Contributions
1,730 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCovid-19: DWP UpdateThe bereavement support payment supports working-age people who have lost a spouse or civil partner after 6 April 2017 by contributing to the more immediate additional costs…04 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: DWP UpdateThe Department supports a number of schemes around the country; I am not aware of the specific one to which the hon. Gentleman refers. They will continue, I am sure, to be…04 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: DWP UpdateMy hon. Friend is right to raise that matter. Our communication about staying at home has been very effective, but we have also said from the start that people should try to work…04 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: DWP UpdateOn the question about the self-employed, where people have assets—for example, savings set aside for paying tax—they need to check carefully and go through that as they make their…04 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: DWP UpdateI do not agree with the hon. Gentleman; I think UC has reacted very well to the increased challenge. However, I would say to him that there were initially problems with the online…04 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: DWP UpdateOur new estimates are being published today or tomorrow, I believe, so I will refer my right hon. Friend to that for the particular element of delegated spend. Overall, however,…04 May 2020HANSARDIn-work Progression CommissionThe Department for Work and Pensions is establishing an In-work Progression Commission in order to increase its evidence base and support policy development on helping people to…16 Mar 2020HANSARDContingencies Fund AdvanceParliamentary approval for additional resources of £1,500,000,000 will be sought in a supplementary estimate for the Department for Work and Pensions. Pending that approval,…13 Mar 2020HANSARDChild PovertyThere are 743,000 fewer children in workless households compared with 2010. The evidence shows that work is the best route out of poverty, and a child living in a household where…09 Mar 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe coronavirus is currently dominating my work at the DWP. The Department is fully prepared for all eventualities and has conducted extensive planning against reasonable…09 Mar 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsI have tried to make it clear to the House, and will again, that—as has been said quite often—people who do the right thing, whether they are required to self-isolate or are…09 Mar 2020HANSARDPeople with Disabilities: Financial AssistanceMy right hon. Friend may not be aware of this, but people with disabilities undertaking an apprenticeship can receive assistance from the Access to Work scheme to overcome…09 Mar 2020HANSARDPeople with Disabilities: Financial AssistanceI commend my right hon. Friend for his passion and work on this particularly important issue. The year 2020 is crucial for our work on disability with not only the Green Paper,…09 Mar 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe hon. Lady will be aware that the £118 a week is an average over eight weeks, and it will swing about whether people are eligible or not. I have tried to make it clear to the…09 Mar 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe are working, right across Government, on a number of different scenarios. We are preparing guidance carefully and I assure the hon. Gentleman that rapid progress is being made.…09 Mar 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsI have tried to make clear to the House that people will not be penalised for doing the right thing. It is important that people have that conversation with their work coach. As I…09 Mar 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsThis is one of the issues on my agenda for us to take forward a consistent and coherent approach, recognising the issue of cohabitees and the impact this can have on children. We…09 Mar 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsLHAs will of course go up by 1%; I signed that off last year. The hon. Lady will also be aware of the discretionary housing payments that we have been making widely available to…09 Mar 2020HANSARDChild PovertyThe hon. Gentleman will be aware that child benefit continues to be paid for all children, as well as an additional amount for any disabled children. He is hitting the wrong note…09 Mar 2020HANSARDChild PovertyI am conscious of CPAG’s report, which tends to use the relative “after housing costs” poverty measure. However, it is important to say this about the relative element; if we go…09 Mar 2020