Contributions
992 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDState Pension Age: EqualisationAs I said, additional money was put into the system, but ultimately this is a question of fairness between generations. We need to make sure that we keep the state pension…12 Jun 2019HANSARDState Pension Age: EqualisationI am sure the hon. Gentleman will acknowledge that additional money was put into the system—an extra £1.1 billion—which means that women in this cohort will benefit.12 Jun 2019HANSARDState Pension Age: EqualisationThe Government of the day decided more than 20 years ago that they were going to make the state pension age the same for men and women in a long overdue move towards gender…12 Jun 2019HANSARDWelfare PoliciesWe in the DWP have introduced a range of measures across the whole Government to make sure that we are supporting those across all sectors of society into work. As I said, the…12 Jun 2019HANSARDWelfare PoliciesOf course I will look at the correspondence and make sure that the appropriate Minister meets the hon. Lady.12 Jun 2019HANSARDWelfare PoliciesMy right hon. Friend is absolutely right. In the universal credit system, we have one-to-one support provided by work coaches, and it is working. We have just seen the figures…12 Jun 2019HANSARDWelfare PoliciesThe welfare system treats individuals of all genders equally. It provides support and incentives to claimants to enter employment and progress in work. The Department for Work and…12 Jun 2019HANSARDEmployment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs CouncilThe Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will take place on 13th June 2019 in Luxembourg. Kelly Tolhurst, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the…10 Jun 2019HANSARDUniversal Credit and DebtI will not, because I literally have just a couple of minutes left. As I was saying, the number of children in workless households in the UK is down by 665,000 since 2010. There…05 Jun 2019HANSARDUniversal Credit and DebtIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray, in this very important debate secured by the hon. Member for High Peak (Ruth George). Whatever our political…05 Jun 2019HANSARDUniversal Credit and DebtThe hon. Gentleman will know that we inherited dire financial circumstances from the Opposition—I know that colleagues will not be happy at my mentioning that—and that is why we…05 Jun 2019HANSARDUniversal Credit and DebtI am sorry that the hon. Lady is unhappy, but that is a statement of fact.05 Jun 2019HANSARDUniversal Credit and DebtAlso, individuals will receive that money as an advance to their universal credit payment, so they will receive 13 payments over a 12-month period. I make it absolutely clear once…05 Jun 2019HANSARDUniversal Credit and DebtI will not, as there is quite a lot to get through. From this October, the Government will reduce the maximum rate at which deductions can be made from a universal credit award…05 Jun 2019HANSARDTopical QuestionsYes, I will of course meet the hon. Lady.13 May 2019HANSARDTopical QuestionsI would just point out to the hon. Lady that, under the legacy benefits system, there are £2.4 billion of unclaimed benefits. That is changing and being fixed under universal…13 May 2019HANSARDUniversal CreditUnder universal credit, our work coaches provide vital one-to-one support to all claimants. Work coaches receive appropriate training to ensure that they can offer support to…13 May 2019HANSARDUniversal CreditMy hon. Friend is absolutely right: the test and learn approach has allowed us to adapt the delivery of universal credit to support claimants more fully. Examples include:…13 May 2019HANSARDUniversal CreditOf course there is a range of reasons why people make use of food banks, but what is important is that the DWP makes sure that we get funds to claimants in a timely manner. The…13 May 2019HANSARDUniversal CreditMy hon. Friend raises a very important point. Under universal credit, up to 85% of childcare costs can be covered and, as the Secretary of State announced earlier this year, we…13 May 2019