Topical Questions

Work and Pensions – in the House of Commons at on 11 November 2024.

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Photo of Calum Miller Calum Miller Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Foreign Affairs)

If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

Photo of Liz Kendall Liz Kendall 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 £240 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.

Photo of Calum Miller Calum Miller Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Foreign Affairs)

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?

Photo of Liz Kendall Liz Kendall The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Josh Dean Josh Dean Labour, Hertford and Stortford

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?

Photo of Alison McGovern Alison McGovern The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Helen Whately Helen Whately Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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?

Photo of Liz Kendall Liz Kendall The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Helen Whately Helen Whately Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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—

Photo of Helen Whately Helen Whately Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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—

Photo of Liz Kendall Liz Kendall The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Ben Goldsborough Ben Goldsborough Labour, South Norfolk

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?

Photo of Stephen Timms Stephen Timms The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Steve Darling Steve Darling Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Work and Pensions)

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?

Photo of Emma Reynolds Emma Reynolds The Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury, 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.

Photo of Paul Davies Paul Davies Labour, Colne Valley

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?

Photo of Stephen Timms Stephen Timms The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Mike Martin Mike Martin Liberal Democrat, Tunbridge Wells

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?

Photo of Stephen Timms Stephen Timms The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Torsten Bell Torsten Bell Labour, Swansea West

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?

Photo of Stephen Timms Stephen Timms The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Rosie Duffield Rosie Duffield Independent, Canterbury

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?

Photo of Alison McGovern Alison McGovern The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Stephen Timms Stephen Timms The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Suella Braverman Suella Braverman Conservative, Fareham and Waterlooville

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?

Photo of Emma Reynolds Emma Reynolds The Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Emma Reynolds Emma Reynolds The Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Josh Babarinde Josh Babarinde Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)

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?

Photo of Emma Reynolds Emma Reynolds The Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

The hon. Member is the second person to raise that issue and I happy to meet them both.

Photo of Euan Stainbank Euan Stainbank Labour, Falkirk

How many current Department employees cannot receive further sponsorship due to the previous Government’s changes to the skilled worker visa salary threshold?

Photo of Andrew Western Andrew Western 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.

Photo of Nick Timothy Nick Timothy Conservative, West Suffolk

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?

Photo of Andrew Western Andrew Western The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Mark Sewards Mark Sewards Labour, Leeds South West and Morley

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?

Photo of Andrew Western Andrew Western The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

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.

Photo of Martin Wrigley Martin Wrigley Liberal Democrat, Newton Abbot

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?

Photo of Stephen Timms Stephen Timms The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions

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.