Contributions
803 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, and he is right to say that we should focus on the big changes we are making to support pensioners, which in England are rescuing the NHS…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentThe hon. Lady’s question gives me the opportunity to praise the work done by all kinds of charities—in some cases through supporting pension credit uptake and, in the case of…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentMy hon. Friend always does a good job of not only representing Harlow, but remembering the economic progress that is being made. If anyone did not hear what he just said, he…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI have already discussed with the hon. Member for Honiton and Sidmouth (Richard Foord) the question of people just over the pension credit threshold. I recognise that issue and I…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentThat is absolutely right. I think every Member of this House will have heard from people on higher incomes who think it makes no sense at all that they receive hundreds of pounds…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentThe hon. Gentleman asks where Scottish Labour MPs have been, so I will tell him: campaigning in Hamilton, making sure there is a Labour MSP and that in a year’s time there will be…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentThis is a Chancellor who has brought stability and growth back to the economy and got wages growing once again; one who is driving investment in our public services, which will…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentIt is a fair question. All means-test thresholds do involve judgments—I have been completely honest with the House about that—and the judgment we have come to is that we want to…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI congratulate my hon. Friend on the work that he and others have been involved in in Hartlepool. Driving up the take-up of all benefits so that people get the support to which…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI thank the hon. Member for raising that point. It is important that those in need of healthcare, in particular, receive support. It is not that we see higher levels of challenge…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI cannot compete with my hon. Friend in making a powerful case that the SNP Government in Edinburgh do need to think again.09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentMy view is that all pensioners are being supported by our higher level of the basic state pension and the new state pension, supported by the difficult decisions that the…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI almost always agree with my hon. Friend, so the answer is yes. He also provides me with an opportunity to clarify a point that has not been covered in the last hour or so: the…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI absolutely recognise the hon. Member’s question, and I spoke to the Northern Ireland Executive earlier today. We will ensure that the Executive receive the budget adjustments in…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI think I agree with my hon. Friend, in the sense that the tax system is a progressive tax system. That is the purpose for which it is being used in this case—to drive fairer…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI agree that we should welcome all Labour Back Benchers, because they are the people going through the Lobbies every day to keep in place a Labour Government who are saving public…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI am glad to hear about my hon. Friend’s previous role, and it is encouraging to see what charities representing older people have put out over the last few hours. As I said…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI remember discussing exactly that with the hon. Member. All means tests have pros and cons, but by having a much higher threshold—in particular a higher threshold relative to the…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentThat is a serious matter. There are poorer households, with people of all ages, that have been struggling with energy bills in recent years. I am sure that all of us across this…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI thank my hon. Friend for her question and, in particular, for her hard work to drive take-up of pension credit. Forget winter fuel payments—pension credit is a really important…09 Jun 2025