Live Work and Pensions Questions House of Commons

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tonight. Now it is lied over to the House of commons. Order, order. The

Vice Chamberlain of the household. Her Majesty's answer in reply to an

address from this house. I have received your humble address

asking to appoint Robert Ferrin CBE to the offices of Parliamentary

officer. I will comply with your request.

Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and

Pensions, Mr Martin Day. Number one. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will answer

questions one and 23 together. Work is the best route out of poverty and

the benefit cap has been successful in encouraging people into work.

Since its introduction almost 62% of households in Scotland have found

work, reduced their housing benefit claim, after having had their

benefits capped. Does the Minister agree with paragraph 90 of the

fiscal framework which states, the governments have also agreed that

the UK Government's benefit cap will be adjusted to accommodate any

additional benefit payments introduced by the Scottish

Government? Indeed, of course we agree with the fiscal framework

since the government drew it up in conjunction with the Scottish

Government. Indeed, the Scottish Government already has extensive

powers in the benefits area if it wished to introduce them. The fact

it does not is a matter for him to take up with his colleagues in the

Scottish Government. Writing in the daily record the First Minister of

Scotland has commented the Scottish Government have yet to receive

confirmation from the UK Government that they will abolish the bedroom

tax. With the Secretary of State take this opportunity to guarantee

there will be no claw-back of funding when Scotland abolishes the

bedroom tax? I can refer the honourable gentleman to the answer I

gave his honourable friend. It is for the Scottish Government to take

decisions. They have the power to give benefits, to increase benefits,

to make supplementary payments if they like beyond the benefits

available throughout the UK. Despite having those powers, they failed to

exercise those powers and the SNP members come to this has to complain

about benefits in Scotland when they have the power to do something about

it themselves. Given that I support the government strategy in this

area, mac he also accept that those who supported have concerns on what

might be happening certainly in the short term for families affected?

May I ask him what research he is carrying out to make sure that those

who can move into work do move into it and those who cannot I look that

sympathetically? The right honourable gentleman makes a

characteristically reasonable point. First, those who are put into

hardship have the availability of discretionary housing payments which

have been extensively used by local authorities throughout the country

precisely to avoid the problem that he suggests. Some of the research we

have done shows on the other point he makes that households have been

capped and 41% more likely to go into work than similar households

that are not capped. The policy is successful in encouraging people to

get back to work which is the best thing for them in the long run.

During the passage of the Scotland Bill UK ministers gave me and others

clear assurances that any income derived from new benefits or top ups

introduced by the Scottish Government would not be clawed back

from claimants through the benefit cap or other forms of means testing.

Will the Secretary of State give a cast iron assurance today that this

is still the UK Government's position. The UK Government's

position has not changed at all, nor has the Scottish Government's

permission that they are not prepared to exercise the powers they

have got. That is just nonsense, they are working towards a timetable

already published. Will the Secretary of State now commit that

he, his ministers and officials engage positively with Scottish

ministers as they use those new powers to abolish the bedroom tax in

Scotland? Both I and my ministers and officials engage positively with

the Scottish Government all the time. I go to the meetings and have

engaged positively with the Scottish Government on this and all the other

important issues we have to discuss in this field. Number two. With

permission I will answer questions two and ate together. We have been

seeking views on this through the work, health and disability green

paper. We are also investing 100 million in trialling employment

trials to in. I had right honourable friend for that reply. She agreed

that local voluntary groups do invaluable work helping people to be

work ready and we must do more to support them? I agree with my

honourable friend that voluntary organisations have huge insight and

expertise that we can tap into and commend the work of Talk It Out in

his constituency. We are recruiting 200 community partners so we can

ensure we are reaching all those organisations and benefiting from

the huge experience they have. Can the Minister say what consideration

has been given to providing tax breaks to employers who hire

employees with a certified mental health illness as proposed by the

National Autistic Society and others. The honourable gentleman has

hit on a theme of the green paper. There is much work going on in this

area both for those with mental illness and also those with a

learning disability. Just to mention one health trial going on at the

moment looking at discounting business rates for employers that

have good mental health practice. The government's laudable aspiration

to half disability employment gap is meaningless without a date attached

to it. Can the Minister tell us what is her latest assessment of how long

it will take to half that gap? The target of halving the disability

employment gap is at one time both hugely ambitious and also hugely

underwhelming. What we should be working to is to ensure that

everyone can reach their full potential. What I have asked the

department to do, and his office will have been supplied with this,

is to look at what is the local need in all of our constituencies? How

many people with a learning disability we need do we need can

get into work? Those are the numbers we need to focus on, not some

arbitrary formula which will change with other factors. The labour

market survey will still contain all the measures it has had in the past,

but if we are going to crack this, we need to focus everyone locally on

those numbers locally. Again I agree with the aim of what the Minister

has outlined, but in my constituency office the overwhelming issue,

particularly for those with mental health conditions, is the assessment

process for personal independence payments which is causing real

distress and is causing individuals great worry about their futures and

being able to support themselves. I welcome working with local partners

because at the moment the system is not working and the sooner this

government realises it, the better. I thank the honourable gentleman for

his comments. We clearly are looking to reform the work capability

assessment on ESA. That does afford us some opportunities to look at the

PIP assessment process. There are many improvements going on to that

already. But if we can ensure that both the systems are sharing data

properly we should be able to reduce the burden on the claimant. What is

the government doing to raise awareness of the access to work

programme and the support it can offer to employers who want to make

reasonable adjustments to employees with disabilities? The access to

work scheme is a popular scheme and it is just one scheme that the

government provides to give support and financial support to employers.

One of the ways we are publicising that is through the disability

confidence scheme. We relaunched that last year in autumn and it has

now got about 4000 organisations signed up to it and that is one way

we can ensure employers really do understand the support that is there

for them and what huge talent and inside these people can bring to

their workforce. Many people with health problems paid the bedroom

tax. Three months ago the government lost three courses in the Supreme

Court. How has the department identified those who should not be

paying? When will those burdened by this stop having to pay? There is a

discretionary fund administered at a local level. Many local authorities

have not accessed that funds, but for the vast majority of people and

those disabled people, they are exempt from the scheme. If the

honourable gentleman has examples, he should write to us and let us

know. What is the government doing to draw upon the expertise in

charities and other third sector organisations about the best way to

support the most in need into the workplace as many charities have a

lot of experience in supporting those with mental health conditions?

In addition to the community partners we are recruiting, we are

also looking at opportunities for where the sector can increase the

services it already provides and cried and income from it. One

example of that is our one-stop shop have for employers were chatting can

be a shop window for many of the organisations that are providing

support already for employers and want to do more. Mr Speaker, on

hearsay and thick assessments for those with mental illnesses, can she

say a bit more -- on EASA and HIC, I have got four Comanche knows of one

of them because she has written to me about it where the wrong

information has been cut and pasted into the mandatory consideration

letter and it is about other people. I would point out only 3% of those

decisions overturned. The vast majority of these assessments are

good. When you have examples of where that is not happening please

never know but one thing I have done to ensure we are getting more timely

information about where things are going wrong, where standards are not

being maintained, going live in the next few weeks we will have a

claimant user rep panel. This will be across the country, it will be on

a very large-scale, and we will be able to get more timely information

about where things are going wrong. In the meantime, the Honourable Lady

must keep flagging issues she finds. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Perhaps the

Minister would also talk a bit more about the ESA assessments, with

particularly regard to clauses 29 and 35, obviously causing much

distress to disabled people? Thank you. We are looking at the

assessment process. Already a huge amount has been done to ensure that

assessors and also those in power Jobcentre plus network have been

trained in order that they can really recognise the needs of those

with a mental health condition and Insua what they are doing is fit for

purpose. But we do have an opportunity with the green paper on

work and health to re-evaluate entirely those assessment processes,

primarily for ESA but that will also build some benefit for PIP. People

with mental health conditions and daughters and told me of the

difficulties they face getting into work when I met with him recently in

Bristol. They also told me about the issues with PIP, by capability

assessments, sanctions and for those in ESA, support group, their fear

that the grief it was are they will be targeted next after cuts to

people on ESA in April. However as the government justify cuts,

Jobcentre closures and the liberal use of sanctions as helping disabled

people into work when there is overwhelming evidence to the

contrary? We are doing more for this group of people. That is why despite

the honourable lady's calls for me to pull the personalised support

package that is coming in April, I will not. The number of young people

in work has increased by 235,000 since 2010, and is up 38,000 in the

past three months. Nearly nine in ten young people are in education or

work and youth and deployment is the lowest it has been since 2005. I

warmly welcome the fact that the youth employment jobs are near

record levels. Will the Secretary of State join me in welcoming the work

of the Dorset young chamber which helps to match individual businesses

in and around my constituency with particular schools, and helps to

bridge the gap between education and employment? I am very happy to join

my honourable friend in welcoming the work of the Dorset young

chamber. I have seen how my own local Chamber of Commerce does great

work in schools as well. And I know that he, as he is chairman of the

APPG free youth unemployment will be pleased to know that in his

constituency the youth claimant count has gone down by 74% since

2010 and down 7% in the last year alone. In Newcastle central we have

more young people claiming benefits this year than last and overall the

north-east has the higher standard, great across the country. Too many

of our young people have to leave to find good jobs, so when is the

minister going to make the northern Powerhouse a reality for the

north-east? We are determined to make the Northern Powerhouse a

reality. As she says, there are certain areas where use and

implement is higher than in other areas but I would hope she will

recognise that the use and implement as a whole in her region has in all

other regions has come down markedly in recent years. 86% of 16 to

24-year-olds are now in full time study or work, which is a record

high. The employment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds who have left full-time

education is up 0.4% in the last year. A solid route for young people

to secure work is through apprenticeships. Can the minted --

Minister Tommy what is being done with his counterpart of the

department education to ensure that all of our young people have access

to apprenticeships? We work very closely with colleagues in the

department education to make sure that the government's commitment to

have 3 million new apprentices in this Parliament is met. We are on

target for that, and in particular we want to make sure apprentice

ships are not only available to young people perhaps leaving school

for the first time, but throughout the age range can so we can make a

reality of the phrase lifelong learning. Bother the Secretary of

State said the area such as mine where youth under climate has risen

in the last month? Ashun what would the Secretary of State safest of

witty look at working particularly with colleagues in the Northern

Powerhouse to make sure that benefits of government investment is

shared across the North West and North Wales, has a whole? I am very

happy to listen to the right honourable gentleman above the last

20 next. One of the purposes he makes of the Northern Powerhouse

energy more widely of the government's consultation on the

industrial strategy is to make sure that the success of the economy is

spread to all regions of this country, and if he has specific

points to make about his own region, I am more than happy to talk to him

about that. Question before, Mr Speaker. With permission I will

answer is questions four and six together. Almost 6.3 million

eligible workers have been involved in the workplace pension because of

automatic enrolment. This is an unseen revolution. The way people

are now saving will lead to more freedom, more choice and more

security for the pensioners of tomorrow. I thank my right

honourable friend for that answer. Would he agree with me that the one

aspect that is quite clear is that many people that would otherwise not

save on a private pension will have to save for their future, and also

young people who don't save will have a secure future in retirement?

I do agree with my honourable friend, particularly his last point

about young people, and the ISS has done some research that shows that

the dissipation in auto enrolment among those aged 22 to 29 has

increased from 28% in 2012 to 85% in 2016. That is a very, very

impressive improvement. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Auto enrolment has been

hugely successful. There are a number of people still opting out.

One of the businesses in my Southampton itching constituency

suggest that perhaps 50% of his staff were opting out. What steps is

the Secretary of State taking to encourage people to save in a

workplace pension for their retirement. I am happy to tell my

honourable friend the example he takes is an exception, in when the

Turner commission reported and suggested this kind of scheme in

2005, it estimated about 25% of people would opt out. The opt out

rate at the moment is about 10%, but there is always more to do, as his

example suggests. That is why we are conducting a review at the moment to

make sure that is even better in the future to work for all kinds of

individuals, particularly those in small businesses. The House of

Commons is not able to supply me with any evidence that tax reform

pensions contributions encourages savings. Can the Secretary of State

supply me with such evidence? I can supply the honourable gentleman with

the evidence that we have transformed saving over the past few

years, and indeed people have often said that young people in particular

don't want to save. The facts I have just put before the house suggest

that that is no longer the case. I think if the honourable gentleman is

advocating taking away all tax relief for pensions, I would be

interested in his ideas, and so I'm sure with his own front bench.

Government ministers have been very clear on the need for transparency

in the pensions industry, including master trusts, dealing with auto

enrolment. In his second reading of the speech with a pension schemes,

the Secretary of State spoke of it, in the TUC the minister said we have

got to get transparency, it is not an option to do nothing. And Lord

Freud said we wanted pension scheme members to have sight of all costs

and charges. Despite those fine words and all attempts to deliver

transparency in the Bill committee, but dismissed by the government, so

can the Minister just tell the house what they mean by transparency in

the pensions industry? The bill which I note the party opposite

didn't vote against at second or third reading, so he can't have

objected to it that strongly, actually set up a new system of

regulation, particularly of master trust, which deals with not just

transparency that deals with a whole range of aspects, which mean that

this relatively new form of financial body is now much better

regulated than it was before. And I would say I would have thought he

would have welcomed it. Actually, he did well commit. LAUGHTER

Question seven, sir. The green paper consultation, which concluded on

17th Fabregas the range of questions about how we can better support

people into employment, and has highlighted learning disabilities as

a particular area for further work. We will bring forward shortly

schemes to support this group in their ambitions. Thank you, Mr

Speaker. Would my honourable friend join me in praising the work of

Balenziaga see in Surbiton who provide employment support for

people with learning difficulties -- Balance CIC. So that everyone knows

what support is available out there. I would be very happy to join my

honourable friend in praising the work of Balance CIC. This is a group

of individuals that we want to do much more for. We will be bringing

forward young person's work experience scheme shortly, we wish

to open up apprenticeships but more is needed in this area, and

organisations like Balance CIC can help us do that. Mr Speaker, the

disabled students allowance has been a great help to students with

learning difficulties can such as dyslexia and helping them gain the

qualifications they need to enter the world of work. Will the Minister

not accept that the ?200 fee is acting as a real deterrent to the

uptake of this allowance, and that it is unfairly penalising students

who do you need that extra help? We are looking at a range of things to

help in particular young people learning with learning disability is

and with autism, and young people with mental health conditions. They

need to have more options available to them, and they need to have more

financial support in some of those areas, so I would be very happy to

look at what the honourable lady suggests, if she would like to write

me with evidence that it is happening. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Governments of all persuasions have tried and failed to shift the

employability rate of people with learning disabilities from 6%, an

absolute waste of the huge vat of talent and enthusiasm that is out

there. This is exactly the reason why we brought forward plans to open

up apprenticeships to have a special disability printer should scheme.

Please would the Minister update the house with where we are with

creating those opportunities? I think the honourable gentleman, my

honourable friend, for drawing attention to the apprentice ship

scheme. We wish to open up the opportunities that such schemes

bring to those with learning disabilities, and are making good

progress with the Department for Education on that, but I think we

need to do other things, as well. When we talk about people with

learning disabilities, this is a huge range of individuals, and I

think we have not done enough for those who at the highest need end of

that spectrum, and I have very shortly we will be of to do more.

Question number nine, Mr Speaker. I receive regular representations from

disability organisations and honourable members regarding

personal independence payments. As I have previously stated, we want to

do more to create real-time feedback across the whole of the country, and

will shortly be introducing service use panels to feed directly back

from claimants on PIP and employment support allowance.

Unfortunately I am still receiving complaints from constituents about

procedures regarding personal independence payments. Could she

tell the House what she is doing to improve the process, reduce delays

and support people through what is often a dramatic assessment process?

The goal is swift, accurate and admin Lite assessments. Good

progress has been made in merry areas. For example, reducing the

average time it takes for a claim by more than three quarters from over

40 weeks down to ten weeks as of October last year. But there is more

to do. One reason why we have set up these service user panels if it is

incredibly important that while things may be generally going well,

there are certain hotspot areas where they are not and identifying

those in real time is critical. But there are many other things in the

improvement plan as well. Yet again one of my constituents has been to

see me about a PIP assessment that has led to her vehicle being taken

away from her. She is currently appealing, but what reassurance

could she give me and my constituents that this vehicle that

she needs will be returned to her? I would first of all point out there

are 70,000 more people in receipt of mutability and making use of that

scheme than there were in 2010. But she will know there are improvements

we want to make to the scheme and we have been working very closely with

that independent organisation. We are now attending their board

meetings and are able to work much more strategically. I have spoken at

length, so I will not repeat it, but those areas where we wish to see

better customer service I had those and we hope to bring forward

announcement shortly. Will she make strong representations to the

Ministry of Justice that it should reduce the length of time that an

successful claimants are having to wait for their tribunal so they can

process their claims successfully? We are concerned with all aspects of

the claims process, whether it is for ESA or PIP. We want it to be

swift and admin light and we have some opportunities that I have

already outlined to do both those things. The government announced

those with chronic progressive conditions would not be subjected to

continual work capability assessments. Can the minister

explain why constituents of mine with conditions like MS are

continually being called for reassessment? If the honourable lady

has cases she wishes me to look at, she must write to me about those

cases. We are currently still outlining the criteria for that

scheme to be introduced, but as she will know, in the meantime we are

not wishing to call people for reassessment who would be in that

category. If she has cases like that, she must let me know. Thank

you, Mr Speaker. At present 65% of all claimants have their PIP appeal

upheld by a tribunal. It should be a source of huge embarrassment to the

government that even after the introduction of mandatory

reconsideration before appeal the majority of claimants who go to

tribunal win their case. How does the Minister justify forcing

vulnerable claimants to navigate the complex and gruelling process that

the system demands put, often with little or no support? Would she now

get a grip and reform this clearly broken system. Can I start by

welcoming the honourable lady to her post best to mark she is not

correct. It is 6% of the caseload that is overturned, but there are

many things we wish to do to ensure this is improved. We have some

opportunities that come after the consultation in the green paper and

the reforms we want to make to that part of the system to improve and

reduce the administrative burden on those also claiming PIP. Western

Number ten. Mr Speaker, it is not meaningful to compare against an

unchanged tax credit system, but the national living wage helps with

childcare and these things all mean people can earn more and a higher

income tax allowance means they can keep more of it. A single parent

working full-time on Universal Credit will be up to ?3000 worse off

than someone in the same situation on tax credits as a result of this

government's cuts. Does the Secretary of State accept his cuts

are creating an unjustified disparity by people in similar

circumstances? Anybody who changes from tax credits to Universal Credit

can get transitional protection. Those coming into it with a new

claim it is a wholly different system with a completely different

set of support, including more support for example on childcare.

There are various other reforms that the honourable member refers to

which would also benefit. Mr Speaker, with my right honourable

friend accept that Universal Credit, which now reaches almost a third of

the unemployed people in my constituency, is a much simpler

system and is the first major new benefit introduced in my political

lifetime which has not resulted in a whole string of correspondence from

people in difficulty? It is indeed a dramatic and critical reform for our

welfare system. One statistic is that for every 100 people under the

old system, there are 113 in Universal Credit. This week DWP

informed members of Parliament that our constituents would have to give

specific and explicit consent if we were to help them with the full

Universal Credit claims. This will significantly inhibit our ability to

assist our constituents. Can the Minister reassure the House that

measures will be put in place to ensure MPs can support their

constituents? We want honourable members to be able to support their

constituents. But the system itself is different because the online

account allows the user to access that much greater breadth of data.

The claimant holds the key to that data and implied consent cannot be

assumed, but the claimant can give their assent via the journal.

Currently families have to wait at least six weeks to receive Universal

Credit after they have made a claim and this is leading to some people

being in rent arrears. Research by the Child poverty action group found

30% of food bag users were waiting for the outcome of a benefit claim.

What urgent action will the government take to cut the delay at

the start of Universal Credit claims? Universal Credit is a

monthly benefit, but we do have advances available where people

cannot make it through to the first payday. Fundamental point is that

Universal Credit is helping more people into work and it is helping

more people progress in work and that is putting down a better

foundation for their future. Many families on tax credits and

Universal Credit will lose out when the child limit comes into force in

April. There will be a 50% rise in child poverty by 2020 and a key

reason will be the impact of tax and benefit changes on families with

three or more children. Does the government think some children

matter more than others? Mr Speaker, the policy the honourable lady

refers to refers to new cases. In terms of relative poverty that is

down by 100,000 children since 2010. Number 11. The government is

committed to providing free, impartial guidance through pension

wise to help people make informed and confident decisions about how

they use their defined contribution pension savings in retirement. I am

grateful for the minister's answer. What further steps are his

departments taking working with other departments to ensure there

are protections in place for those in receipt of their pensions and

maybe at risk of falling foul to financial scams their retirement? It

is really very important and she can be reassured that a cross government

consultation on further measures to tackle pension scams closed recently

on the 13th of February and this included a proposal to ban all cold

calling in relation to pensions. Once we have considered the

responses, we will take action and it will be as soon as possible.

Number 13. Mr Speaker, we have been mindful throughout impact on staff

and customers and we have consulted and the public and the full quality

impact assessment will be carried out. I went to see the regional

manager of my Jobcentre last week and she had absolutely no

information on the number of ESA or IS claimants that would be affected

by the proposed closure. The plans for outreach that would replace the

Jobcentre, the amount saved for that closure, the necessary spend an

increased capacity at the alternative centre, or projections

for football that footfall at the centre. Will the Minister commit to

publishing all that information before the decision has been made,

but preferably before the end of the consultation period? ESA and IS

claimants are not required regularly to attend the Jobcentre in the same

way that GSA claimants are. In terms of our reach, we want to look at

other opportunities working with partners. The consultation closed on

the 28th of February. In terms of the overall approach in Sheffield,

it is about consolidating the amount of space and using that space better

to provide enhanced services for customers and it raises utilisation

in Sheffield from 51% to 59%. In 2010 there were three Jobcentres in

my constituency. Just under 3000 people who have to access the

Jobcentre in my constituency at least every three weeks is not an

insignificant number. Why has his department not carried out a full

impact assessment before the closure? The proposals across the

city of Liverpool raise the utilisation in the city from 66% to

95%. It makes better use of buildings. Movement from one

Jobcentre to another is less than three miles and 20 minutes on public

transport and it is reasonable to ask people to make that move. Number

14. Through the green paper improving lives, the work health and

disability green paper, we asked about the barriers preventing

employers from recruiting and training people with health

conditions. We will shortly bring forward measures to address those

barriers. I am grateful to the Minister. I recently held an

engagement event in Lowestoft to consider the green paper. The

conclusion reached is the disability employment gap is best tackled with

bespoke local solutions work out with local employers. Will the

Minister give this approach fair and full consideration as she assesses

the feedback from the consultation? May I put on record my thanks to him

and members from all parties in this house who did hold local

consultation events. It was incredibly important and has made

this a good consultation, but is vital in establishing and building

local networks. These have to be local solutions, not least because

health care is commissioned locally and I can give him those assurances

that we will bear that in mind as we go forward. The all-party

Parliamentary group on modern slavery has heard compelling

evidence about how people who have been enslaved in the UK have PTSD

and similar serious disabilities as a result. Would the Minister commit

to having a meeting with the Minister in the Home Office to look

practically at ways in which those victims of exploitation can be

enabled to work in companies and to be supported into working? The

honourable lady raises an important point. I can give her assurances

that both my office and the office of the Minister for employment are

working very closely with the Home Office on precisely the group of

individuals she mentions, but also on other vulnerable people like

refugees as well. I am very happy to raise any points that she wants to

make. I am holding a disability confident event in my constituency

on April the 28th and the Minister would be welcome to it if she is

able to find time in her busy schedule. Can I ask her to look at

what incentives can be given to employers to give disabled people a

chance to allow themselves to prove themselves to show what they are

capable of if they are given that chance in the first place? I thank

my honourable friend for holding a disability confident event. We are

looking at what further support and incentives we can provide employers.

One thing we need to do is to raise the profile of the fact that these

individuals have so much to offer any business. We will be holding

some events in March in this place for all members of all parties to

become disability confident employers themselves and also ask

for their assistance in signing up 30 targeted organisations from their

own constituencies and I hope all members will take that opportunity.

This is very relevant to what we're been saying and ensure the Minister

would agree that to change attitudes regarding disability in the

workforce we need more businesses to become role models in this area and

in Taunton sadly only very few businesses are signed up to the

disability awareness register. I would like the Minister to join with

the to encourage local businesses to attend a special event I'd Taunton

Jobcentre to promote the disability initiative. I thank the honourable

lady for what she is already doing in her constituency to promote the

scheme. It is very important employer is not only realise the

opportunities out there from employing these people but also the

support and advice that goes alongside that. The more people that

know about it the more we will achieve that goal of ensuring every

citizen in this country can reach their full potential. 16, Mr

Speaker. Mr Speaker, proposals are in concentration with the public,

should they succeed, staff will continue to offer the same support

and 70s to customers and will maintain the relationships built up

over time. Now that the Glasgow consultation is closed, can you tell

us the following. When will the consultation responses be published?

When will the equality impact assessment be published? And when

will the decision be announced, and on the announcement, we'll he assure

the house that it would be slipped out of a press race or a written

statement, but he will make it from the dispatch box? The consultation

in relation to those job centres in Glasgow has now closed. There are a

number of responses that we are currently working through. We will

do that within the time frame, and I anticipate making announcements in

April. I met the 83 people who work at the

Navy house in my constituency, another one which is being scheduled

for closure. Could the Minister explain how the closure of this

child maintenance back office is going to impact, and how it can

possibly be efficient to close an office in one of the most low rent

towns in the entire nation? Mr Speaker, the entire estates review

comes about at a time when a 20 year PFI contract is coming to an end at

the end of March 20 18. And has presented the opportunity indeed the

requirement to review the almost entire DWP estate. What we are

trying to do is to consolidate into some less space to save some money

for the tax payer but also do things more efficiently, in terms of people

working particularly in back of house locations, we are trying

extremely hard and we don't want people to be made redundant. We are

trying to find other opportunities for them elsewhere in the public

sector. The UK labour market is the strongest it has been for years.

Over the past year, the number of people in employment has increased

by 300 and 2000. The implement rate now stands at a new record high of

74.6%. The unemployment rate remained at 4.8%, the lowest rate in

over ten years. I thank my right honourable friend for that answer,

he will agree long-term and deployment is particularly damaging

for a young person. Can my right honourable friend the what steps his

department is taking the house what steps his department is taking too

insular that no young person falls through the cracks. She's right,

obviously long-term deployment can significantly damage anyone

particularly young people and that is why I welcome the recent

employment statistics, which show that 3 million 16 to 24-year-olds

are full-time students and another 3 million have left full-time

education and working. Together this accounts for 18% of all young people

in the UK, the joint highest on record. But there is was more to do,

which is why we are introducing the youth obligation from this April,

which will ensure that young people are fully supported as they progress

into work and indeed well they are at work. Question 20. We are

committed to ensuring claimants receive high-quality, objective and

fair assessments. The department monitors assessment quality through

independent audit, and assessments that are deemed unacceptable

returned to the provider for the working. A range of measures

including provider improvement plans address performance falling below

the expected standards. My constituents Neville Cartwright is

living with just one long, following a battle with lung cancer, yet lost

as motility -- Mote ability to win his PIP was cut last year. Does the

Minister agree an eight-month wait to find other result of an appeal is

totally unacceptable? I do agree with the honourable lady, which is

why we have been working with Mote ability, trying to work more

strategically with them, thrashing through both the issues that I am

very aware of appeals, but also on issues like individuals leaving the

country. We are trying to reduce the amount of time, but also with the

running of the skin which means the precise scenario that the honourable

lady outlines the sort happened. Building on success of the new

enterprise allowance, eligible to vote the extended to include

claimants are already self-employed. There are 40 new businesses in

Banbury currently supported by the new enterprise allowance, with about

100 more going through the developmental stage. Can the

Minister reassurance that this programme is not just to set up new

businesses but will also enable them to grow going forward? Yes, those 40

new businesses in Banbury I great example of what the NEA can do and

in phase two we are introducing additional features to continue to

promote sustained success in self deployment, including extending the

men touring period and making sure there is a pre-workshop to the start

-- emphasised the understanding of what it is like to be self employed.

Today we published our green paper on defined benefit pension schemes.

These provide an important source of income is the retirement plans of

millions of people. The majority of the nearly 6000 defined benefit

pension schemes are run effectively and we are fortunate to have a

robust and flexible system and pension protection in the UK.

However, it is clear that experiences differ from skin to

skin, and some of lawyers are clearly struggling and the system

may not be working optimally in all circumstances. The green paper is an

opportunity to look at the schemes to ensure the system remains

sustainable, while still ensuring members benefits are protected.

Further to my honourable friend earlier on on universal credit

environments by constituents, the Secretary of State not accept that

putting this extra hurdle in his disadvantage and people in a very

vulnerable situation? And also flies in the face of information

Commissioner guidance on these matters? As my honourable friend the

Minister for employment explained, the data is now held in a different

way, it is entirely owned by the claimant who can of course and

should give any member of Parliament permission to act on their behalf,

and permission all of us can do our job on behalf of our constituents,

as we traditionally have. Question five, Mr Speaker. Last October the

Secretary of State announced that people with severe lifelong

conditions would be exempt from reassessments for ESA. This was

welcomed by leading charities sector. Can the minister told a

house where the motor neurone disease will falls in the

exceptions? , first of all praise the work of the all-party Parliament

regrouped and the honourable lady's work as its vice-chair. Following

the announcement we are working to deliver a set of criteria to switch

off reassessments for people with the most severe disabilities and

have sought feedback from stakeholders, including many motor

neurone disease organisations. They will not be about a specific list of

medical conditions, rather it will be based on a number of other

factors, particularly how those conditions are impacting people. In

April, the government's to child policy will mean that a woman who

has a third child after being raped will have to prove this if they are

to get child tax support. At the same time, the government is cutting

widowed parent's allowance by an average of ?17,000 for each bereaved

family. In 2015, this benefited 40,000 children who had lost at

least one parent. Will the Secretary of State please think again about

these really punitive measures? I don't agree with the honourable lady

that the measures are punitive. To take just one of the two she brought

up, the bereavement payments, as she knows this is bringing three

payments into one. The original system was devised for a world in

which women often would not work at all, and so needed lifelong support,

rather than the extra support they will be offered after the tragic

event that will have happened, and I think she will find that the new

system is fairer and more effective at providing support when it is

needed. Will the Minister agree it was important to introduce the cap

on out of work but if it's to do with the excesses of a system that

used to see a single household being given ?100,000 a year in housing

benefit? I thank my riverfront that question, she is of course right to

point out that the benefit cut is working. It has brought about

behavioural change and evaluation of the current cap level has found that

capped households are 41% more likely to go into work than similar

and capped households. More than that, 38% of those caps if they were

doing more to find work. A third were submitting more applications

and a fifth underwent more interviews was the new recipients of

support who are in the work-related activity group will cease to receive

the work-related activity components payment as of this April. Can the

Minister tell us exactly what additional support those claimants

will receive, since we have only just a short six weeks until they

are hit by this change in policy? This won't, although the policy is

being introduced in April, it won't start to have an impact on

individuals until the summer. But there is a personalised support

package, 13 measures, which are outlined in the green paper. But

also she will know that we are looking at ways in which we can also

reduce an individual's household outgoings that aren't related to

finding work. Does the Minister agree with me that we must do all we

can to support people with mental health issues, disabilities and

learning difficulties into work? But equally as important, we must ensure

businesses are equipped to help them stay in employment? I agree, this is

about people being able to reach their full potential, and make use

of all the benefits that come with having a pay packet, all of those

opportunities and choice top employers have a huge role to play

and I have been very encouraged by the results of the consultation

particularly from employers wanting to do more, and we must Insua they

have the tools and expertise to do more. As part of the government's

welcome proposals to half the disability employment gap, will the

Minister ensure that a work support plan is in place before a disabled

person is made a job offer, thus increasing the chances of success,

and reduce in the risk of wrongly applied sanctions or accusations

that the person doesn't want a job? This consultation really affords us

an opportunity to look at a person's haul journey, and generalising, the

earlier someone can have a conversation with somebody about

their ambitions, about the support they will need in place, the better

that journey will be. So I totally agree with the honourable gentleman.

I suspect the employment minister may not be aware of the employment

of women, young person and children's act 1920, but it is a

consent of the heritage Railway Association and others, who have

found that young people cannot volunteer in industrial

undertakings. We have now written to the Health and Safety Executive but

I wonder if the Minister would meet me to have a conversation about

this? I would be very happy to meet the Right Honourable lady about this

issue. There is a huge amount of work going on to ensure that young

people and others as well can make use of all opportunities to expand

their horizons and I would be very happy to meet the honourable lady

about the specific points she raises. Of the 17,000 sanctions to

benefit Clement and Bradford West in the last 6.5 years, how many could

have been avoided if the government had the yellow card warning system

in place? Why has this not being rolled out nationally following a

successful trial in 2016, and when is this government going to do it?

We are looking at the trial, the early warning system trial was

taking place in Scotland. We are still evaluating that and we'll

publish the results shortly. And then we will have to do the

evaluation first before we decide what to do next. Last week I

attended two excellent business breakfasts, one order announced by

the Rockingham Forest hotel and the other by business group. In what

ways does the Minister think we can use that experience to help people

entering the world of work through mentoring? I think mentoring has an

absolutely critical role to play and I would encourage those employees in

his constituency to be in touch with the local schools, colleges, and to

seek out more opportunities. Would the Minister look at the assessments

of people with long-term progress of conditions in light of some of the

issues raised by this and in fact with long-term progress of

conditions would she look at the removal of the need for continued

assessment, by the very nature of people getting worse day by day? The

honourable lady makes a very good suggestion. We are looking at this.

If we can share data better, not just across our own systems but also

with local government and there is a huge amount of administrative burden

we can cut down on. Identified the critical difference that makes a

recipient of universal credit so much more likely to get into work

than someone on jobseeker's allowance? Mr Speaker there are

multiple features of universal credit that make that much more

likely. The critical thing is to remove the barriers that create

differences between being out of work and in work, things like having

the rent paid directly to the individual. Also in terms of the

support you get in the job centre from the work code and the

visibility you have that for XP ever pound you earn, you know how much

you will retain. Brixton job centre which serves many of my constituents

is situated in one of the most deprived areas of London. How can

the Minister justified deciding to close Brixton Jobcentre and dozens

of others across the country before any assessment of the impact has

been undertaken and without any consultation with the public? Well,

Mr Speaker, on the section of the equality act, we did indeed carry

out those impact assessments she mentions. She and I have had chance

to talk about that specific job centre. We are making sure we have a

good spread of Jobcentres across the country accessible to people who

need them also utilising space better. Last week I visited a number

of factories in my constituency taking on additional employment.

With the Secretary of State agree that our long-term economic plan has

worked, and those benches opposite that opposed it should now be

contrite? And with the Secretary of State also agree it is rather

surprising up until two minutes ago there has not been a single Liberal

Democrat in the chamber. I'm not remotely surprised. He is not

responsible for the presence of Liberal Democrat members. I am

grateful for that last piece of advice, Mr Speaker, I would be

horrified if I were responsible, particularly for their attendance

record. But I am happy to agree completely with my honourable friend

about the long-term economic plan. It is a tribute to a successful

policy for the past six years. On behalf of my constituents may I ask

the Secretary of State to be personally involved in her case. The

victim of a house fire when she was 12 weeks old, she has no hands. She

has multiple physical problems. In the migration from DLA to pip she

could not open the envelope telling her to go to her assessment. On the

1st of February all benefits ceased. On the 10th of February her motor

ability car was taken away. This cannot be right, please help. If the

honourable lady wishes to contact me directly, we will take it up. Does

my right honourable friend agreed there is no evidence to suggest we

are going to lose the 3 million jobs which we were warned so often would

happen if we left the EU, and given the recent announcements of

thousands of new jobs being located in this country from the likes of

Google and Amazon that this country remains a very attractive place to

do business. It's perfectly clear that this country is an extremely

attractive place to do business. I'm delighted and a number of big

companies particularly in the tech sector and other sectors that have

cited to move jobs to this country in recent months. And the government

will absolutely do all it can to make sure that this economic success

continues. The Jobcentre in my constituency is under threat of

closure which has spread alarm and despondency amongst some of the most

vulnerable people I represent. The nearest job centre in Walthamstow is

more than three miles away which breaks the Minister 's own

guidelines. Will he undertake to have a proper impact assessment and

publish the results? Of course I will have a look at that. The

criteria are that if it is both more than three miles and more than 20

minutes away by public transport that is when the consultation

happens. Within that if either of those conditions are met, it is

reasonable to ask people. On Friday I went to visit Shipley Jobcentre to

hear first-hand the concerns staff have about the closure of Shipley

Jobcentre and the concerns they have for their clients. With the Minister

agree to meet with me so I can go through their list of concerns and

hopefully he can find a way to address them? Of course I am happy

to meet my honourable friend as I have met honourable and right

honourable members from across the house to discuss. Single sentence

questions I hope. I am astonished the Secretary of State separate

clause was not punitive but his own government response to the

consultation says many respondents found it unacceptable for

governments to ask women to relive the audio of rape to make a claim

for benefits. Will the government accept this policy is despicable?

Identix at that and I do think the honourable lady's description of the

exemptions for that clause just don't accord with reality. It's not

remotely punitive, it is an entirely sensible and workable system that we

are proposing. Mr Speaker, can the Secretary of State tell me what

plans he has too reduced the cost of telephone calls to his department

which can now cost up to 55p per minute. Obviously I am in constant

contact with the Social Security advisory committee. People who fell

in the Department always have the opportunity to ask for a call back

if they do not wish to continue with the call and wished the departments

to make the call. I understand this point of order flows directly from

questions. Specifically to call upon the answer given a few moments ago

about the work-related, the minister said nobody would be affected by

this change before the summer but in fact the DWP website says and we all

understood that this change takes effect from April, I wonder if you

can invite the Minister to clarify or correct