Social Security

The working-age benefits freeze, which has been in place since 2016, has led to a cut in the real level of benefits by 6%. This has resulted in child poverty and homelessness at alarming levels. Families living in poverty are now a total of £560 worse off annually due to the four-year freeze. The increase proposed is insufficient given the previous cuts.

The reduction in social security benefits has led to an increase in child poverty, as concluded by charities such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The impact of harsh policies like the two-child limit and the five-week wait has forced many families to turn to food banks.

The working-age benefits freeze has widened the discrepancy between pensioners' protection through the triple lock and those on working-age benefits. These cuts have been self-defeating, as research shows that restoring local housing allowance rates would save billions in long-term costs.

The cuts to social security are politically motivated and have led to increased poverty and hardship. Restoring local housing allowance rates would help alleviate some of the financial strain on families in private rented accommodation.

Asked for Labour's position on benefit increases, noting that the Government has proposed an overall cost but did not receive a direct response regarding Labour's plans for increases and costs to taxpayers.

The Conservative Government's attempts to address the mess caused by austerity measures are inadequate. The four-year benefit freeze, along with subsequent cuts, have led to a significant decline in working-age benefits and tax credits. Affected benefits will be around 6% lower in 2020-21 than they would have been under CPI indexation since 2010. Child poverty rates have soared, with 250,000 children living in poverty in Scotland alone. Poverty is a result of political choices made by the Government over the last decade.

Asked Chris Stephens about Citizens Advice's proposal to uprate frozen benefits not just by CPI but by CPI plus 2% for four years. This would address the imbalance caused by the benefit freeze.

Acknowledged Debbie Abrahams' suggestion regarding the Citizens Advice proposal and expressed hope that the Government will consider it. Discussed the housing crisis, particularly in England, noting a 60% rise in households living in temporary accommodation between 2012 and 2018 and nearly doubling of rough sleepers over five years.

Welcomed the end to the benefits freeze but noted that seven years without inflation uprating have caused significant issues. Jobseeker’s allowance for a single adult will be £74.35 per week, which is one sixth less than it would be if RPI had been used since 2010. Child benefit similarly suffers from underfunding. Citizens Advice research shows that the proportion of people with no money left after covering living costs increased from 32% in 2016 to 38% by 2019 due to the freeze.

Pressed Stephen Timms about his concern regarding the Government's proposed increase in benefits, questioning whether it will sufficiently rectify the social security situation.

Agreed with Debbie Abrahams, expressing concern that while the situation won't worsen significantly, the damage caused by austerity measures over a decade cannot be adequately addressed by current proposals.

Critiques the household benefit cap for its lack of consideration towards diverse family structures and needs.

Questions the Minister about the adequacy of benefits under inflation, the rationale behind benefit reductions, and the future definition of RPI. He highlights the issue with local housing allowance not keeping up with rental costs, leading to homelessness and severe living conditions for families on benefits.