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Hello and welcome to the live
coverage of the House of Commons. In | 0:00:12 | 0:00:15 | |
one hour, the Shadow Secretary at
Emily Thornberry burlesque and | 0:00:15 | 0:00:18 | |
urgent question of the British
Iranian National Nazanin | 0:00:18 | 0:00:23 | |
Zaghari-Ratcliffe who is in prison
in Iran accused of -- trying to | 0:00:23 | 0:00:30 | |
overthrow the regime. David Davis
will update ministers on the latest | 0:00:30 | 0:00:34 | |
round of talks in Brussels. Margaret
Hodge will move a notion for a | 0:00:34 | 0:00:39 | |
debate on tax avoidance and the main
business is the Northern Ireland | 0:00:39 | 0:00:43 | |
Bill which will pass a budget for
Northern Ireland. Don't forget to | 0:00:43 | 0:00:47 | |
join me, Mandy Baker, at 11pm for a
round-up of the day from both Houses | 0:00:47 | 0:00:52 | |
of Parliament. First, questions to
the Work and Pensions Secretary and | 0:00:52 | 0:00:57 | |
his team of ministers.
The Department of Work and Pensions | 0:00:57 | 0:01:09 | |
has regular discussions with
colleagues across government about | 0:01:09 | 0:01:11 | |
the treatment of Gurkhas and the
benefits system and responsibilities | 0:01:11 | 0:01:16 | |
under the Armed Forces government.
Additional support is in play sport | 0:01:16 | 0:01:20 | |
all members of the Armed Forces
community to take account of their | 0:01:20 | 0:01:22 | |
needs and circumstances.
I thank the Minister for her | 0:01:22 | 0:01:28 | |
response. Gurkhas have put
themselves on the line or our | 0:01:28 | 0:01:31 | |
country and I recently met members
of the Gurkha community in Eastleigh | 0:01:31 | 0:01:36 | |
who travel long distances from home.
Having met these phenomenal | 0:01:36 | 0:01:43 | |
soldiers, will my honourable friend
continue to ensure that their very | 0:01:43 | 0:01:47 | |
unique circumstances are recognised
in our pensions and benefits system? | 0:01:47 | 0:01:52 | |
As you will be aware, Mr Speaker, I
am married to a former Gurkha so I | 0:01:52 | 0:01:56 | |
fully understand and share my
honourable friend's gratitude for | 0:01:56 | 0:02:03 | |
their bravery and their service. No
member of our Armed Forces should be | 0:02:03 | 0:02:07 | |
disadvantaged by their service to
our country. And I would like to | 0:02:07 | 0:02:10 | |
reassure her that the Department of
Work and Pensions takes very | 0:02:10 | 0:02:14 | |
seriously our commitment to the
Armed Forces government. And we will | 0:02:14 | 0:02:17 | |
do everything we can and work as
hard as we can tout them get the | 0:02:17 | 0:02:20 | |
best possible support.
Mr Speaker. Advances are interest | 0:02:20 | 0:02:31 | |
free and repayable over six months
for those making a new claim, or 12 | 0:02:31 | 0:02:34 | |
months for those on benefits before
claiming the Universal Credit. Our | 0:02:34 | 0:02:37 | |
objective is to strike the right
balance between supporting claimants | 0:02:37 | 0:02:42 | |
with living expenses and ensuring
they have the ability to pay the | 0:02:42 | 0:02:46 | |
advance. I think the Secretary of
State for that answer and he will no | 0:02:46 | 0:02:50 | |
guidance states that 40% of the
standard allowance can be used in | 0:02:50 | 0:02:54 | |
repaying an advance payment, and 40%
can be deducted from the payments to | 0:02:54 | 0:03:02 | |
pay back creditors. It is not clear
from the guidance whether a claimant | 0:03:02 | 0:03:05 | |
might end up paying both. Meaning
they will have more than 40% | 0:03:05 | 0:03:10 | |
deducted from their award. Could the
Secretary of State clarified the | 0:03:10 | 0:03:14 | |
maximum amount repayable and
recognise this is a charter for loan | 0:03:14 | 0:03:18 | |
sharks? The deduction in terms of
subsequent payments to take into | 0:03:18 | 0:03:27 | |
account of an advance, there is not
-- this does not apply to the 40%. | 0:03:27 | 0:03:34 | |
But we have to remember that this is
an advance, this does give people | 0:03:34 | 0:03:38 | |
greater flexibility to have access
to their Universal Credit early so | 0:03:38 | 0:03:42 | |
that they are able to cope with that
initial first assessment period. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:47 | |
We hear a lot from the other side
about Universal Credit, but we do | 0:03:47 | 0:03:51 | |
need to remember that this is a much
more effective system of getting | 0:03:51 | 0:03:54 | |
people into work and that
nationally, 113 people move into | 0:03:54 | 0:03:59 | |
work and Universal Credit ban for
every 100 and the previous system. | 0:03:59 | 0:04:04 | |
In my constituency, which was a
pathfinder for Universal Credit, we | 0:04:04 | 0:04:07 | |
are seeing very substantial drops
and people claiming. Is this not a | 0:04:07 | 0:04:11 | |
better system altogether?
A my honourable friend is absolutely | 0:04:11 | 0:04:16 | |
right. Universal Credit is helping
people get into work, the progress | 0:04:16 | 0:04:23 | |
in work, and it is also clear that
people on Universal Credit are | 0:04:23 | 0:04:27 | |
spending more time looking for work
than on the legacy and effects. And | 0:04:27 | 0:04:31 | |
I think it is really important that
we all work to ensure that Universal | 0:04:31 | 0:04:36 | |
Credit is a success. We believe it
will result in 250,000 more jobs in | 0:04:36 | 0:04:40 | |
this country as a consequence of its
operation and that is something that | 0:04:40 | 0:04:45 | |
is worth achieving.
What the Secretary of State has | 0:04:45 | 0:04:52 | |
repeated again this afternoon falls
into the precise trap of treating | 0:04:52 | 0:04:57 | |
everyone on Universal Credit as if
they were out of work. Surely one of | 0:04:57 | 0:05:01 | |
the big issues is the problem of
applying conditionality to people | 0:05:01 | 0:05:07 | |
who already have jobs.
Well, the point about Universal | 0:05:07 | 0:05:13 | |
Credit is that it operates when
people are out of work and when they | 0:05:13 | 0:05:17 | |
are in work. That means that what
you will not get is what happens | 0:05:17 | 0:05:20 | |
with the legacy system, that people
are worried about doing extra hours | 0:05:20 | 0:05:23 | |
because they find they have claims
closed. That is holding people back | 0:05:23 | 0:05:29 | |
from progressing. But I do believe
that in work conditionality has a | 0:05:29 | 0:05:33 | |
role to play within our system to
ensure that people do progress. We | 0:05:33 | 0:05:37 | |
have an issue in terms of people who
are in work but still getting | 0:05:37 | 0:05:42 | |
substantial support from the
taxpayer. We want them to be able to | 0:05:42 | 0:05:46 | |
progress to be less dependent upon
the state and that is what Universal | 0:05:46 | 0:05:49 | |
Credit will deliver.
What steps has the Secretary of | 0:05:49 | 0:05:53 | |
State taken to increase the
awareness of advance payments? Well, | 0:05:53 | 0:05:59 | |
we have changed the guidance that
applies in Job Centres in respect of | 0:05:59 | 0:06:04 | |
advance payments. There is also
increased publicity within Job | 0:06:04 | 0:06:07 | |
Centres. I saw myself visiting a Job
Centre in Bedford last week the way | 0:06:07 | 0:06:13 | |
in which the operation of advances
is working. We did believe there | 0:06:13 | 0:06:19 | |
would be increased to take up so
people will get the support they | 0:06:19 | 0:06:22 | |
need. And when it is suggested that
people under Universal Credit would | 0:06:22 | 0:06:26 | |
face weeks and weeks without any
financial support whatsoever, I am | 0:06:26 | 0:06:32 | |
afraid that is scaremongering
because that is what is happening | 0:06:32 | 0:06:34 | |
under the system as it is operating.
Yesterday, the Scottish Finance | 0:06:34 | 0:06:41 | |
Secretary Derek Mackay wrote to the
Chancellor ahead of his budget | 0:06:41 | 0:06:44 | |
appealing for Universal Credit is to
be fixed. Today, 140 academics | 0:06:44 | 0:06:48 | |
publish an open letter in the
Telegraph which criticised the | 0:06:48 | 0:06:51 | |
advance payment system and echoed
the Derek Mackay's call to reduce | 0:06:51 | 0:06:57 | |
the first payment waiting time and
move the twice monthly payments and | 0:06:57 | 0:06:59 | |
reverse cuts to allowances. Does the
Secretary of State agree that the | 0:06:59 | 0:07:04 | |
Chancellor should act? Can I does
make a point about Universal Credit, | 0:07:04 | 0:07:10 | |
and early payments within the
system? There is flexibility for | 0:07:10 | 0:07:17 | |
Scotland, the Scottish government
has flexibility, which it is | 0:07:17 | 0:07:19 | |
exercising. But it means that the
second assessment period, people at | 0:07:19 | 0:07:25 | |
the end of that will only get 50% of
what they are entitled to and then | 0:07:25 | 0:07:29 | |
the rest will be deferred and it
will be paid in the third assessment | 0:07:29 | 0:07:33 | |
period. That strikes me, it is.
Scotland to decide, but it does | 0:07:33 | 0:07:38 | |
strike me as making the situation
more difficult for claimants, not | 0:07:38 | 0:07:41 | |
easier.
The Secretary of State is looking | 0:07:41 | 0:07:46 | |
for the Scottish Government to show
him how it is done committee should | 0:07:46 | 0:07:49 | |
devolve Universal Credit in full and
we will get on with it! I wonder if | 0:07:49 | 0:07:54 | |
he has seen a report from the Child
Poverty Action Group group and the | 0:07:54 | 0:07:58 | |
IPPR and they say cuts to Universal
Credit will leave an extra 1 million | 0:07:58 | 0:08:03 | |
children in poverty. Is a million
more children in poverty not | 0:08:03 | 0:08:07 | |
evidence enough for the UK
Government to reverse the cuts to | 0:08:07 | 0:08:10 | |
work allowances and make work pay?
Well, my point was that the Scottish | 0:08:10 | 0:08:16 | |
Government deliver and Universal
Credit in a different way, but a way | 0:08:16 | 0:08:19 | |
I think is worse than the situation
in England and Wales. But I have to | 0:08:19 | 0:08:26 | |
say, the point about Universal
Credit is that it will help people | 0:08:26 | 0:08:29 | |
into work. Let me give one brief
example. If I may, Mr Speaker. I | 0:08:29 | 0:08:35 | |
heard of an account last week of
someone, a single mother on income | 0:08:35 | 0:08:40 | |
support not currently able, not
previously able to claim the best | 0:08:40 | 0:08:47 | |
childcare costs. Now under Universal
Credit, they are able to do so, | 0:08:47 | 0:08:51 | |
she's taking up a job working eight
or nine hours a week where she was | 0:08:51 | 0:08:55 | |
not previously able to do, a first
step on the ladder. That is an | 0:08:55 | 0:08:58 | |
example of what Universal is
delivering. | 0:08:58 | 0:09:04 | |
It with recent report by the
Resolution Foundation using new data | 0:09:04 | 0:09:09 | |
based on bank transactions shows
58%, so the majority of new | 0:09:09 | 0:09:13 | |
claimants living and Universal
Credit as a result of leaving | 0:09:13 | 0:09:16 | |
employment in the last year were
paid either fortnightly or weekly. | 0:09:16 | 0:09:19 | |
In their previous job. A far higher
percentage than the economy on | 0:09:19 | 0:09:23 | |
average were around one in four paid
fortnightly or weekly. The guy | 0:09:23 | 0:09:28 | |
mentioning sure no claim and has to
wait more than ten days so will they | 0:09:28 | 0:09:32 | |
make sure it mirrors the end -- the
world of work for those who claim | 0:09:32 | 0:09:37 | |
it? Universal Credit is replacing
tax credits, and tax credits, 57% of | 0:09:37 | 0:09:45 | |
claimants are paid monthly and 12%
get paid for weekly. That is nearly | 0:09:45 | 0:09:53 | |
70% are paid over that period of
time and if you are to have a system | 0:09:53 | 0:09:59 | |
that works for everybody, then a
monthly system is what it has to be. | 0:09:59 | 0:10:06 | |
We are committed to ensuring
claimants receive high-quality, | 0:10:12 | 0:10:15 | |
fair, accurate assessments. DWP
closely monitors assessments through | 0:10:15 | 0:10:22 | |
independent audit and assessments
deemed unacceptable returned. A | 0:10:22 | 0:10:27 | |
range of measures including provider
improvement plans address | 0:10:27 | 0:10:31 | |
performance falling below expected
standards and DWP continually looks | 0:10:31 | 0:10:34 | |
to improve the assessment process. | 0:10:34 | 0:10:40 | |
My office is inundated with people
dissatisfied and distressed after | 0:10:40 | 0:10:42 | |
their assessment. In light of
statistics showing an almost | 0:10:42 | 0:10:46 | |
ninefold increase in complaints to
the department, what analysis has | 0:10:46 | 0:10:49 | |
been made of the PIP assessment
process? We are constantly striving | 0:10:49 | 0:10:57 | |
to improve the assessment period. It
is worth pointing out that the total | 0:10:57 | 0:11:02 | |
number of complaints on PIP is about
1%. We are continuing to work | 0:11:02 | 0:11:07 | |
closely with the assessors to ensure
that this can be delivered as | 0:11:07 | 0:11:12 | |
effectively as possible. Justin
Tomlinson. The vast majority of | 0:11:12 | 0:11:17 | |
successful appeals because of late
additional evidence. What further | 0:11:17 | 0:11:21 | |
consideration is being given to
sharing data between the two | 0:11:21 | 0:11:25 | |
different assessments and to
automatically access health records | 0:11:25 | 0:11:29 | |
where the claimant is welling in
advance of an assessment? I think my | 0:11:29 | 0:11:36 | |
honourable friend raises an
important point. He is actually | 0:11:36 | 0:11:38 | |
right and is the reason why the
majority of overturned decisions are | 0:11:38 | 0:11:43 | |
reached. We continue to look at ways
in which the assessment process of | 0:11:43 | 0:11:47 | |
PIP and ESA, to the extent they can
be greater called nation between | 0:11:47 | 0:11:53 | |
them, that is something we are
considering. Mr Speaker, my | 0:11:53 | 0:11:58 | |
constituent has a life limiting
illness and her medical consultant | 0:11:58 | 0:12:01 | |
has confirmed this affects even the
most basic of daily activities. | 0:12:01 | 0:12:06 | |
Without a transplant, she has
approximately two or three years | 0:12:06 | 0:12:09 | |
left to live. She has just been
turned down for PIP. Will the | 0:12:09 | 0:12:14 | |
Secretary of State please give an
undertaking he will look into this | 0:12:14 | 0:12:17 | |
as a matter of urgency? Can he
confirm that compassionate | 0:12:17 | 0:12:20 | |
conservatism is officially dead? In
terms of her first point, of course, | 0:12:20 | 0:12:28 | |
I will happily look at that case if
she wants to provide me with the | 0:12:28 | 0:12:31 | |
details. For our constituents, a
health assessment is an incredibly | 0:12:31 | 0:12:40 | |
important moment and it can be very
distressing. I have been calling for | 0:12:40 | 0:12:44 | |
a routine recording of assessments,
providing evidence of when they go | 0:12:44 | 0:12:49 | |
wrong. A recording in itself could
change behaviour for the better. | 0:12:49 | 0:12:54 | |
Could my honourable friend provide
an update on the recording pilot? We | 0:12:54 | 0:12:59 | |
are looking at that. I think my
honourable friend makes an important | 0:12:59 | 0:13:02 | |
point in terms of the need for
independent audit of assessments to | 0:13:02 | 0:13:12 | |
ensure the advice provided by
decision-makers is of suitable | 0:13:12 | 0:13:15 | |
quality, fully explained
unjustified, and recording that is | 0:13:15 | 0:13:21 | |
part of the various options that we
have in terms of making those | 0:13:21 | 0:13:23 | |
improvements. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Can I start by welcoming the | 0:13:23 | 0:13:31 | |
honourable lady to her place? There
has been a 900% increase in | 0:13:31 | 0:13:37 | |
complaints about the personal
independence payment assessment. Her | 0:13:37 | 0:13:41 | |
Majesty's courts and tribunal
statistics show that the number of | 0:13:41 | 0:13:47 | |
appeals lodged and the proportion of
DWP decisions overturned has | 0:13:47 | 0:13:49 | |
increased. There has been a 67%
increase in the first quarter of | 0:13:49 | 0:13:58 | |
this year in appeals, in comparison
with the same period last year. Just | 0:13:58 | 0:14:04 | |
last week, Britain's Rosenior
tribunal judge stated that most of | 0:14:04 | 0:14:07 | |
the benefit cases that reach the
court are based on bad decisions, | 0:14:07 | 0:14:13 | |
where the DWP has no case at all.
The quality of evidence... Order, we | 0:14:13 | 0:14:19 | |
do need a? Very soon. -- we do need
a question mark very soon. The text | 0:14:19 | 0:14:28 | |
is extensive, I know she is new to
the bench and I listened with | 0:14:28 | 0:14:32 | |
interest and respect, but we need to
proceed speedily. I know she is | 0:14:32 | 0:14:36 | |
getting to a question in her next
sentence. I certainly am getting to | 0:14:36 | 0:14:41 | |
my question. What I will ask the
Secretary of State is what action is | 0:14:41 | 0:14:45 | |
he taking to improve the personal
independence payment framework, | 0:14:45 | 0:14:50 | |
improve the accuracy of
decision-making and standards of | 0:14:50 | 0:14:53 | |
mandatory reconciliation, and stop
wasting taxpayer money on funds -- a | 0:14:53 | 0:15:03 | |
necessary tribunal is and appeals.
Let me put this in context. Since | 0:15:03 | 0:15:07 | |
the personal independence framework
was introduced in 2013, the DWP has | 0:15:07 | 0:15:12 | |
carried over 2.6 million
assessments. As I said earlier, the | 0:15:12 | 0:15:15 | |
total number of complaints received
equates to fewer than 1% of all | 0:15:15 | 0:15:19 | |
assessments. Our latest research
shows that 76% of PIP claimants are | 0:15:19 | 0:15:26 | |
satisfied with the overall
experience. In terms of the 2.6 | 0:15:26 | 0:15:31 | |
million decisions, 80% have been
appealed, 4% have been successfully | 0:15:31 | 0:15:34 | |
appealed. We constantly strive to
improve the PIP system. But let's | 0:15:34 | 0:15:42 | |
put this in some context. Last week
I was able to spend the day in the | 0:15:42 | 0:15:51 | |
Jobcentre in my constituency, seeing
what is going well and what is not | 0:15:51 | 0:15:54 | |
going so well with some welfare
reforms, including Universal Credit | 0:15:54 | 0:15:57 | |
and PIP. One issue that came up as
the period of time that people are | 0:15:57 | 0:16:00 | |
waiting for health and work
capability assessments. Can I ask my | 0:16:00 | 0:16:04 | |
honourable friend what penalties are
being levied against some of the | 0:16:04 | 0:16:07 | |
third-party companies involved with
the assessments and what could be | 0:16:07 | 0:16:09 | |
done to close the gap for
constituents? When it comes to | 0:16:09 | 0:16:19 | |
improving the timing, whether it be
of ESA or PIP assessments, it is the | 0:16:19 | 0:16:23 | |
case that they have that period of
time reduced in recent months. That | 0:16:23 | 0:16:33 | |
is something I welcome. We continue
to work closely with the providers | 0:16:33 | 0:16:37 | |
of the assessments to ensure that
their performance is adequate. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:41 | |
Question four, Mr Speaker. | 0:16:41 | 0:16:46 | |
With permission, I will answer
questions for Macron six together. | 0:16:47 | 0:16:51 | |
In 2012, overall participation of
female eligible employees in a | 0:16:51 | 0:16:55 | |
workplace pension was 58%. Since the
introduction of automatic enrolment, | 0:16:55 | 0:16:59 | |
this has increased to 80% in 2016.
For males this has increased from | 0:16:59 | 0:17:06 | |
52% to 76% in the same period. Two
former pensions ministers have | 0:17:06 | 0:17:12 | |
criticised the Government for the
policy. The opposition parties | 0:17:12 | 0:17:18 | |
recognise the government matter is
wrong. The growing number of | 0:17:18 | 0:17:21 | |
cross-party MPs say it is wrong, and
hundreds of thousands of | 0:17:21 | 0:17:27 | |
disadvantaged 1950s women know it is
wrong. When will the current | 0:17:27 | 0:17:31 | |
pensions minister and the Government
admit their mistake and take action | 0:17:31 | 0:17:35 | |
to rectify this grave injustice? | 0:17:35 | 0:17:39 | |
The Government will not be
revisiting the state pension | 0:17:40 | 0:17:43 | |
arrangements for women born in the
1950s that are affected by the | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
pensions act of 1995, 2007 and 2011.
This would require people of working | 0:17:46 | 0:17:53 | |
age, more specifically younger
people, to bear an even greater | 0:17:53 | 0:17:56 | |
share of the cost of the pensions
system. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The | 0:17:56 | 0:18:03 | |
government matter's former pensions
minister has said that she regrets | 0:18:03 | 0:18:07 | |
the government's failure to properly
communicate the state pension age | 0:18:07 | 0:18:11 | |
equalisation and it is up to Macron
approach she describes as a massive | 0:18:11 | 0:18:17 | |
failure of public policy. Does the
Minister appreciate how much this | 0:18:17 | 0:18:21 | |
failure has affected 1950s women's
ability to plan for a happy | 0:18:21 | 0:18:27 | |
retirement? And the sense of outrage
they feel about this issue? Since | 0:18:27 | 0:18:33 | |
1995, successive governments,
including the Labour Party, have | 0:18:33 | 0:18:36 | |
gone to significant lengths to
communicate the changes, including | 0:18:36 | 0:18:41 | |
targeted communications, hundreds of
press reports, parliamentary | 0:18:41 | 0:18:44 | |
debates, advertising and millions of
letters. In the last 17 years, the | 0:18:44 | 0:18:48 | |
department has also provided over 18
million personalised state pension | 0:18:48 | 0:18:51 | |
estimates. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My
honourable friend confirm that if | 0:18:51 | 0:18:59 | |
changes or were changes to be made
to the women's pensions | 0:18:59 | 0:19:02 | |
arrangements, that this would
actually create discrimination | 0:19:02 | 0:19:04 | |
against men and that would be
unfair? I am grateful to my | 0:19:04 | 0:19:13 | |
honourable friend from Dorset's
question. The proposal whereby women | 0:19:13 | 0:19:17 | |
would receive early pensions would
create a new inequality, Mr Speaker, | 0:19:17 | 0:19:21 | |
between men and women, the legality
of which is highly questionable. The | 0:19:21 | 0:19:28 | |
government matter seem to be under
the misapprehension that the | 0:19:28 | 0:19:31 | |
campaign by the 1950s women will
eventually go away if they keep | 0:19:31 | 0:19:37 | |
ignoring it, even told the table
office that they would not answer a | 0:19:37 | 0:19:40 | |
question on a subject for my
honourable friend the member. Tim | 0:19:40 | 0:19:43 | |
Southee. It will not go away. So why
doesn't the minister engage with the | 0:19:43 | 0:19:49 | |
campaigners to find the solution and
support our proposals to extend | 0:19:49 | 0:19:53 | |
pension credit to the most
financially vulnerable and give them | 0:19:53 | 0:19:56 | |
all the opportunity to retire up to
two years earlier? The honourable | 0:19:56 | 0:20:02 | |
gentleman will be aware that the
Government has already introduced | 0:20:02 | 0:20:05 | |
transitional arrangements, costing
£1.1 billion, in 2011, which mean | 0:20:05 | 0:20:09 | |
that no woman will see her pension
age change by more than 18 months, | 0:20:09 | 0:20:13 | |
relative to the 1995 acts timetable.
Question number five. The | 0:20:13 | 0:20:22 | |
availability of advances at the
start of a Universal Credit claim | 0:20:22 | 0:20:25 | |
ensures that those that need money
immediately can access it. Data | 0:20:25 | 0:20:28 | |
shows that around half of claimants
are receiving advances. We have | 0:20:28 | 0:20:32 | |
recently undertaken an exercise to
improve awareness and access to the | 0:20:32 | 0:20:35 | |
support. The manager of a food bank
in Lincoln has said that there is | 0:20:35 | 0:20:43 | |
evidence of a clear correlation
locally between the introduction of | 0:20:43 | 0:20:47 | |
Universal Credit and, in Lincoln, we
have only had a partially so far, a | 0:20:47 | 0:20:51 | |
full roll-out in March. There is a
clear correlation between that and | 0:20:51 | 0:20:55 | |
an increase in the use of food
banks. I would ask for your comments | 0:20:55 | 0:20:58 | |
on that and also asked people on the
benches opposite, including | 0:20:58 | 0:21:00 | |
yourself, think it is acceptable
that people in Lincoln would be | 0:21:00 | 0:21:08 | |
starving, not for food banks, but
because of waiting for Universal | 0:21:08 | 0:21:15 | |
Credit payments. Presumably you say
what is acceptable in Lincoln, way | 0:21:15 | 0:21:19 | |
above my play the EU pay grade. The
Secretary of State? I repeatedly | 0:21:19 | 0:21:25 | |
make this point, that nobody needs
to wait a long period of time for | 0:21:25 | 0:21:28 | |
cash support under the Universal
Credit system. To suggest otherwise | 0:21:28 | 0:21:36 | |
is causing unnecessary anxiety for
those that are not on the Universal | 0:21:36 | 0:21:40 | |
Credit. I'm afraid that I think we
should all discuss this in a | 0:21:40 | 0:21:44 | |
slightly more responsible manner.
When I visited the Newark Jobcentre | 0:21:44 | 0:21:53 | |
a week or so ago, 80% of the jobs in
the Jobcentre were paid either four | 0:21:53 | 0:21:58 | |
weekly or monthly. With the
Secretary of State agree that you | 0:21:58 | 0:22:00 | |
have to be careful not to patronise
working people, and not to stop them | 0:22:00 | 0:22:04 | |
from entering the workplace with as
much ease as possible? The vast | 0:22:04 | 0:22:09 | |
majority of jobs in my constituency
are paid monthly. My honourable | 0:22:09 | 0:22:15 | |
friend is absolutely right. Part of
the purpose of Universal Credit is | 0:22:15 | 0:22:19 | |
to close the gap between being out
of work and being in work. For most | 0:22:19 | 0:22:23 | |
jobs in work, that is paid monthly,
getting people used to the monthly | 0:22:23 | 0:22:28 | |
system is a sensible approach. Can I
also say that I very much welcome | 0:22:28 | 0:22:33 | |
the fact that my honourable friend
has visited a Jobcentre. I recommend | 0:22:33 | 0:22:38 | |
honourable and right honourable
members to do so to hear how it is | 0:22:38 | 0:22:43 | |
operating on the ground, because the
experience that I know many | 0:22:43 | 0:22:46 | |
honourable members have is extremely
positive. I won't ask the Government | 0:22:46 | 0:22:54 | |
bench for the fifth time whether I
should believe his statement, the | 0:22:54 | 0:23:00 | |
roll-out of Universal Credit in
Birkenhead will go hunky-dory, with | 0:23:00 | 0:23:02 | |
a food bank, which says it will need
ten tonnes more food to prevent a | 0:23:02 | 0:23:08 | |
scenario of people being hungry, if
you cannot abide the word starving. | 0:23:08 | 0:23:14 | |
We have a debate on Thursday which
is signed by members across the | 0:23:14 | 0:23:18 | |
House of Commons. It will be the
first time when members opposite can | 0:23:18 | 0:23:25 | |
actually vote, one if they want to
reform Universal Credit. Will he be | 0:23:25 | 0:23:31 | |
opening a debate on taking the
message back to Cabinet? Well, the | 0:23:31 | 0:23:38 | |
position we have made very clear for
a long time is that we want to | 0:23:38 | 0:23:41 | |
ensure that Universal Credit works.
This is a test and learn system and | 0:23:41 | 0:23:48 | |
we are always looking at ways in
which we can improve the system, | 0:23:48 | 0:23:50 | |
particularly for that first period.
What I would say to the right | 0:23:50 | 0:23:53 | |
Honourable Member, and the house as
a whole, is that Universal Credit is | 0:23:53 | 0:23:59 | |
helping us address the best way of
dealing with poverty, which is | 0:23:59 | 0:24:04 | |
ensuring that people can get into
work. That is the argument that I | 0:24:04 | 0:24:08 | |
and my honourable and right
honourable friends will continue to | 0:24:08 | 0:24:11 | |
make. | 0:24:11 | 0:24:12 | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have
visited job centres and I know that | 0:24:15 | 0:24:20 | |
in the Universal Credit system that
work coaches are very much an | 0:24:20 | 0:24:23 | |
important and integral part of the
system. May I ask my honourable | 0:24:23 | 0:24:27 | |
friend how the new word coaches will
boost job assist job-seekers in my | 0:24:27 | 0:24:34 | |
constituency, in their eager quest
to find work and to find employment? | 0:24:34 | 0:24:41 | |
My honourable friend is absolutely
right. That is why we are recruiting | 0:24:41 | 0:24:45 | |
work coaches up and down the United
Kingdom, providing the personalised | 0:24:45 | 0:24:49 | |
support that people need to help
them get into work. Again, I come | 0:24:49 | 0:24:53 | |
back to my experience of meeting
with word coaches in job centres up | 0:24:53 | 0:24:56 | |
and down the country. They believe
they have a system in place that is | 0:24:56 | 0:25:01 | |
helping them to do more to transform
lives. That is hugely important. Mr | 0:25:01 | 0:25:10 | |
Speaker, one of the original
objectives of Universal Credit was | 0:25:10 | 0:25:13 | |
to reduce child poverty. In 2010,
the Government said Universal Credit | 0:25:13 | 0:25:18 | |
would reduce child poverty by
350,000. This was revised to 150,020 | 0:25:18 | 0:25:24 | |
13. Last year, ministers failed to
produce a figure in answer to my | 0:25:24 | 0:25:28 | |
honourable friend, the member for
West Ham. What are the government's | 0:25:28 | 0:25:32 | |
current estimates of how many
children would be lifted out of | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
poverty as a result of UC? Universal
Credit gives people a better | 0:25:35 | 0:25:43 | |
opportunity to work. It gives single
parents greater support. In fact, it | 0:25:43 | 0:25:50 | |
gives parents greater support on
childcare. I come back to the | 0:25:50 | 0:25:54 | |
example that I just gave a moment or
so ago. He was previously on income | 0:25:54 | 0:26:00 | |
support, not able to get help with
childcare, now able to get help with | 0:26:00 | 0:26:04 | |
childcare and is getting on the
employment ladder thanks to | 0:26:04 | 0:26:09 | |
Universal Credit. That is what
Universal Credit is delivering. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:14 | |
Well, that was a really
disappointing answer. We have | 0:26:14 | 0:26:18 | |
already heard that the Child poverty
action group published data last | 0:26:18 | 0:26:20 | |
week which is predicting that 1
million more children will be pushed | 0:26:20 | 0:26:26 | |
into poverty as a result of UC cuts.
300,000 of those that are under | 0:26:26 | 0:26:33 | |
five. Another objective was to make
work pay. Given that four out of ten | 0:26:33 | 0:26:40 | |
people on UC are in work and would
be, on average, £2600 a year work in | 0:26:40 | 0:26:46 | |
the worst off, when will the
Government admit that UC is not fit | 0:26:46 | 0:26:51 | |
for purpose and stop the roll-out of
UC? | 0:26:51 | 0:26:57 | |
Can I point out that child poverty
is down since 2010? I think the | 0:26:57 | 0:27:08 | |
Honourable Member has given the game
away there. She doesn't want to | 0:27:08 | 0:27:13 | |
pause and fix Universal Credit, Mr
Speaker. She wants to scrap and | 0:27:13 | 0:27:19 | |
rewind it. She wants to rewind to a
system when claimants were forced to | 0:27:19 | 0:27:28 | |
accept reduction rate of 90%, where
they had to claim a multitude of | 0:27:28 | 0:27:32 | |
benefits and where we have a benefit
system that was not an aid to people | 0:27:32 | 0:27:36 | |
working, but an impediment that
trapped people in poverty and | 0:27:36 | 0:27:40 | |
dependency. That is what Universal
Credit will bring an end to. | 0:27:40 | 0:27:52 | |
With permission, Mr Speaker, will
answer questions seven and 12 | 0:27:52 | 0:27:56 | |
together. There are no financial
losers on those on the seat of | 0:27:56 | 0:28:04 | |
Employment Allowance and the
universal Reddit equivalent prior to | 0:28:04 | 0:28:08 | |
April 2017 including those who
temporarily leave the essay to try | 0:28:08 | 0:28:14 | |
out work and return. New claimants
from April and are capable of | 0:28:14 | 0:28:18 | |
preparing for work received a rate
of benefits on a par with Job | 0:28:18 | 0:28:22 | |
Seekers Allowance. I welcome the
Minister to her place. Changes to | 0:28:22 | 0:28:28 | |
benefit are actually resulting in
huge cuts to the money people and | 0:28:28 | 0:28:33 | |
disabilities have to live on. The
ESA cut was touted by the government | 0:28:33 | 0:28:36 | |
as a way to remove perverse
incentives and encourage people into | 0:28:36 | 0:28:40 | |
work. With the Minister agree
starvation does not encourage anyone | 0:28:40 | 0:28:45 | |
into work and cutting funding the
people in need does not help and | 0:28:45 | 0:28:49 | |
that need, and will she commit to
reversing these invidious cuts? I | 0:28:49 | 0:28:54 | |
think the honourable lady for her
question. There are no cuts to | 0:28:54 | 0:28:58 | |
people on those benefits, let's be
absolutely clear about this. Since | 0:28:58 | 0:29:06 | |
April 2017, people who are able to
work are receiving a personal | 0:29:06 | 0:29:09 | |
support package. We have already
recruited 300 new disability claim | 0:29:09 | 0:29:15 | |
advisers, we have a -- allocated 15
million to the flexible support | 0:29:15 | 0:29:21 | |
funds, we are doing everything we
can for people who are able to make | 0:29:21 | 0:29:26 | |
the journey back to work to have the
support that they need to do so. It | 0:29:26 | 0:29:34 | |
may place more reliance on the
Minister's comments, that there is | 0:29:34 | 0:29:40 | |
an austerity. Is he aware that the
Scottish Government estimate between | 0:29:40 | 0:29:46 | |
7-10,000 people in my constituency
and in Scotland stands to lose the | 0:29:46 | 0:29:50 | |
work-related component of their
allowances and this is a cut they | 0:29:50 | 0:29:55 | |
cannot afford, so will she undertake
to speak as a matter of urgency to | 0:29:55 | 0:29:58 | |
the Chancellor ahead of the budget
to reverse the cuts and stop | 0:29:58 | 0:30:02 | |
punishing the poor and disabled for
the economic failures of this | 0:30:02 | 0:30:05 | |
Government. I think the honourable
gentleman. Let's be absolutely clear | 0:30:05 | 0:30:09 | |
what we are trying to achieve here.
There are many people in Scotland | 0:30:09 | 0:30:13 | |
and across our country who are
recovering from health conditions, | 0:30:13 | 0:30:19 | |
who have disabilities, who really
want to work. And we are doing | 0:30:19 | 0:30:22 | |
everything that we can't to provide
them with tailored support so that | 0:30:22 | 0:30:26 | |
they can do that and they can play a
full part in the society to enable | 0:30:26 | 0:30:31 | |
them to do so. Despite record
employment, only one in every 100 | 0:30:31 | 0:30:37 | |
people on ESA leaves the benefits
system every month. Could the | 0:30:37 | 0:30:43 | |
Minister tell us what more she and
her department doing to help these | 0:30:43 | 0:30:48 | |
people into work. He is quite right
to point out this unfair | 0:30:48 | 0:30:55 | |
discrimination for people with
disabilities in our country who | 0:30:55 | 0:30:59 | |
really want to make a contribution.
And we are doing everything | 0:30:59 | 0:31:04 | |
including working with employers as
well as providing people seeking | 0:31:04 | 0:31:10 | |
employment with a tailor-made
support that they need to play their | 0:31:10 | 0:31:13 | |
full part in society. The UK
continues to be a global leader in | 0:31:13 | 0:31:26 | |
disability rights. And we are
committed to further improving and | 0:31:26 | 0:31:30 | |
progressively implementing this
convention. We are considering the | 0:31:30 | 0:31:35 | |
committee's recommendations and we
will provide an update on the | 0:31:35 | 0:31:38 | |
progress we are making in the next
year, as requested by the UN. Mr | 0:31:38 | 0:31:44 | |
Speaker, the UN found that UK cuts
disproportionately hit people with | 0:31:44 | 0:31:49 | |
disabilities and fundamentally and
systematically and gravely | 0:31:49 | 0:31:54 | |
undermined their human rights. So
will she ensure now, today, that | 0:31:54 | 0:32:01 | |
PIP, ESN and Universal Credit
brought into line with the | 0:32:01 | 0:32:04 | |
fundamental conventions of the UN so
the people are treated with dignity | 0:32:04 | 0:32:10 | |
instead of with discrimination and
cruelty? This country has a proud | 0:32:10 | 0:32:15 | |
record of treating people fairly and
we will continue to uphold those | 0:32:15 | 0:32:20 | |
proud principles. Of course we are
considering the report and as I | 0:32:20 | 0:32:24 | |
said, we will be publishing our
findings. But let's put this in | 0:32:24 | 0:32:28 | |
context. Only Germany of the G7
presents more money supporting | 0:32:28 | 0:32:32 | |
people with disabilities and
long-term conditions. As a | 0:32:32 | 0:32:37 | |
percentage of GDP, we present 2.5%
and that is 6% of all government | 0:32:37 | 0:32:44 | |
spending. That is £50 billion year.
Can I just confirm any money | 0:32:44 | 0:32:51 | |
received on disability benefits as
PIP DLA is exempt under the benefits | 0:32:51 | 0:32:57 | |
capital. Very grateful to my
honourable friend for that question | 0:32:57 | 0:33:02 | |
and I can give a very simple answer,
yes. | 0:33:02 | 0:33:13 | |
I thank the honourable gentleman for
his question. Up to October 20 7% | 0:33:13 | 0:33:19 | |
have been disallowed personal
independence payment. 45% of | 0:33:19 | 0:33:25 | |
claimants with Parkinson's disease
receive a higher award and a PIP | 0:33:25 | 0:33:30 | |
than they did previously. Would it
not save a lot of time, money and | 0:33:30 | 0:33:36 | |
distress if all those on the higher
rate of disability allowance with | 0:33:36 | 0:33:41 | |
degenerative diseases like
Parkinson's were transferred | 0:33:41 | 0:33:44 | |
automatically onto personal
independence payments and how many | 0:33:44 | 0:33:47 | |
people with Parkinson's are
currently in the noble review | 0:33:47 | 0:33:50 | |
category? It is absolutely right
that we get PIP right for anybody | 0:33:50 | 0:33:58 | |
with a disability, including those
people with degenerative diseases | 0:33:58 | 0:34:01 | |
like Parkinson's. At a big it is
absolutely right to notice, as my | 0:34:01 | 0:34:06 | |
honourable friend did earlier that
considering how many PIP assessments | 0:34:06 | 0:34:12 | |
have been made, over 2.6 million,
there have been fewer than 1% of | 0:34:12 | 0:34:18 | |
complaints. Most of the time, this
benefit is got right the first time. | 0:34:18 | 0:34:23 | |
But we worked tirelessly, including
with our stakeholders in the | 0:34:23 | 0:34:28 | |
voluntary sector organisations, to
make improvements. Advances are | 0:34:28 | 0:34:36 | |
available at the start of a
Universal Credit claimed to ensure | 0:34:36 | 0:34:40 | |
people have money to tide them over
until the first payment. Around half | 0:34:40 | 0:34:45 | |
of claimants receiving advances and
we have undertaken an exercise to | 0:34:45 | 0:34:49 | |
improve awareness and access to the
support. I thank the Secretary of | 0:34:49 | 0:34:55 | |
State for this answer. We are
fortunate in Bernd Ritthammer low | 0:34:55 | 0:34:58 | |
employment rates. Could you tell me
what the likely impact on jobs of | 0:34:58 | 0:35:02 | |
Universal Credit roll-out will be in
my constituency? In total, it is | 0:35:02 | 0:35:08 | |
estimated that Universal Credit will
help around 250,000 people more into | 0:35:08 | 0:35:13 | |
employment. On average, that works
out at around 400 extra people in | 0:35:13 | 0:35:18 | |
work, in each Parliamentary
constituency. But Universal Credit | 0:35:18 | 0:35:22 | |
will have large impacts in areas
with a higher proportion of benefit | 0:35:22 | 0:35:25 | |
claimants or a higher prevalence of
single parents and out of work | 0:35:25 | 0:35:28 | |
families.
But Russell trust say that food bank | 0:35:28 | 0:35:34 | |
use has increased in areas where
Universal Credit has been rolled | 0:35:34 | 0:35:38 | |
out, it has not been rolled out yet
in my constituency, but this | 0:35:38 | 0:35:42 | |
weekend, the Hayward food bank ran
out of food. What safeguards will | 0:35:42 | 0:35:46 | |
the Minister put in place to ensure
Universal Credit claimants do not | 0:35:46 | 0:35:50 | |
have to rely on a charity of their
neighbours, a system that sometimes | 0:35:50 | 0:35:53 | |
fails?
We are improving the advances | 0:35:53 | 0:35:57 | |
system, awareness of the advances
system. This is a message we can all | 0:35:57 | 0:36:03 | |
take to our constituents. There is
support available, nobody needs to | 0:36:03 | 0:36:07 | |
wait six weeks because advances are
available within Job Centres and | 0:36:07 | 0:36:13 | |
they are being taken up, the
majority of new claimants are taking | 0:36:13 | 0:36:15 | |
up those offences.
Last week, I heard from one of my | 0:36:15 | 0:36:21 | |
constituents who was having
difficulty getting an advance | 0:36:21 | 0:36:24 | |
payment and had to result to a food
bank. When the error was corrected, | 0:36:24 | 0:36:28 | |
he took that food back to the food
bank when he got his advance | 0:36:28 | 0:36:34 | |
payment. Does this not show that
when mistakes are made, every effort | 0:36:34 | 0:36:37 | |
is being made to correct them and
secondly, the basic human decency of | 0:36:37 | 0:36:42 | |
those claiming Universal Credit?
I entirely agree with my honourable | 0:36:42 | 0:36:48 | |
friend and the point he makes. It is
worth pointing out that in the | 0:36:48 | 0:36:53 | |
normal course of events, if somebody
gets an advance, it usually takes | 0:36:53 | 0:36:57 | |
around three days through the
thanking system for the money to be | 0:36:57 | 0:37:01 | |
paid. But if need be, people can get
support on the same day. | 0:37:01 | 0:37:11 | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The comment's
position will set out in | 0:37:11 | 0:37:15 | |
Parliamentary debates in October
2016 and March 2015 by our Liberal | 0:37:15 | 0:37:21 | |
Democrat colleague says Steve Webb
and I have great sympathy for those | 0:37:21 | 0:37:25 | |
affected but they are protected by
the pension fund compensation | 0:37:25 | 0:37:29 | |
scheme. In 1996, the Government
actuaries Department in a note | 0:37:29 | 0:37:35 | |
bailed to clearly outline the risks
of transferring their pensions to | 0:37:35 | 0:37:39 | |
the new private sector scheme. We
regulate financial advice in this | 0:37:39 | 0:37:43 | |
country yet when it is the
Government giving the advice, not | 0:37:43 | 0:37:47 | |
even the Parliamentary ombudsman can
review it. Surely this is grossly | 0:37:47 | 0:37:51 | |
unjust. Why does the Minister not
pursue this mis-selling scandal is | 0:37:51 | 0:37:55 | |
the FCA did with the PPI, is it
because it would be the Government | 0:37:55 | 0:38:00 | |
that is to blame this time? The
honourable lady suggests one thing. | 0:38:00 | 0:38:06 | |
I can only refer her to the two
Parliamentary debates that dealt | 0:38:06 | 0:38:11 | |
specifically with this matter, as
set out by her own Liberal Democrat | 0:38:11 | 0:38:15 | |
colleague when he was part of the
Coalition, says Steve Webb, in March | 0:38:15 | 0:38:18 | |
2015. The pension protection fund is
a vital lifeline for those who | 0:38:18 | 0:38:25 | |
become insolvent, can Minister give
an update on when the white paper | 0:38:25 | 0:38:31 | |
looking at the affordability will be
available? The Green paper as he | 0:38:31 | 0:38:36 | |
knows was published in debris 2017
and there has been extensive | 0:38:36 | 0:38:40 | |
consultation and much consideration
of the matters but forward. We are | 0:38:40 | 0:38:44 | |
analysing those responses and intend
to publish a white paper in the New | 0:38:44 | 0:38:48 | |
Year.
Since 2010, over 3 million more | 0:38:48 | 0:38:56 | |
people have found employment, the
employment rate is close to the | 0:38:56 | 0:38:59 | |
record high and the employment rate
is the lowest it has been since | 0:38:59 | 0:39:04 | |
1985.
11% of people in Cheadle are | 0:39:04 | 0:39:11 | |
self-employed, Mike constituent is
self-employed and also a wheelchair | 0:39:11 | 0:39:14 | |
user who finds valuable
opportunities to attend networking | 0:39:14 | 0:39:18 | |
opportunities are lost because they
are not always accessible. Does the | 0:39:18 | 0:39:23 | |
Minister agree to unlock the talent
and energy of disabled | 0:39:23 | 0:39:27 | |
entrepreneurs, event organisers must
make provisions for successful | 0:39:27 | 0:39:31 | |
people to attend them?
I do agree with my honourable friend | 0:39:31 | 0:39:36 | |
and I think service providers have a
duty to anticipate and provide | 0:39:36 | 0:39:43 | |
adjustments for disabled people and
certainly in the case of my | 0:39:43 | 0:39:46 | |
honourable friend's constituent,
this may include arranging events at | 0:39:46 | 0:39:51 | |
an accessible venue. Also worth
pointing out that the new enterprise | 0:39:51 | 0:39:54 | |
allowance which is designed to help
people set up businesses, one in | 0:39:54 | 0:40:01 | |
five of those taking up the new
enterprise allowance have been | 0:40:01 | 0:40:04 | |
disabled people.
Whilst every new job is welcome, in | 0:40:04 | 0:40:10 | |
a country where 55% of people knew
in the work of receipt of benefits. | 0:40:10 | 0:40:17 | |
Mark Webb and living in poverty. And
the better off now disgustingly | 0:40:17 | 0:40:24 | |
well-paid, what is the Government
going to do about it. The highest | 0:40:24 | 0:40:30 | |
earning 1% pay a bigger proportion
of income tax than they ever have | 0:40:30 | 0:40:35 | |
done before. I have also announced
that as a government, we have | 0:40:35 | 0:40:42 | |
substantially increased the Personal
Allowance and introduce the national | 0:40:42 | 0:40:44 | |
Living Wage and the support the
Universal Credit is going to provide | 0:40:44 | 0:40:48 | |
will help more and more people
progress into work. | 0:40:48 | 0:40:55 | |
Around half and we are working to
further improve awareness and access | 0:40:55 | 0:40:58 | |
to the support.
Mr Speaker, I am keen to ensure the | 0:40:58 | 0:41:04 | |
advance payments are made to my
constituents in need and I see the | 0:41:04 | 0:41:09 | |
Job Centre and these systems advise
Dutch Citizens Advice Bureau once a | 0:41:09 | 0:41:11 | |
month. Would he agreed that the
party opposite should start acting | 0:41:11 | 0:41:18 | |
responsibly and encourage
constituents to apply for this | 0:41:18 | 0:41:20 | |
additional help and tone down the
political rhetoric which can deter | 0:41:20 | 0:41:24 | |
vulnerable people from applying in
the first place? He knows and the | 0:41:24 | 0:41:29 | |
party opposite should acknowledge
that no one need go without money | 0:41:29 | 0:41:32 | |
while waiting for their first
regular payment and they should not | 0:41:32 | 0:41:35 | |
try to put people off accessing the
support that is there for them. | 0:41:35 | 0:41:43 | |
Minister, today's exactly six weeks
until Christmas Day. If anyone | 0:41:43 | 0:41:48 | |
applies for Universal Credit today,
they will have to make do and just | 0:41:48 | 0:41:53 | |
two weeks of Universal Credit until
after Christmas. What assessment has | 0:41:53 | 0:41:57 | |
the Minister made of the impact on
those families and their ability to | 0:41:57 | 0:42:01 | |
let the children enjoy Christmas?
Our record on timeliness of | 0:42:01 | 0:42:09 | |
Universal Credit has improved
markedly. Advances are always | 0:42:09 | 0:42:13 | |
available. In the run-up to
Christmas, when there are many | 0:42:13 | 0:42:17 | |
temporary work opportunities
available, Universal Credit works | 0:42:17 | 0:42:19 | |
much better for people in being able
to access those opportunities, | 0:42:19 | 0:42:22 | |
particularly on the verge of the
festive season. How much longer can | 0:42:22 | 0:42:27 | |
a time and spend looking for a job
on Universal Credit? Very well, I | 0:42:27 | 0:42:32 | |
will take the Right Honourable
Gentleman on question 14. Though he | 0:42:32 | 0:42:36 | |
did not seek agreement to that
proposition, simply blurting it out. | 0:42:36 | 0:42:40 | |
We will accept it on that occasion.
Mr Speaker, we do know that people | 0:42:40 | 0:42:46 | |
spend a great deal more time on
Universal Credit looking for work. | 0:42:46 | 0:42:50 | |
They apply for a wider range of jobs
and consider jobs they may not have | 0:42:50 | 0:42:53 | |
considered before. This is all part
of the reason why we know there is | 0:42:53 | 0:42:57 | |
significantly better labour market
outcomes for people more likely to | 0:42:57 | 0:42:59 | |
be in work after six months than on
the old benefits. Question 16, Mr | 0:42:59 | 0:43:06 | |
Speaker. Universal Credit is
transforming and modernising the | 0:43:06 | 0:43:14 | |
welfare state, ending complicated
rolls around employment hours and | 0:43:14 | 0:43:17 | |
the cliff edges of the old system.
Universal Credit has a clear system | 0:43:17 | 0:43:20 | |
of allowances and tapers to ensure
that claimants know that they are | 0:43:20 | 0:43:24 | |
always better off in work. Will the
Secretary of State agree with me | 0:43:24 | 0:43:29 | |
that one of the fundamental flaws of
the system we inherited from Labour | 0:43:29 | 0:43:33 | |
is that people that want it to work
more than 16 hours a week could lose | 0:43:33 | 0:43:38 | |
90p of every pound that they earned?
My right honourable friend is | 0:43:38 | 0:43:42 | |
absolutely right. It wasn't just a
very high marginal deduction rates, | 0:43:42 | 0:43:47 | |
which obviously we don't see with
Universal Credit, it was the fact | 0:43:47 | 0:43:50 | |
that people moving in and out of
work, or the hours fluctuating, | 0:43:50 | 0:43:55 | |
could find themselves moving from
one benefit system to another | 0:43:55 | 0:43:57 | |
benefit system, creating additional
hassle and uncertainty for | 0:43:57 | 0:44:03 | |
claimants, and indeed discouraging
people from taking on additional | 0:44:03 | 0:44:06 | |
hours. Number 17, Mr Speaker. With
permission, I would like to answer | 0:44:06 | 0:44:16 | |
question 17 and 19 together. The
Department for Work and Pensions are | 0:44:16 | 0:44:19 | |
currently undertaking work to
investigate the reality of rent | 0:44:19 | 0:44:22 | |
arrears and Universal Credit. It
aims to understand the true level of | 0:44:22 | 0:44:25 | |
rent arrears for the tenants, what
is causing them and any impact | 0:44:25 | 0:44:29 | |
Universal Credit may be having.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. New findings | 0:44:29 | 0:44:35 | |
say 49% of landlords are less likely
to rent to those in receipt of | 0:44:35 | 0:44:40 | |
Universal Credit. In Kirklees there
are only 121 social homes available | 0:44:40 | 0:44:45 | |
for 9000 700 on the waiting list.
Can the Minister tell us what steps | 0:44:45 | 0:44:51 | |
she is going to take to prevent
those on year. -- on Universal | 0:44:51 | 0:44:59 | |
Credit being swim in it against? The
honourable lady is right to raise | 0:44:59 | 0:45:04 | |
the question, but there are
alternative arrangements available. | 0:45:04 | 0:45:06 | |
We have listened very carefully to
housing providers. We are seeing | 0:45:06 | 0:45:11 | |
improvements in this all the time. I
listened very carefully to what the | 0:45:11 | 0:45:18 | |
Minister said in answer to the
question. I am wondering if it is | 0:45:18 | 0:45:22 | |
any surprise to hear that the chief
executive of a large housing | 0:45:22 | 0:45:25 | |
association in the north-west of
Raymond recently told me that there | 0:45:25 | 0:45:28 | |
are arrears from Universal Credit
alone was over £2 million. One | 0:45:28 | 0:45:32 | |
authority in Yorkshire and Humber
has an average per claimant of over | 0:45:32 | 0:45:38 | |
£1100 per claimant. Why is that
happening and what are you going to | 0:45:38 | 0:45:42 | |
do about it? I think we have to be
really careful not to scaremonger on | 0:45:42 | 0:45:47 | |
this. The National Federation of
arm's-length management | 0:45:47 | 0:45:53 | |
organisations reports three quarters
of tenants who started claiming | 0:45:53 | 0:45:59 | |
Universal Credit were already in
arrears. Research shows that after | 0:45:59 | 0:46:03 | |
four months, the number of claimants
in arrears has fallen by a third. | 0:46:03 | 0:46:08 | |
The single biggest problem for
recipients of welfare coming into | 0:46:08 | 0:46:12 | |
Universal Credit, for some, is the
high level of debt. Could my right | 0:46:12 | 0:46:16 | |
honourable friend the employment
Minister tell me what he can do to | 0:46:16 | 0:46:19 | |
take forward his idea of an
interest-free period to resolve | 0:46:19 | 0:46:22 | |
outstanding debt, and secondly to
promote the use of credit unions in | 0:46:22 | 0:46:26 | |
advising strongly against loan
sharks in the run-up to Christmas? | 0:46:26 | 0:46:33 | |
Mr Speaker, and a half of my
honourable friend the employment | 0:46:33 | 0:46:36 | |
minister, he makes a very important
point. We do want people to adjust | 0:46:36 | 0:46:39 | |
their levels of debt. That is why we
had a system of advanced payments | 0:46:39 | 0:46:45 | |
which enables people to be able to
budget properly and meet their | 0:46:45 | 0:46:50 | |
debts. Question 18. Thank you, we
are rolling out Universal Credit | 0:46:50 | 0:46:58 | |
full-service in a very measured way.
I am not aware of any recent cases | 0:46:58 | 0:47:02 | |
of claims being lost. If the Right
Honourable Gentleman does no such | 0:47:02 | 0:47:07 | |
incidents, I very much welcome him
bringing them to my attention. There | 0:47:07 | 0:47:12 | |
are serious concerns about glitches
with Universal Credit, apparently | 0:47:12 | 0:47:17 | |
arising because the IT does not yet
work properly in some areas. The | 0:47:17 | 0:47:21 | |
Child poverty action group has
reported instances of claims being | 0:47:21 | 0:47:25 | |
made and then vanishing into the
ether without trace. Will the | 0:47:25 | 0:47:31 | |
Minister assure the house that
glitches of this kind will be | 0:47:31 | 0:47:37 | |
addressed and will be resolved, not
simply denied? Mr Speaker, I think | 0:47:37 | 0:47:42 | |
the report to which he refers says
that many claims seem to have | 0:47:42 | 0:47:48 | |
disappeared. In the texted says it
is a small number, and goes on to | 0:47:48 | 0:47:52 | |
mention just one case. That is not
to say that I ignore that or | 0:47:52 | 0:47:56 | |
belittle it in anyway. Of course I
take what he says very seriously and | 0:47:56 | 0:48:00 | |
he has my absolute assurance that I
will pay attention to any glitches. | 0:48:00 | 0:48:05 | |
Topical questions, Helena Smith.
Number one, Mr Speaker. This | 0:48:05 | 0:48:11 | |
department's mission is to support
people through all stages of their | 0:48:11 | 0:48:15 | |
lives. Universal Credit is being
introduced slowly and steadily and | 0:48:15 | 0:48:18 | |
positively transforming people's
prospects by bringing satisfaction | 0:48:18 | 0:48:23 | |
and security of entering work and
increasing earnings. We are also | 0:48:23 | 0:48:26 | |
helping citizens prepare for later
life with workplace pensions and we | 0:48:26 | 0:48:31 | |
are committed to helping people at
all stages of their life, and will | 0:48:31 | 0:48:34 | |
continue to build on this body of
work to achieve our ends. | 0:48:34 | 0:48:40 | |
How does the department plan to
respond to their own research, | 0:48:41 | 0:48:46 | |
showing that Universal Credit is a
driver of rent arrears among | 0:48:46 | 0:48:49 | |
families who rely on it to support
them? As my honourable friend has | 0:48:49 | 0:48:55 | |
addressed, we do need to recognise
that a number of other statistics | 0:48:55 | 0:48:57 | |
that have been quoted, that we have
seen rent arrears rising before | 0:48:57 | 0:49:06 | |
people went into Universal Credit,
and after a period of time the | 0:49:06 | 0:49:09 | |
numbers with rent arrears is
falling. Of course, we continue to | 0:49:09 | 0:49:13 | |
improve the system to ensure that,
for example, payment timeliness is | 0:49:13 | 0:49:17 | |
improved and that people are able to
access advances when they need it. | 0:49:17 | 0:49:24 | |
The Minister will know that motor
neurone disease is a degenerative | 0:49:24 | 0:49:28 | |
disease. Could I ask, therefore,
what plans they have to insure that | 0:49:28 | 0:49:33 | |
people who suffer from that terrible
disease don't have to be reassessed | 0:49:33 | 0:49:37 | |
for PIP? I thank my honourable
friend for that question. The length | 0:49:37 | 0:49:44 | |
of the award is based on individual
circumstances and can vary from nine | 0:49:44 | 0:49:47 | |
months to an ongoing ward with a
very light touch review, at the | 0:49:47 | 0:49:52 | |
10-year point. With somebody as my
honourable friend describes, it is | 0:49:52 | 0:49:57 | |
very unlikely they would have
another face-to-face assessment with | 0:49:57 | 0:50:01 | |
a health care professional. We all
know that the Government is bogged | 0:50:01 | 0:50:06 | |
down in all manner of ways and have
been slow to develop secondary | 0:50:06 | 0:50:10 | |
legislation for several new acts.
Can the Minister tell the house when | 0:50:10 | 0:50:13 | |
he will bring forward regulations to
enact defined contribution and give | 0:50:13 | 0:50:18 | |
pension savers the opportunity of a
vastly increased benefits system, | 0:50:18 | 0:50:23 | |
predicted by the pensions policy
Institute and Schroders? These | 0:50:23 | 0:50:28 | |
matters are being considered and
will be addressed in the New Year. | 0:50:28 | 0:50:33 | |
Can the Minister update the house
with the pensions dashboard and | 0:50:33 | 0:50:38 | |
confirm that all pension schemes
will be required to release the | 0:50:38 | 0:50:40 | |
conference of data required to make
the system useful? I am very firmly | 0:50:40 | 0:50:47 | |
committed to delivering the pensions
dashboard. Its introduction will | 0:50:47 | 0:50:50 | |
clearly transform the way people
think about retirement. I will make | 0:50:50 | 0:50:54 | |
a statement in the spring which will
tackle some of the delivery | 0:50:54 | 0:50:57 | |
challenges, including the point of
the honourable gentleman raises. | 0:50:57 | 0:51:01 | |
There is a feasibility study that is
ongoing. There is a stakeholder | 0:51:01 | 0:51:04 | |
meeting on December the 11th and I
would urge him to come along to | 0:51:04 | 0:51:08 | |
that, as will many interested
stakeholders. How does the increased | 0:51:08 | 0:51:14 | |
conditionality associated with
Universal Credit, for example the | 0:51:14 | 0:51:16 | |
requirement to attend or frequently
at job centres, square with the DWP | 0:51:16 | 0:51:19 | |
Estates reviewing the decision to
close job centres, starting with | 0:51:19 | 0:51:23 | |
Merry Hill in my constituency, which
I have recently visited? Mr Speaker, | 0:51:23 | 0:51:30 | |
we do have a comprehensive network
of job centres across the United | 0:51:30 | 0:51:33 | |
Kingdom, more in Scotland and
England and more again in Glasgow | 0:51:33 | 0:51:36 | |
than other cities. The Universal
Credit is a system which works to | 0:51:36 | 0:51:40 | |
help to support people to get into
work and it is the right system. | 0:51:40 | 0:51:45 | |
Does my right honourable friend
share my concern that the inaccurate | 0:51:45 | 0:51:48 | |
use of Universal Credit statistics
can cause huge distress and concern | 0:51:48 | 0:51:53 | |
to vulnerable claimants? And that
everyone has a duty to check their | 0:51:53 | 0:51:56 | |
facts before using them in this
house? I agree. Can I give one | 0:51:56 | 0:52:02 | |
example? Speaking from that dispatch
box, the Leader of the Opposition | 0:52:02 | 0:52:05 | |
recently said that Gloucester city
Holmes had evicted one in eight of | 0:52:05 | 0:52:11 | |
Universal Credit tenants. If true,
it would amount to 650 tenants being | 0:52:11 | 0:52:16 | |
evicted. Gloucester city Holmes have
themselves described it does not | 0:52:16 | 0:52:20 | |
factually accurate. In fact, a total
of eight credits have been evicted. | 0:52:20 | 0:52:27 | |
All of them had considerable rent
arrears well before moving on to | 0:52:27 | 0:52:31 | |
Universal Credit. In one case, I
understand they had not been | 0:52:31 | 0:52:35 | |
resident in the property for 18
months. Mr Speaker, many veterans | 0:52:35 | 0:52:41 | |
with psychological injuries carry
out physical activity as part of | 0:52:41 | 0:52:44 | |
their rehabilitation process. But
some are reporting that they have | 0:52:44 | 0:52:48 | |
been sanctioned because of this. Can
the Secretary of State give his | 0:52:48 | 0:52:52 | |
guarantee that his government will
no longer sanction recovering | 0:52:52 | 0:52:55 | |
veterans? I will, of course, look at
the facts of the case. I cannot make | 0:52:55 | 0:53:04 | |
a blank and commitment. Obviously
one has to look at the particular | 0:53:04 | 0:53:07 | |
circumstances. -- a blanket
commitment. We do recognise and | 0:53:07 | 0:53:12 | |
support our veterans at every
opportunity. Mr Speaker, a | 0:53:12 | 0:53:18 | |
constituency recently contacted me
concerned about the amount of time | 0:53:18 | 0:53:20 | |
they are having to wait for their
tribunal hearing. Will my right | 0:53:20 | 0:53:25 | |
honourable friend make
representations to the Ministry of | 0:53:25 | 0:53:28 | |
Justice about the efficiency of HM
Courts and tribunals? I am happy to | 0:53:28 | 0:53:34 | |
convey my honourable friend's
concerns. Where is the fellow? | 0:53:34 | 0:53:43 | |
I will take his place, thank you. My
local authority is having to set | 0:53:45 | 0:53:52 | |
aside £1 million to mitigate for the
devastating impact of the role of | 0:53:52 | 0:53:56 | |
Universal Credit, the impact it is
having on families, including having | 0:53:56 | 0:54:00 | |
to hire extra staff to deal with
rent arrears, which they expect to | 0:54:00 | 0:54:03 | |
increase by 5%. At all levels
government in Scotland forced to | 0:54:03 | 0:54:08 | |
pick up the government's slack, does
he not have to pause the roll-out | 0:54:08 | 0:54:14 | |
now? Universal Credit is going to
help transform lives. It is already | 0:54:14 | 0:54:21 | |
doing it. Transforming a positively
by giving people the opportunity to | 0:54:21 | 0:54:26 | |
work and to progress in work. I just
have to say that the SNP can join | 0:54:26 | 0:54:30 | |
the Labour Party in being on the
wrong side of the adamant and | 0:54:30 | 0:54:33 | |
history will not forgive them for
it. -- of the argument. Since 2010, | 0:54:33 | 0:54:40 | |
discover mug has overseen remarkable
job creation. My predecessor, | 0:54:40 | 0:54:43 | |
formerly of the SNP benches, has
just secured a very well-paid media | 0:54:43 | 0:54:48 | |
position with Yorkshire Today. Would
the Minister agree with me that | 0:54:48 | 0:54:53 | |
people must be flexible about career
choices to get on? | 0:54:53 | 0:54:59 | |
We sometimes hear enough fake news
within this chamber. To see the | 0:55:02 | 0:55:14 | |
former leader of the SNP find
themselves employed by a purveyor of | 0:55:14 | 0:55:17 | |
fake news is disappointing, even if
we welcome employment opportunities | 0:55:17 | 0:55:19 | |
in the round. Universal Credit is
proving to be a real challenge for | 0:55:19 | 0:55:27 | |
people who are self-employed as it
fails to account for fluctuations in | 0:55:27 | 0:55:32 | |
income from one month to another,
meaning many are losing out on | 0:55:32 | 0:55:36 | |
hundreds of pounds of lost benefits.
This is totally counter to the | 0:55:36 | 0:55:40 | |
aspirational vision of Universal
Credit that the Government preaches. | 0:55:40 | 0:55:46 | |
Will the Minister committed to
immediately reviewing the benefits' | 0:55:46 | 0:55:51 | |
suitability for the self-employed
and fixing this anomaly? On the | 0:55:51 | 0:55:57 | |
contrary, Universal Credit
specifically responds each month to | 0:55:57 | 0:55:59 | |
what earnings have been in that
month. That is at the heart of its | 0:55:59 | 0:56:02 | |
design. We do want to help people
that are in self-employment to grow | 0:56:02 | 0:56:05 | |
their earnings and dimension that
they have sustainable remunerative | 0:56:05 | 0:56:08 | |
work. That is why we haven't used a
new programme within the new | 0:56:08 | 0:56:12 | |
enterprise allowance to help you do
just that. Great unhappiness | 0:56:12 | 0:56:17 | |
continues surrounding the issues of
pensions and the women who have come | 0:56:17 | 0:56:24 | |
to see us in our constituencies.
There is a plan to have a Private | 0:56:24 | 0:56:28 | |
members Bill next year. Does my
right honourable friend not agree | 0:56:28 | 0:56:30 | |
that given the continuing
accusations and counter accusations | 0:56:30 | 0:56:34 | |
as to whether people were told not
that it would be worthwhile to have | 0:56:34 | 0:56:37 | |
the debate? Will he support such
idea? I am grateful to my right | 0:56:37 | 0:56:44 | |
honourable friend for his question
and I have no doubt that there will | 0:56:44 | 0:56:47 | |
continue to be debates on this
matter. As my honourable friend the | 0:56:47 | 0:56:50 | |
pensions minister has already
declared, we are not going to be | 0:56:50 | 0:56:56 | |
deviating from the policy we have
set out. | 0:56:56 | 0:57:05 | |
12% of council tenants in the
Universal Credit pilot accumulated | 0:57:05 | 0:57:12 | |
by .3 million pounds rent arrears.
Given his astonishing refusal in the | 0:57:12 | 0:57:17 | |
face of such evidence to halt the
roll-out, can the Secretary of State | 0:57:17 | 0:57:22 | |
to say precisely what he is doing to
stop more on my constituents being | 0:57:22 | 0:57:25 | |
made homeless as a consequence of
this decision? Again, I come back to | 0:57:25 | 0:57:31 | |
this throwing around of accusations.
In terms of, we had the Leader of | 0:57:31 | 0:57:37 | |
the Opposition claiming that 650
people were being evicted, had been | 0:57:37 | 0:57:43 | |
evicted because of Universal Credit.
We are not seeing convictions in the | 0:57:43 | 0:57:47 | |
social rental sector and there are
clear reasons why that does not | 0:57:47 | 0:57:50 | |
happen. What we are getting from the
party opposite is scaremongering for | 0:57:50 | 0:57:59 | |
potential Universal Credit
claimants, which is creating | 0:57:59 | 0:58:01 | |
unnecessary anxiety. Would he agree
with me and congratulate boxed OCA | 0:58:01 | 0:58:08 | |
be? We have Universal Credit rolled
out next year and they are putting | 0:58:08 | 0:58:14 | |
together the relevant agencies to
make some law we are ready for it. | 0:58:14 | 0:58:19 | |
And what you look at whether or not
for a very small amount of money my | 0:58:19 | 0:58:24 | |
CAB could have one person to deal
with all the cases, and we can make | 0:58:24 | 0:58:28 | |
this work as we all know it should
work? I will take that as a spending | 0:58:28 | 0:58:35 | |
bid from my right honourable friend.
But she is right to highlight the | 0:58:35 | 0:58:40 | |
role of the Citizens Advice Bureau
and I met with some in St Albans and | 0:58:40 | 0:58:46 | |
Bedford last week and whether CAB
works closely with the Job Centres, | 0:58:46 | 0:58:49 | |
it helps deliver the support people
need and I very much welcome that. | 0:58:49 | 0:58:55 | |
My constituent was moved onto
Universal Credit in January 2016 and | 0:58:55 | 0:58:59 | |
has been given a 132 day sanction
and treated by psychiatric services | 0:58:59 | 0:59:04 | |
and will be back to look into her
case because it is very sensitive. I | 0:59:04 | 0:59:11 | |
am happy to receive representations
from the honourable member on that | 0:59:11 | 0:59:15 | |
case. I cannot talk about
individuals matters but happy to | 0:59:15 | 0:59:18 | |
look at that case.
What is my right honourable friend | 0:59:18 | 0:59:24 | |
doing to close loopholes designed to
avoid child maintenance payments? | 0:59:24 | 0:59:34 | |
Where a nonresident payment fails to
pay on time or in full, we endeavour | 0:59:34 | 0:59:40 | |
to immediately try and establish
compliance before enforcement action | 0:59:40 | 0:59:42 | |
is needed. We have a range of powers
including the forced sale of | 0:59:42 | 0:59:49 | |
property, disqualification from
driving or commitments to prison. | 0:59:49 | 0:59:51 | |
But we are exploring options to
expand this to form part of the new | 0:59:51 | 0:59:58 | |
compliance strategy shortly, Mr
Speaker. Members of the British | 0:59:58 | 1:00:05 | |
Steel pension scheme need to decide
whether to go into the pension | 1:00:05 | 1:00:09 | |
scheme or the PPF by December the 11
but there is a lack of clarity | 1:00:09 | 1:00:14 | |
around high low pensioners in the
PPF and whether that might change | 1:00:14 | 1:00:20 | |
after that point. Can the Secretary
of State look at this so the | 1:00:20 | 1:00:23 | |
information is available for people
make that decision? | 1:00:23 | 1:00:28 | |
I acknowledge the issue the
honourable gentleman is setting out. | 1:00:28 | 1:00:31 | |
If he contacts me, I will sit down
with him and go through it in more | 1:00:31 | 1:00:35 | |
detail. It is a matter for the
trustees | 1:00:35 | 1:00:37 |