November. Does the
Minister agree that we should highlight the fact that pensioners
who go over the threshold could still be eligible because they
receive another benefit, such as attendance allowance, or because
higher housing costs are taken into account when applying?
Yes, indeed. Assessing somebody for pension credit is a complex
procedure, so we urge all those on low incomes to check whether
they are eligible. We have seen an increase in the number of
people applying online with the help of local authorities,
Members of Parliament and charities, and we urge everybody who
thinks that they might have an eligible family member to
encourage their loved ones to apply.
(Aberdeen North) (SNP)
Temperatures are set to drop to zero across Scotland by next
weekend. Many pensioners are scared to put on their heating, with
the Big Issue reporting a three-month delay in claims for pension
credit. Can the Minister let us know what she is doing to ensure
that those claims are processed as quickly as possible so that
people can get the money into their pockets?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. We want people who are
eligible to get support, and we have redeployed 500 staff to
process those claims. I can assure her that that is something
that we are focused on.
Mr Speaker
We come to the shadow Minister.
(East Wiltshire) (Con)
The withdrawal of the winter fuel payment from 10 million
households, including 70% of disabled pensioners, is a huge
change, as is using pension credit to distribute the benefit to
the minority of people who will still get it, yet the Government
have rushed this change through without giving their own
statutory advisory committee the chance to properly scrutinise
it. Ministers have not even responded to the chair of the
committee, who wrote to them several weeks ago with suggestions
on how to mitigate the effect of the policy. On top of that, they
have failed to provide a full impact assessment to show what the
effect on poverty would be. Will they finally produce a full
impact assessment of this policy, and when will the Minister
respond to the chair of the advisory committee?
I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his place. In answer to his
questions, we have published an equality analysis, which he can
find on the Government's website. Owing to the legislation, we do
not have to produce an impact assessment, but there is an
equality analysis. I urge him to have a look at that. All I would
say to him is that the new Leader of the Opposition argued in
2022 that winter fuel payments should be means-tested. I wonder
how the hon. Gentleman might means-test the winter fuel payment,
if he had the chance.
The Minister mentions the equality assessment. That was a
high-level equality assessment that was only dragged out of the
Government in response to a freedom of information request. The
fact is that they are avoiding accountability for this policy and
avoiding scrutiny by the House. The Government are saying that
the impact of the cut on the poorest pensioners will be mitigated
by pension credit, and we have heard from the Minister about the
very small numbers who are taking up pension credit in response
to this announcement. Their own figures predict that fully a
third of eligible pensioners—that is 750,000 of the poorest
people in the country—will not get pension credit and will not
get the winter fuel payment.
That is what the Government are banking on. That is how they are
making the savings that they predict from this policy: by cutting
benefits to some of the poorest people in our
country—[Interruption.] The Minister shakes her head, so she
might want to put me right. Does she want all eligible pensioners
to claim pension credit? [Interruption.] The Secretary of State
says yes. If she does want that, does she then accept that the
Government's savings from this policy will be completely wiped
out?
Yes, and no.
Mr Speaker
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, .
(Torbay) (LD)
On Armistice Day, it is important that we as a Chamber reflect on
the Royal British Legion and its “Credit their Service” campaign.
This is a campaign to ensure that when benefits are calculated,
military compensation is disregarded. In the light of this, will
the Secretary of State give serious consideration to disregarding
military compensation when calculating pension credit?
I associate myself with the hon. Gentleman's comments and those
of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. I will look
carefully at what the hon. Gentleman has suggested and get back
to him.
Poverty
(Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
(Lab)
5. What steps she is taking to help reduce levels of
poverty.(901107)
The Minister for Employment ()
After 14 years of Conservative Government, 8 million adults and
4.3 million children were left in poverty. Among other things,
£240 million was recently announced in the Budget to support
better work so that people can get the dignity of a good job and
the security of a proper wage. Details will soon be available, as
the Secretary of State mentioned, in our “Get Britain Working”
White Paper.
I thank the Minister for that answer and the assurance from the
Dispatch Box that the maximum level of debt repayment from a
household's universal credit is to be reduced from 25% to 15%
each month. That is great news for Scottish families, who could
benefit by an average of £420 a year. Much of that debt
management is carried out at the DWP centre in Stornoway in my
constituency, and some 65 of the 80 staff there are involved in
responding to calls nationally. That is a good example of job
dispersal, and their service is high quality and is now involved
in reducing poverty. I encourage the Minister to come and meet
the staff there, to meet clients and to see the operation for
herself.
My hon. Friend mentions the new fair repayment rate, which is
another crucial part of the Budget and a downpayment on the
action that we will take on poverty. I am fond of an invitation
to Scotland, and I will happily accept that one.
Universal Credit: Assessment
(Tunbridge Wells) (LD)
7. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the
universal credit assessment system. (901109)
The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir )
The Department has adopted an iterative approach, updating the
universal credit system to reflect user needs as they develop.
The new Government are committed to reviewing universal credit to
make sure that it is doing the job we need it to.
One of my constituents spent six hours fully awake during an
operation that went wrong, as doctors battled to save her life.
Obviously, this affected her mental health, and she was deemed
unfit for work by her GP and by a clinical psychologist. She then
went through a half-hour telephone assessment for her universal
credit health check, which deemed her fit to work, so she does
not get universal credit and it was not backdated to the
operation. Does the Minister think that that sounds right? If
not, will he review the case?
Sir
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for drawing my attention to
that. What he has described sounds very odd indeed, and I will be
happy to look at the details if he will let me see them. We are
absolutely committed to making sure that universal credit does
the job that we need it to, including for people in the situation
that his constituent has found herself in.
(Dunfermline and Dollar)
(Lab)
Last week, I was made aware of a constituent who is a carer for
his wife, who experienced a stroke in 2016. The constituent is a
veteran who lives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and
was awarded carer's allowance in 2017. Late last year, the DWP
began demanding the return of more than £51,000 in alleged
universal credit overpayments, and this April, under the previous
Government, the DWP began taking it from his state pension
without warning. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this case
in more detail so that I can help my constituent?
Sir
As my hon. Friend will know, there have been some very troubling
cases of carer's allowance overpayment. I am not sure whether
carer's allowance is part of the overpayment he describes, but I
will be very happy to meet him to discuss what has gone wrong in
this case.
Jobcentres: Broxbourne
(Broxbourne) (Con)
8. What steps her Department is taking to increase the support
available in jobcentres in Broxbourne constituency. (901110)
The Minister for Employment ()
Jobcentres serving the Broxbourne constituency and elsewhere will
change following the “Get Britain Working” White Paper, which has
already been mentioned. This fundamental reform will have three
parts: a new public employment service to get more people into
work and to help them get on in work; a joined-up work, health
and skills plan; and a guarantee for young people aged 18 to
21.
The Budget has made it even harder for small businesses in my
Broxbourne constituency to create jobs. What can the Minister do
to make sure that jobcentres connect with local businesses to
help those who are looking for work to find sustainable
employment?
I thank the Minister for his question—[Interruption.] Honestly, I
am still getting used to being on this side of the House.
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that jobcentres everywhere
need to be locally responsive to employers, and that we need to
provide an excellent service to local employers. If he has
further thoughts on how we can make that work in his
constituency, I would be very happy to discuss it with him.
Universal Credit: Two-child Limit
(Twickenham) (LD)
9. What assessment her Department has made of the potential
merits of removing the two-child limit for universal credit.
(901111)
The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir )
The last Labour Government dramatically reduced child poverty,
and we want to repeat their success. The child poverty taskforce
is exploring how to harness all available levers, including
social security reform, and it will publish its strategy next
spring.
The Prime Minister has said that he wants to break down the
barriers to opportunity and tackle child poverty. He has also
said that
“insecurity is the enemy of opportunity.”
Given that by the time the child poverty taskforce reports next
spring, a further 16,000 children will have been dragged into
poverty, and given the devastating impact that poverty can have
on a child's education, their health and their vulnerability to
the criminal justice system, why will the Minister not do the
right thing and scrap the two-child benefit cap to lift 300,000
children out of poverty immediately?
Sir
The strategy will be very clear about how we will tackle the
scourge of child poverty, and the hon. Lady is absolutely right
to highlight the importance of doing that. Labour voted against
the two-child limit, but we will not promise change until we know
how we are going to pay for it. That will be addressed in the
work of the taskforce, with the results published in the
spring.
Household Support Fund: Extension
(Wolverhampton West)
(Lab)
11. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the
extension of the household support fund in 2025-26 on low-income
households. (901113)
(Hitchin) (Lab)
15. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the
extension of the household support fund in 2025-26 on low-income
households. (901118)
(Bristol North East) (Lab)
19. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the
extension of the household support fund in 2025-26 on low-income
households. (901123)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
No specific assessment has been made of the impact of the
household support fund on low-income households in 2025-26,
although we hear routinely from local authorities across the
country about the impact of the fund in supporting those who are
struggling. An evaluation of the fourth iteration of the scheme,
running from April 2023 to March 2024, will be published shortly,
exploring the benefits of the more than 19 million awards made
during this period.
I agree that the payment of winter fuel allowance should be
means-tested, because many pensioners who receive the winter fuel
allowance simply do not need it. However, there are pensioners
who are not entitled to pension credit who will struggle to heat
their homes. Can the Minister please confirm the extent to which
the household support fund will assist those pensioners in my
Wolverhampton West constituency?
The household support fund is intended to support a wide range of
households in need, including pensioner households. There has
been no ringfencing of funding for specific groups since October
2022, meaning that local authorities have the flexibility to
support pensioners who are just above the pension credit
threshold. In the 2023-24 financial year, 26% of household
support funding went towards meeting energy costs.
I welcome the Government's decision to provide more than £1
billion in new funding for the household support fund, extending
it all the way through next year, and to give much more notice to
the local authorities that deliver it. The funding is so
important not just to countless vulnerable residents, but to
great local organisations, such as the Need Project food banks in
my constituency. How will the Department work with local
authorities to make the most of the notice and to ensure the
funding goes as far as possible?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. As a former local authority
leader, I know that above all else, certainty will allow councils
to design and deliver sustainable plans for local welfare
assistance. The Government's commitment to funding the HSF until
March 2026 offers that certainty and time to plan with greater
confidence. To that end, we will confirm individual allocations
for the forthcoming one-year extension to the HSF as soon as
possible, and ahead of the scheme beginning on 1 April.
Because the household support fund is devolved to local councils,
there are lots of different examples of how the funding is spent,
so how will the Minister ensure that the money from councils goes
to the people who really need it?
Like me, my hon. Friend is a former local authority leader—albeit
a directly elected mayor, and with a far greater mandate,
therefore, than I ever enjoyed. Like me, he will appreciate the
importance of empowering local areas to respond to local need.
That said, all councils must develop delivery plans to show how
they are targeting the funds to support the most vulnerable, to
ensure that the spirit of the HSF is upheld in helping low-income
households with the cost of essentials.
Pensioner Poverty
(Argyll, Bute and South
Lochaber) (SNP)
12. What steps her Department is taking to help reduce levels of
pensioner poverty. (901114)
The Parliamentary Secretary, His Majesty's Treasury ()
The last Labour Government lifted more than 1 million pensioners
out of poverty, and this Government remain absolutely committed
to supporting pensioners. We know that there are low-income
pensioners who are not claiming pension credit, and we urge them
to apply. This will passport them to receive other benefits
too.
These are extremely worrying times for millions of pensioners who
simply cannot fathom why one of the first acts of this new Labour
Government was to remove their winter fuel payments. The Minister
will be aware that last month the SNP Scottish Government opened
applications for the pension age disability payment, which could
be worth up to £434 a month for pensioners with disabilities or
long-term health conditions. It will be piloted in Scotland next
year. Will the Minister join me in welcoming this initiative and
encouraging those who are eligible to apply for it?
It is good to see that the SNP Government are focusing on that
issue now, because during their 17 years in government, we have
seen increases in pensioner poverty across Scotland.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
Pensioners in poverty now have just 40 days to apply for the
winter fuel payment via the pension credit system. Will the
Minister look at extending the deadline so that more people can
claim pension credit and get the winter fuel payment?
I reassure my hon. Friend that we have redeployed 500 additional
staff to process the claims. We are working at pace to process
them, but 21 December remains the deadline.
Carers: Support
(South Derbyshire)
(Lab)
13. What steps she is taking to improve support for carers.
(901115)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
As a lifelong champion of unpaid family carers, I am proud that
the first Labour Government in 14 years have given unpaid carers
the biggest ever cash boost to the amount they can earn while
still receiving carer's allowance. That means family carers can
earn an extra £2,000 a year and still keep their allowance. That
is the difference this Labour Government are making: supporting
families who do the most important thing, which is caring for the
people that they love.
I have spoken to many people in my constituency of South
Derbyshire who are taking on caring responsibilities for loved
ones. I know how hard that is and I am so grateful for the job
they do, but it is often a thankless task. I am glad that the
Government have taken action to support people in our communities
who take on caring responsibilities, but it is disproportionately
women who do so. Will the Secretary of State outline how the
increase in the threshold will benefit women and allow them
greater freedom to work?
My hon. Friend is right: 60% of unpaid carers are women, but
women spend more hours caring, so they are disproportionately
represented when it comes to receiving carer's allowance. This is
a small, but significant and important, step forward. It is a
signal that the new Government understand that as people live for
longer and care for longer, we will have to do more to help
families balance work and caring responsibilities. That is the
truth of family now: it is as much about caring for our elderly
and disabled loved ones as it is about caring for our own
wonderful children.
Pension Credit: Uptake
(Wokingham) (LD)
14. What estimate her Department has made of the number of
pensioners eligible for Pension Credit but not claiming it.
(901117)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
Estimates for pensioners who are eligible for but not receiving
pension credit were published in early October. The estimates
show that more than 800,000 pensioners—individual pensioners, not
households—are entitled to pension credit but are not claiming
it.
As the Minister will know, the Chancellor's cruel decision to tie
winter fuel allowance to pension credit, despite knowing that the
uptake of pension credit is very low, will force thousands of
vulnerable pensioners to choose heating or eating this winter.
With 16,577 pensioners in Wokingham expected to be affected by
the cuts, will she extend the deadline to apply for pension
credit and consider pledging further support to increase
take-up?
I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to my hon. Friend the
Member for York Central (): the deadline remains 21
December. Thanks to the Government's steadfast commitment to the
triple lock, more than 12 million pensioners will see their
pension increase by more than 4% in April next years, up to £470.
Over this Parliament, they will be better off by around £1,900,
thanks to the triple lock. Low-income pensioners can also apply
for the warm home discount scheme and, thanks to the extension of
the household support fund, local authorities can target that
support on low-income pensioners. In the longer term, the warm
homes plan will transform homes across the country by making them
cleaner and cheaper to run.
Child Poverty
Mrs (South Shields) (Lab)
16. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce
levels of child poverty. (901119)
The Minister for Employment ()
As well as putting in place breakfast clubs that mean children
are ready to learn, and as well as the fair payment rate—we have
discussed that—which will stop families being tipped into
destitution by debt, the ministerial taskforce, chaired by the
Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, will publish the
child poverty strategy in spring 2025, using all available levers
across government to bring about an enduring reduction in child
poverty in this Parliament, as part of a 10-year strategy for
lasting change.
Mrs Lewell-Buck
We know that the previous Government presided over shameful
levels of child poverty, including nearly 500,000 children who
are eligible for free school meals but who are missing out. Will
my hon. Friend, alongside the Education Secretary, urgently look
at the proposal by Feeding Britain for auto-enrolment to free
school meals as part of the single application process for
families claiming UC?
One person who has never looked the other way when people were
facing poverty in this country is my hon. Friend. Through her
innovation, she has ensured that household food insecurity is
measured properly, and I pay tribute to her efforts. I have
listened to what she said about Feeding Britain, and I will take
that as an input into the child poverty taskforce. I hope that
she and Feeding Britain will meet me to discuss how we can take
that forward.
Parents Looking for Work
(Bournemouth East) (Lab)
17. What steps she is taking to help support parents who are
looking for work. (901120)
The Minister for Employment ()
Helping parents to have fulfilling and sustainable work helps our
economy and prevents child poverty. As we have mentioned several
times, the “Get Britain Working” White Paper will rewrite
employment policy and set our ambition for an 80% employment
rate, but we will not get there without parents.
In recent weeks, I have met the DWP in Bournemouth and advice
agencies including the citizens advice bureau for Bournemouth,
Christchurch and Poole. Advice agencies welcome the record
increase in carers allowance that was announced in the Budget.
They and in-work parents with disabled children have also asked
about the transition from child tax credit to universal credit.
That may be a matter for the “Get Britain Working” White Paper,
but can the Minister say how the Government will further support
such parents to work and earn, and flexibly meet their families'
needs?
I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this matter to the House, and
I pay tribute to all those he has worked with to understand the
challenge that we face. He is right that we will take this
forward through the “Get Britain Working” White Paper. Citizens
Advice is playing an important role in supporting that work, and
the work of the child poverty taskforce.
Pensions Review
(Central Ayrshire) (Lab)
18. What progress her Department has made on the pensions
review.(901122)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
I am leading the Government's landmark pensions investment
review, which aims to increase pensions investment in the UK
economy and improve retirement outcomes for future pensioners. An
interim report will be published soon. Phase 2 of the review,
which will focus on pension adequacy, will be launched later this
year.
David Carson and Patricia Kennedy, constituents of mine in
Central Ayrshire, face massively reduced pensions payments from
their pre-1997 contributions to their Hewlett Packard pension,
because current legislation index-links contributions from 1997
only. What assessment has the pensions review made so far of the
challenges facing pension schemes, and will the Minister meet me
to discuss David and Patricia's case? The issue affects some
hundreds of thousands of people.
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that case. I would be very
happy meet him, or any other hon. Member who has such cases in
their constituency; however, the pensions review will look more
at how current pension schemes can improve outcomes for future
pensioners. We are looking at driving scale in consolidation of
defined contribution pension schemes and local government pension
schemes, and at a shift away from cost to value. I know that
there is interest in that from across the House, and I hope that
we can work on it across the parties.
Winter Fuel Payment Eligibility: Impact
Rebecca (South West Devon) (Con)
21. If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of
changes to the eligibility criteria for the winter fuel payment
on trends in the level of pensioner poverty. (901125)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The Government remain absolutely committed to supporting
pensioners. We are urging pensioners to check their eligibility
for pension credit to ensure that as many people as possible have
access to the support to which they are entitled.
Rebecca
Ninety-seven-year-old Joyce from my constituency was worried
about losing her winter fuel payment, so she contacted my office.
It sounds like the Minister has had a similar experience.
Fortunately, my team was able to assist Joyce. We ran a full
benefits check, and helped her to secure pension credit, and
therefore her winter fuel payment entitlement. However, does the
Minister think that it is right that the oldest and most
vulnerable should have to resort to getting their MP to help them
claim pension credit?
I am glad to hear that the hon. Lady was able to help her
constituent. We are looking at the form, as I mentioned in a
previous answer, and we will update the House soon on those
developments.
Pension Credit: Uptake
(Richmond Park) (LD)
22. What progress her Department has made on meeting pension
credit application targets. (901126)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
The Department does not have a pension credit application target.
Published application numbers show that we received around 74,400
pension credit claims in the eight weeks from the end of July to
mid-September.
In the weeks following the Chancellor's announcements on the
winter fuel allowance, the number of pension credit applications
doubled, then nearly tripled. Now the DWP is delaying releasing
any more data on this subject. I am concerned that the Government
know that they will not be able to process the applications on
time, and that the information is not being put into the public
domain. Will the Minister tell me exactly how many pension credit
applications have been submitted since 16 September, and whether
the backlog will be cleared before older people start having to
make a choice between heating and eating?
I gently say to the hon. Lady that we are not delaying the
publication of statistics. A new set of statistics will be
published soon. As I said in previous answers, we have redeployed
500 additional staff to helping to process pension credit
applications. We urge all those who have loved ones who are
pensioners, or who are pensioners themselves, to apply if they
think that they are eligible.
Topical Questions
(Bicester and Woodstock)
(LD)
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental
responsibilities.(901127)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ()
The Budget took the first steps in this Government's plan to
drive up opportunity and drive down poverty in every corner of
the country: it included an additional £214 million for our plan
to get Britain working, a new fair repayment rate in universal
credit to help over 1 million of the poorest households, and the
biggest ever package to reduce fraud and error in the system,
ensuring that every pound of taxpayers' money is wisely spent.
There is much, much more to do, but in the Department for Work
and Pensions, change has begun.
My constituent Kevin had to stop work in 2018 due to a medical
condition. He is desperate to find a job, but has consistently
found that he is not eligible for support from his local
jobcentre. Kevin asked me, “How does someone who has fallen out
of work get back into work?” Will the Secretary of State or a
Minister meet me to discuss Kevin's case, and see if, together,
we can answer his question?
The hon. Gentleman raises an extremely important point. It is not
right that his constituent, who wants to work, has suffered from
a mental health problem but does not have the support that he
needs. In parts of the country, steps have been taken to help
provide the healthcare and other support that people need, but we
need to go further, faster. My hon. Friend the Minister for
Employment will indeed meet the hon. Gentleman. Let's get
cracking on this and see what we can do.
(Hertford and Stortford)
(Lab)
T2. On my recent visit to Hertford and Ware food bank,
hard-working volunteers raised with me the damaging impact of
rules introduced under the previous Conservative Government,
which prevent jobcentres from referring benefits claimants to
food banks. Does my right hon. Friend agree that those changes
prevent some of the most vulnerable people in our communities
from accessing support in an emergency, and will she set out the
steps that the Department will take to reverse them?(901129)
The Minister for Employment ()
There have been changes to ensure that referrals are
GDPR-compliant, but I will happily discuss this issue with my
hon. Friend. The very best jobcentres are closely linked with
local support organisations, and we must ensure that that is the
case everywhere.
Mr Speaker
We come to the shadow Secretary of State.
(Faversham and Mid Kent)
(Con)
The Conservatives are the party of work and aspiration, and once
again, we left office with unemployment at a historic low. We all
know that Labour always leaves unemployment higher than when it
came into office, but rarely has it seemed in such a hurry to
achieve that. Its first Budget will, according to the Office for
Budget Responsibility, cost the country 50,000 jobs in the next
few years alone. What assessment has the right hon. Lady made of
the cost to her Department of those job losses?
May I gently say this to the hon. Lady? She should be
apologising, because we have record numbers of people out of work
due to long-term sickness; one in eight young people is not in
education, employment or training; and people are locked out of
the world of work because the Conservatives failed to make proper
plans to get people into work and on in their work. Until
Conservative Members face up to their responsibilities, and to
the cost to the taxpayer of their mistakes in not getting people
with long-term sickness into work—£25 billion extra over the
course of the forecast period—they will remain on the Opposition
Benches.
I wonder if the Secretary of State did not hear my earlier
question; I said that I was grateful that she is continuing the
work that we did in government, through the WorkWell programme,
to help people in ill health into work by joining up healthcare
and employment. However, the point I was just making, to which
she did not respond, was that 50,000 jobs will be lost as a
result of Labour's Budget. That is not the only thing frightening
the life out of businesses at the moment—
Mr Speaker
Order. The hon. Lady can keep pointing at me, but this is topical
questions, and I have all these Back Benchers to get in, so
questions really need to be shorter.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Budget is not the only thing
frightening the life out of businesses at the moment. Labour's
Employment Rights Bill is a wrecking ball for the UK labour
market. Labour's own impact assessment predicts that businesses
could cut staff—
Mr Speaker
Order. I did make the suggestion that you might come to the end
of your question, but you decided to carry on reading, so I will
have to stop you. I call the Secretary of State.
I am very proud of a Budget that invests in the long-term growth
that this country needs, that gives a pay rise to the 3 million
lowest-paid workers, and that invests in the NHS so that people
can get back to health and back to work. That is the change that
this country desperately needs.
(South Norfolk) (Lab)
T3. As a proud member of the Union of Shop, Distributive and
Allied Workers, I want to raise with the Minister the amazing
work that it has done to produce the estimate that around three
quarters of workers in typically low-paid sectors are paid
weekly, fortnightly or four-weekly, rather than monthly. That is
not recognised by universal credit. Will the Minister promise to
meet USDAW and other trade unions to make sure that this matter
is investigated?(901130)
The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir )
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. If a person is paid
four-weekly, they receive 13 payments a year, so in one of the 12
monthly assessment periods each year, they are paid twice. That
means that they probably get no universal credit that month,
which completely messes up budgeting. I would be delighted to
meet USDAW, and perhaps my hon. Friend, to discuss what we can do
through our review of universal credit.
Mr Speaker
I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.
(Torbay) (LD)
I am sure all Members in this Chamber are aware of the Women
Against State Pension Inequality campaign and the parliamentary
ombudsman's findings. Will the Secretary of State commit to
making a statement in the House before Christmas on progress with
her review of the ombudsman's report?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
As the hon. Gentleman will know, the ombudsman took six years to
consider a range of complex cases, and we are looking at their
complexity. I was the first Minister in six years to meet
representatives of the WASPI campaign. We hope to be able to
update the House in the coming weeks.
Paul Davies (Colne Valley) (Lab)
T5. The work of unpaid carers is of huge value and is often
heroic. A recent report by Carers UK revealed that 42% of those
receiving carer's allowance are struggling financially. I was
therefore really pleased by the significant increase in carer's
allowance announced in the Budget. It is the largest increase in
decades and will benefit many in my constituency. Does the
Minister agree that this change will help mitigate the financial
challenges that carers have faced for the past 14
years?(901132)
Sir
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight that research
from Carers UK. The Budget increased the earnings threshold, so
people will be able to earn £10,000 a year from work and still
claim carer's allowance, and an extra 60,000 carers will become
entitled to the allowance. It is a very big step forward.
Mike Martin (Tunbridge Wells) (LD)
T8. Research from the University of Bath shows that over half of
working households receiving UC have incomes that fluctuate from
payment period to payment period, sometimes by up to £400. This
is to do with the way that assessment periods are calculated, and
the income coming into people's accounts. In 2019, the High Court
ruled that the system should be smoothed, and that the DWP should
look at different ways of doing that. Can the Secretary of State
update the House on where we are with the implementation of that
High Court judgment?(901135)
Sir
As I mentioned earlier, we are committed to reviewing universal
credit. The way it works means that in each assessment
period—each month—there is a new calculation based on the income
that the person has received, as reported by His Majesty's
Revenue and Customs. However, I would be very happy to meet the
hon. Gentleman to talk about how the system needs to be improved
further.
(Swansea West) (Lab)
T6. Carers matter, including the 3,400 carers in Swansea West, so
I welcome the significant move in the Budget to increase the
amount that carers can earn while retaining carer's allowance.
History tells us that awareness of the rules is low, so what
plans does the Department have to communicate this important,
major policy change to carers?(901133)
Sir
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The threshold will increase
on 7 April next year, and all current claimants will receive an
annual uprating letter in the spring that will set out the new
limit. As I mentioned a moment ago, 60,000 new unpaid carers will
also become eligible for the allowance at that point.
(Canterbury) (Ind)
Given the new Government's collective condemnation of the
two-child limit over the eight years since it was introduced,
which includes condemnation from many Government Members on
Select Committees, will they at the very least commit to
scrapping its heinous, sexist and frankly disgusting rape clause
element?
The hon. Lady raises some of the worst aspects of the
consequences of 14 years of Conservative Government. We will
consider all those issues through the child poverty
taskforce.
(Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)
T7. Weston-super-Mare is a town of sanctuary for many people with
care needs, and 1,319 people there will be better off because of
the Government's increase to carer's allowance. Can the Minister
share the timescales for the independent review of carer's
allowance?(901134)
Sir
I congratulate my hon. Friend on being the Labour Member for
Weston-super-Mare. I have met Liz Sayce, who will carry out the
review, and she is raring to go. The terms of reference and
timelines have not yet been set, but they will be in the next few
weeks. As soon as they are, the details will be placed in the
Library.
(Fareham and
Waterlooville) (Con)
Kevin is a pensioner in Waterlooville who has chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease and struggles to breathe in the cold. His
personal budget puts him, on average, about £55 above the poverty
line, but he is one of many thousands of people who will be hit
by the Government's cruel cut to the winter fuel allowance.
Political point scoring aside, what practical advice does the
Minister have for Kevin to get him through the harsh winter
ahead?
I would suggest a number of things: the warm home discount scheme
is available for those on low incomes, including pensions; we
have extended the household support fund that local authorities
can and should use to help people on low incomes; and in the
longer term, the warm homes plan will help to make homes across
the country more energy efficient and cheaper to heat. I will
also say that thanks to the Government's commitment to the triple
lock, pensioners will be about £1,900 better off over this
Parliament.
(Southend West and
Leigh) (Lab)
T9. I agree with the Minister that it is vital for everyone who
is eligible for support to claim for it, but what steps is she
taking to ensure that claiming for pension credit is as simple as
possible?(901136)
As I said in answer to a previous question, we are looking at the
form. Some 90% of applicants now apply online, but we note that
the paper form is long and we are considering how we can simplify
it.
(Eastbourne) (LD)
Eastbourne veteran Pauline was awarded military compensation for
injuries that she sustained in the service of our country, but
she said that that has caused her pension credit entitlement to
plummet from £70 to just £10.42 a week. Will the Minister meet me
to discuss her case and ensure that no veteran is penalised for
their service to our country?
The hon. Member is the second person to raise that issue and I
happy to meet them both.
(Falkirk) (Lab)
How many current Department employees cannot receive further
sponsorship due to the previous Government's changes to the
skilled worker visa salary threshold?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
()
My hon. Friend asks an important question and I will be delighted
to follow up with him in writing.
(West Suffolk) (Con)
According to the census, 72% of Somalis here live in social
housing, compared with 16% of the population overall. In answer
to my written question, the Department says it is “exploring the
feasibility” of publishing benefits claimed by nationality, which
is important for a proper debate on benefits policy and
immigration policy. Can the Minister confirm that that work is
going ahead and tell us when the data will be published?
The hon. Gentleman will be aware that nationality and country of
origin are not factors in assessing benefit eligibility. We may
look at that in future, but I would be delighted to follow up
with him in writing about how we will take it forward.
Mr (Leeds South West and Morley)
(Lab)
When I speak to my constituents, from Lofthouse to Farnley, they
are extremely concerned about the amount of money being lost to
fraud and error in benefits. Can the Minister confirm a timeline
and a plan to get back the £35 billion that has been lost since
the pandemic?
My hon. Friend is right to raise that issue. The spiralling
nature of fraud in this country since the pandemic and on the
last Government's watch is totally unacceptable. We will bring
forward a fraud, error and debt Bill in the coming months, which
is part of a much broader package—the largest-ever package
brought forward by any Government—to take out more than £7.6
billion of fraud over the forecast period.
(Newton Abbot) (LD)
Citizens Advice tells me that the DWP continues to start action
on alleged overpayments more than six years after the event. That
is longer than bank records are kept to prove otherwise. Does the
Secretary of State think that that is fair and right?
Sir
I am not sure whether the hon. Gentleman is asking specifically
about carer's allowance or about other benefits, but if benefits
have been overpaid, the Department has an obligation to recover
the money. What is important is that overpayments are identified
sooner and that people are notified when there is a problem, so
that we do not get the very large sums that have accrued in
overpayments in the past.
