Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Social Security Payments: Cost of Living

Monday 23 January 2023 · 10 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department has completed an annual review confirming benefits and pensions will increase by 10.1% in April 2023, subject to parliamentary approval.
  • The DWP is interested in outcomes of work done by the Scottish Government on the child payment system and emphasizes that benefits are not the route out of poverty.
  • Over 8 million households will receive additional cost of living payments up to 900 in 2023-24, with the Government committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families through welfare spending of 111 billion.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Joanna Cherry SNP
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question arises from concerns about the adequacy of social security payments in light of rising costs.

Question

What recent assessment has been made by the Department regarding the adequacy of social security payments considering the increases in cost of living?

Answer from Mims Davies

The Department has completed an annual review led by the Secretary of State, confirming benefits and pensions will increase by 10.1% in April 2023, subject to parliamentary approval. The Government have provided cost of living support worth over £37 billion in 2022-23 and will provide more than £1 billion further cost of living payments in 2023-24.

Answered
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Q2 Martyn Day SNP
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question addresses the impact of changes to the universal credit administrative earnings threshold which may affect social security payments for many people.

Question

Given that 600,000 more people will risk having their vital social security payments sanctioned due to changes in the universal credit administrative earnings threshold, will the UK Government match Scotland's lead with its child payment programme and introduce a similar measure UK-wide?

Answer from Mims Davies

The DWP is actively working with the Scottish Government on the delivery of the Scottish child payment system. The AET changes have been positively received, encouraging people to earn more and take on additional hours to progress through work.

Partly answered

Not addressed: the specific ask for a UK-wide minimum income scheme was not addressed

How: The Positive Reception Of Aet Changes

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Q3 Brendan O'Hara SNP Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
Economy Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

The SNP has long criticized the Government's poverty-inducing policies such as the benefit cap and two-child limit.

Question

Given that Bright Blue, a Conservative think-tank, says the welfare system is not providing sufficient support and advocates for a minimum income scheme, will the Minister listen to this advice?

Answer from Mims Davies

The DWP is interested in outcomes of work done by the Scottish Government on the child payment system. The Minister emphasizes that benefits are not the route out of poverty and supports people progressing through work.

Partly answered

Not addressed: the specific ask for a minimum income scheme was not addressed

How: Interest In Scottish Government'S Outcomes

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Q4 Patrick Grady SNP
Benefits & Welfare Women & Equalities Children & Families
Context

The SNP is concerned about the impact of the two-child policy and sanctions on women-led single-parent households facing high food prices.

Question

Given that food prices rose by 16.8% in the year to December, disproportionately affecting households with children, particularly led by women, how are the Government protecting these families from their restrictive policies?

Answer from Mims Davies

The term 'rape clause' is inappropriate. The Government supports families through interventions like the national living wage and cost of living support, focusing on work as a route out of poverty with 1.16 million vacancies available.

Partly answered

Not addressed: the specific ask about protection from restrictive policies was not addressed

How: Inappropriateness Of Term, Positive Aspects Of Interventions

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Q5 Joanna Cherry SNP
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

Human Rights Watch criticised the UK Government's restrictive social security policies as having a negative impact on families with children.

Question

Given that Human Rights Watch gave a damning review of restrictive social security policies impacting the right to an adequate standard of living, food and housing for families, should these policies be scrapped during the cost of living crisis?

Answer from Mims Davies

Over 8 million households will receive additional cost of living payments up to £900 in 2023-24, with more to come. The Government are committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families through welfare spending of £111 billion.

Partly answered

Not addressed: the specific ask about scrapping policies was not addressed

How: Commitment To Reduce Poverty

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Q6 Esther McVey Con Tatton
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question discusses the need for changes in benefits systems to ensure work pays, especially with many people out of the workforce.

Question

When making changes to the benefits system, should the Minister always be mindful of ensuring that work pays and getting more people back into the workforce?

Answer from Mims Davies

The Government focus on ensuring work pays by cutting taper rates, managing AETs, looking at in-work progression and supporting people to drop out of labour markets.

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Q7 Theresa Villiers Con
Economy Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question refers to the cost of living challenge and emphasizes the need for inflation reduction.

Question

A crucial way to help people in the benefits system is to get inflation down, so can I urge the Government to ensure that they deliver the reduction in inflation that we desperately need?

Answer from Mims Davies

My right hon. Friend is exactly right. We have heard about the cost of living challenge, but this is a global challenge; it is not only for us. We absolutely need to work together so that every family is doing better.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer discusses the cost of living but does not provide specific measures or commitments to reduce inflation.

How: Global Challenge

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Q8 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question is about the need for better-paid employment opportunities for low-income families.

Question

The best solution for low-income families is not increases in universal credit but access to better-paid employment, so will the Minister join me in encouraging the 1,130 universal credit claimants in Broadland to come to my jobs fair on 10 March at Taverham High School?

Answer from Mims Davies

I love a jobs fair; I have another one coming up in March in my own constituency of Mid Sussex. Opening up opportunities for people just down the road can often make the difference, and I applaud my hon. Friend for doing this. Every Member should be having their own jobs fair.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer avoids committing to join in promoting the specific event mentioned.

How: Applauds But Does Not Commit

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Q9 Philip Hollobone Con
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question praises the efforts of Citizens Advice in helping people access cost of living payment support.

Question

Will the Minister join me in congratulating and thanking the volunteers at citizens advice bureaux, especially the one in Kettering, for the work they do to help people access cost of living payment support? What more can the Government do to signpost people to the unprecedented level of support that is available?

Answer from Mims Davies

I thank my hon. Friend for raising the wonderful work of Citizens Advice, which does so much in Kettering and across the country, and indeed delivers our Help to Claim service. The benefits calculator on gov.uk and Help for Households can also support people; many do not know those resources are there. We are absolutely here for people and there is more out there. I will ensure that the household support fund is clearly branded and reaches people who may be just managing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific measures beyond general statements about existing resources.

How: Existing Resources

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Q10 David Linden SNP
Benefits & Welfare Women & Equalities
Context

The question discusses the government's requirement for survivors of rape to prove their child was born as a result of sexual assault.

Question

The Minister seemed to be appalled by the reference of my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North (Patrick Grady) to the rape clause, so let us use its Sunday name: the non-consensual sex exemption, as the Government like to call it. Is she genuinely comfortable with a Government who ask survivors of rape to prove that their child has been born as a result of sexual assault? The reality is that, with the limited devolution powers we have for social security, we have the game-changing Scottish child payment, while this Government ask women to prove that their children have been born as a result of rape just to get state support. Given that the Labour party has departed from many of its policies and is a pale imitation of the Tories, is it not the case that the only way to ensure that we have a decent social security system is with independence?

Answer from Mims Davies

We should be very careful with our language in this regard. It is absolutely right that people in every single circumstance can come forward positively, but labelling the provision in that way in the Chamber is not helpful—[Interruption.] It is not about whether it is our policy; that terminology is unhelpful. Universal credit is always tailored to individual circumstances. If anybody would like to come forward with anything that has happened to them, jobcentres are a safe place in which to declare domestic abuse or ask for support. I say to those people: please do step forward, as we have the J9 initiative and other ways to support people.

Not addressed: The answer avoids addressing the specific criticism about the rape clause requirement.

How: Careful Language, Labelling

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