Contributions
1,730 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Cost of Living Increases: PensionersNo, I will not. The extra support is on top of a range of existing help for pensioners, including: winter fuel payments, which support over 11 million pensioners’ energy bills and…21 Mar 2022HANSARD Cost of Living Increases: PensionersThe hon. Lady asks a valid question. As I have said to the House before, tackling the cost of living and poverty more broadly is shared across Government. Although that may come…21 Mar 2022HANSARD Cost of Living Increases: PensionersI am not aware of any Minister trying to say to people that we did this because it was unaffordable. As a result of the pandemic, there was a statistical anomaly relating to…21 Mar 2022HANSARD Cost of Living Increases: PensionersAny uplift in the national living wage is welcome to anybody still working. Our normal practice on standard national insurance for employees is that once someone reaches pension…21 Mar 2022HANSARD Cost of Living Increases: PensionersThe hon. Lady raises a valid point. I know that we have had paid advertising in post offices and in GPs’ waiting areas in the past; doctors often tell us that they do not…21 Mar 2022HANSARDCost of LivingI agree with my hon. Friend that we should be doing and want to do more on child maintenance. There are a number of reasons why sometimes parents are not so keen on that process.…21 Mar 2022HANSARDCost of LivingThe House has just recently voted through the uprating order, recognising the traditional way in which the inflation index is used. We will continue to strive to get more people…21 Mar 2022HANSARDCost of LivingThe Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (David Rutley), has set out the inflation index that has been used consistently…21 Mar 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe still have the household support fund, which is available for people to apply to, to get extra support from their local council. I encourage people who are struggling right now…21 Mar 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsAs was explained at the time of the emergency legislation, the increase in earnings was a statistical anomaly due to the impacts of covid. That is why the Opposition supported the…21 Mar 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI said the Opposition; the SNP might be the second Opposition party. The Labour Opposition did support the Bill until it came back from the Lords. There was a lot of support at…21 Mar 2022HANSARD Cost of Living Increases: PensionersThe right hon. Gentleman asked multiple questions earlier and I answered at least one of them, but the answer is yes, I do make that commitment.21 Mar 2022HANSARD Cost of Living Increases: PensionersThe Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee slightly pre-empts where I am heading with pension credit in my speech. On the household support fund, within the lifetime of the…21 Mar 2022HANSARD Cost of Living Increases: PensionersThe hon. Lady has already made one intervention, and I want to make some progress. The right hon. Member for Leicester South asked about issues relating to state pension…21 Mar 2022HANSARDWork and PensionsThe sanction regime has not changed. In fact, sanctions have been at a record low over the past year. We are applying a sensible approach, recognising the number of vacancies, so…28 Feb 2022HANSARDWork and PensionsThe sanction regime has not changed. In fact, sanctions have been at a record low in the past year . We are applying a sensible approach, recognising the number of vacancies, so…28 Feb 2022HANSARDVulnerable Children: SupportI do not think we have undertaken that assessment. Of course, a benefit of being part of the United Kingdom is the subsequent extra money per head that is given through the…07 Feb 2022HANSARDWork Coaches in JobcentresI do not agree with my hon. Friend’s suggestion about the external assessment. I have asked one of my team to look into his report and I am sure we can arrange a suitable meeting,…07 Feb 2022HANSARDWork Coaches in JobcentresThe hon. Lady will recognise that this is an operational matter, but she is incorrect; I am conscious that she may have been given that information separately. Last week the…07 Feb 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am pleased that we have launched Way to Work to help job-ready people get into jobs as quickly as possible. The new approach is focused in particular on bringing many more…07 Feb 2022