Corri Wilson: I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Alan Brown) for securing this important debate. I represent the neighbouring constituency of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, which is not only a beautiful part of the world but is populated by many inspiring and talented people, such as Kayleigh Haggo. Kayleigh is an exceptional young lady who, through hard work and dedication, has...
Corri Wilson: I welcome this debate, which was secured by the hon. Member for Cardiff Central (Jo Stevens). We already know that the bedroom tax is nothing more than an ideological attempt to reduce the housing benefit bill and make better use of social housing stock by penalising low-income households deemed to be under-occupying their homes, but the problem of under-occupation will not be solved by...
Corri Wilson: I absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman. People find themselves in a vicious circle and can never see the end. That is the problem. In other words, we are putting people through absolute misery for nothing. As we have heard, the Government tell us that discretionary housing payments are available to tackle the shortfall, but Shelter says that that provision is already overstretched. With...
Corri Wilson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has target times for responding to written correspondence from members of the public; and what change there has been in the volume of written correspondence to HMRC from the public seeking information or assistance over the last three years.
Corri Wilson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many letters to HM Revenue and Customs from members of the public remained unanswered after (a) four, (b) eight and (c) 12 weeks in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
Corri Wilson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cheques sent to HM Revenue and Customs from members of the public remained uncashed for (a) four, (b) eight and (c) 12 weeks in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Corri Wilson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the incidence of members of the public receiving multiple letters from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) conveying conflicting information; and what steps HMRC is taking to reduce such occurrences.
Corri Wilson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to improve HM Revenue and Customs' response times to written correspondence from members of the public.
Corri Wilson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of HM Revenue and Customs in handling written correspondence from members of the public.
Corri Wilson: The WCA was introduced to assess an individual’s eligibility for ESA. The assessments have three outcomes, which determine whether claimants are in the support group, or the work-related activity group, or are fit for work. Claimants who wish to dispute the decision must go through a mandatory reconsideration before they can appeal. They have one month after a decision to request that and...
Corri Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants, from which areas, have been asked to attend medical assessment appointments in Edinburgh by Atos due to a lack of appointments available in Glasgow; and how many benefit claimants are currently being assessed at (a) the Edinburgh centre and (b) the Glasgow centre.
Corri Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment his Department carried out on the changes proposed in the Consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of personal independence payment, Cm 9171, published in December 2015.
Corri Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if the Government will bring forward proposals to enable the prosecution of UK businesses through the UK courts for breaches of human rights abroad when the UK's National Action Plan to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights is next updated.
Corri Wilson: Transport is essential in providing people with access to work, learning, healthcare, food shops and leisure activities, especially in rural constituencies such as mine. But the reality is that the elderly, the young and the unemployed, who rely on public transport, struggle to reach hospitals, schools, jobcentres and the like. Because of cost and accessibility, most rural households are...
Corri Wilson: Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, the constituency I am honoured to represent in this House, is a diverse bit of Scotland incorporating bustling towns, picturesque villages and rolling countryside. It is famous for its rugged coastline and stunning beaches, and for being the birthplace of Scotland’s national bard some 257 years ago next week. It is also home to one of the world’s earliest and...
Corri Wilson: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Dorries. The UK Government brought in the sanctions regime to tackle the perceived culture of worklessness, which they used to justify the introduction of sanctions and conditionality as measures to change people’s behaviour and to incentivise people to find work. However, as I have recently been involved in the Welfare Reform and Work...
Corri Wilson: The Under-Secretary of State for Education, Lord Nash, stated in the other place that this Government are committed to supporting working families and that their focus is “unashamedly on children and their parents.”—[ Official Report, House of Lords, 14 October 2015; Vol. 765, c. 238.] I have some issues with that statement. Unlike this Government, the SNP is committed to improving and...
Corri Wilson: I want to make some progress, if the hon. Lady does not mind. To truly focus unashamedly on children, the Government should be using this Bill to improve outcomes for all children, especially those who are more vulnerable or disadvantaged, and to support parents to work, train or study, especially those who need routes into sustainable employment and out of poverty. Instead, the Bill excludes...
Corri Wilson: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship for the rest of this debate, Mr Hanson. I also thank the hon. Member for St Austell and Newquay (Steve Double) for introducing the debate; excellent points have been made throughout it. The petition was brought about as a result of regulations that were first laid before Parliament on 4 April 2013. They went through Parliament on the nod,...
Corri Wilson: I was interested in the view of the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury on the jobcentre system. I worked in the Department for Work and Pensions for 20 years, and my experience is that jobcentre staff work incredibly hard to get claimants into work. The main reason that claimants cannot get off benefits seems to be that suitable jobs are not out there. Year after year, staff’s...