Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Deprivation: Benefits Policy

Monday 21 March 2022 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Edward Leigh requested a meeting with the Minister to discuss pilot schemes in the most deprived wards.
  • The Minister stated that the priority is to assist people in gaining skills to move into work.
  • The Minister mentioned the Household Support Fund, which has provided 500 million to help vulnerable individuals.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Edward Leigh Con Gainsborough
Housing Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question was prompted by the high level of deprivation in Gainsborough South West ward, which is the 24th most deprived ward in the country. Food bank use has also significantly increased over the last decade.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to tackle deprivation through its benefits policy? I represent Gainsborough South West ward, the 24th most deprived in the country. I wonder whether the Minister would like to come to Gainsborough and discuss with me how we can have pilot schemes, perhaps in the 100 most deprived wards in the country, to really tackle the problem of deprivation with a cross-Government approach that would improve universal credit and tax credits to get people into work and keep them in work, help businesses create jobs in those wards and, above all, help with housing.

Answer from David Rutley

It is always a good idea to meet my right hon. Friend and I will look forward to that. He is absolutely right: the best way to assist people is to help them gain the skills they need to move into work and to progress in work. In Gainsborough, the local jobcentre has worked in partnership with the local council, training providers and the owners of a local business park to recruit staff for a new hospitality venue called the Caldero Lounge through a sector-based work academy programme to help get unemployed people back into work, and there is another SWAP already in train in his constituency.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Pilot schemes were not directly addressed; instead, he spoke about current initiatives in Gainsborough.

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Q2 Edward Leigh Con Gainsborough
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

Food bank use has increased dramatically, with the Trussell Trust distributing 2.5 million emergency food parcels in 2020-21 compared to 40,000 in 2010.

Question

Back in the real world, we have seen food bank use rocket over the last 12 years—the Trussell Trust alone distributed 2.5 million emergency food parcels in 2020-21 compared with 40,000 in 2010—and it is set to balloon further as the cost of living soars. That is not tackling poverty through the benefits policy. What does the Minister think went wrong with the welfare state under the Conservatives?

Answer from David Rutley

With a record 1.3 million vacancies in the UK, our top priority needs to be to get people into work. We have the household support fund to help people who have vulnerabilities in their lives. That has played a very important role, with £500 million.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question about what went wrong was not directly addressed; instead, focus on current vacancies and support funds.

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Q3 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Economy Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Centre for Social Justice report highlights that over a million people have been driven into illegal money lending, with pressures on household budgets and low financial resilience expected to worsen.

Question

The new report from the centre-right Centre for Social Justice is about the latest scourge to hit the desperate and the destitute: illegal money lending. Over a million people have been driven into the arms of illegal money lenders. The report—by the Centre for Social Justice, not the Labour party—states that pressures on household budgets, low financial resilience and increasingly limited credit options are creating “a perfect storm”, driving people towards exploitation. Given soaring inflation and falling real living standards, does the Minister expect that there will be more or fewer people in destitution this year?

Answer from David Rutley

We work hard to ensure that people receive the money they need and we also work hard to ensure people get into work. As far as people needing debt management advice, we can do that through our jobcentres. The Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Guy Opperman), also does a huge amount of work in this area to provide the right sort of advice on money and pensions.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific question about more or fewer people in destitution was not directly addressed; instead, focus on debt management through jobcentres.

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Q4 Karen Buck Lab
Benefits & Welfare
Context

In February, there were 9,846 people claiming universal credit in Darlington.

Question

My hon. Friend will know that in February, 9,846 people were claiming universal credit in Darlington. Does he agree that the decision to increase the living wage, extend the work allowance and reduce the taper rate will massively improve the income of people on universal credit?

Answer from David Rutley

Absolutely. We want to make sure that work pays, and my hon. Friend has highlighted that fantastically.

Answered
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Q5 Peter Gibson
Housing Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question was prompted by the high level of deprivation in Gainsborough South West ward, which is the 24th most deprived ward in the country.

Question

I wonder whether the Minister would like to come to Gainsborough and discuss with me how we can have pilot schemes, perhaps in the 100 most deprived wards in the country, to really tackle the problem of deprivation with a cross-Government approach that would improve universal credit and tax credits to get people into work and keep them in work, help businesses create jobs in those wards and, above all, help with housing. Is that not a good idea?

Answer from David Rutley

It is always a good idea to meet my right hon. Friend, and I will look forward to that. He is absolutely right: the best way to assist people is to help them gain the skills they need to move into work and to progress in work. In Gainsborough, the local jobcentre has worked in partnership with the local council, training providers and the owners of a local business park to recruit staff for a new hospitality venue called the Caldero Lounge through a sector-based work academy programme to help get unemployed people back into work, and there is another SWAP already in train in his constituency.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Pilot schemes were not directly addressed; instead, focus on current initiatives in Gainsborough.

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