Topical Questions

Answer from The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Liz Kendall)

We do actually have a plan right now. It was announced in our Green Paper that we are going to reform the Access to Work scheme, which provides grants or money to help people with physical aids and adaptations, among other support, to get work and stay in work. I would encourage him to input into the review, and either I or my right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disability would be more than happy to meet him to hear his views about how we can make this work for his constituent.

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

We have announced changes recently to the rates of universal credit that protect the incomes of those with the most severe lifelong conditions who cannot work. We are also guaranteeing that, for both new and existing claims, individuals in this group will not need to be reassessed in future.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Liz Kendall)

Under her Government, the employment rate did not recover from pre-COVID levels—the only country in the G7 not to do so. She left 1 million young people not in education, employment or training, and near record numbers of people out of work due to long-term sickness.

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

We will engage stakeholders to consider the scope of the PIP assessment review before publishing terms of reference. We will look at the descriptors and consider the points allocated to them.

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

We are determined, through the changes, to provide employment support for people who are out of work on health and disability grounds. We have an ambitious programme, Connect to Work, building up to an additional £1 billion a year in employment support by the end of the Parliament.

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

There are currently delays with the Access to Work scheme, reflecting the very large increase in demand over the past year or two. We are making changes to speed things up and consulting on future improvements through our Green Paper.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Liz Kendall)

The Government are providing the stability that businesses desperately need. We are working to transform skills in this country—that is absolutely what most businesses say to me they are desperately short of. We are overhauling our job centres, so that we actually serve businesses’ needs. I would just say gently to the hon. Gentleman that it was under his party that we saw the lowest business investment in the G7. We are going to overhaul that and make this the best country in which to start up and grow a business.

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

My hon. Friend raises an important matter. I just point out that the April 2024 one-year local housing allowance increase has cost an additional £1.2 billion in the last financial year, and it will cost about £7 billion over five years. We keep local housing allowance rates under review. He is right to stress the importance of those, but future decisions on them will need to be based on the Government’s priorities and reflect the difficult fiscal conditions that the Government are dealing with.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Liz Kendall)

As I said in response to an earlier question, we are overhauling the way that the Department for Work and Pensions supports employers. We think it is unacceptable that only one in six businesses has ever used a jobcentre to recruit. We are changing that, including by having a single account manager for businesses, so that they do not have to tell their story time and again. We are overhauling skills in this country, reforming the apprenticeship, and extending the number of sector-based work academy programmes and short skills programmes that businesses desperately want. I know that businesses are desperately keen to engage with us, because they want to recruit, and it is about time that the right hon. Lady’s party started listening to businesses.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Liz Kendall)

I absolutely reassure my hon. Friend that that is what we intend to do. Our employment Bill is about ensuring that we improve the quality of jobs, give greater security to people and bring about more flexible working that will benefit sick and disabled people. We are investing £1 billion in employment support to make sure that disabled people have the chances and choices they deserve. Through our review, led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, we are changing the workplace to make it more inclusive, because the Labour party is absolutely about ensuring that disabled people who can work have the right to do so.

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

The hon. Gentleman is right that there has been a problem over a long period with overpayments—often inadvertent—of carer’s allowance. That is why my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State appointed Liz Sayce to undertake her independent review. I know she is making good progress, and I have regularly kept in touch with her. We are looking forward to receiving her recommendations, which will cover those who have been affected, and will recommend changes for the future, too.

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

That is an important concern. As my hon. Friend knows, we are determined to open up opportunities for people who have been out of work, often for a long time, on health and disability grounds, and to give them the chance to get into work through much better employment support. However, we recognise that there will be people who will never be able to work. Under the proposals for claims for the new universal credit health element, from next April, a higher payment will protect those with the most severe lifelong conditions that have no prospect of improvement, and who will never be able to work. Eligibility for that will be through the work capability assessment severe conditions criteria.

Answer from The Minister for Employment (Alison McGovern)

I refer the hon. Gentleman to some of the responses we have already given. The DWP and the DFE are working together closely as we change apprenticeships and change our jobcentres to ensure that the opportunities are there. Having met the hon. Gentleman, I know that his constituency is full of opportunities for young people, and we want to ensure that they get them.

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

That is an important concern. As my hon. Friend knows, we are determined to open up opportunities for people who have been out of work, often for a long time, on health and disability grounds, and to give them the chance to get into work through much better employment support.

Answer from Liz Kendall (The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions)

We are reviewing the PIP assessment process to ensure it is fit for the future. Stakeholders have been invited in to discuss the scope of this review, which will continue throughout Parliament. By the end of this term, we will still be spending £8 billion more on personal independence payments and there will be 750,000 more people on PIP than now. Our reforms aim to focus PIP on those with greatest need while looking at the assessment process to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

Answer from Liz Kendall (The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions)

Our reforms are not about savings; they aim to ensure the service is available to more people in future. We are also looking at how it might be delivered—whether through the Department, an arm’s length body, or by an organisation run by and for disabled people—to create a bigger opportunity to make changes to this brilliant programme.

Answer from Liz Kendall (The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions)

I will absolutely take that away to look at it.

Answer from Alison McGovern (The Minister for Employment)

That is exactly the point of our changes to jobcentres and the £1 billion of investment in employment support—so that we can understand the pathways to work for people who have skills and talents but perhaps not quite the right qualifications.

Answer from Torsten Bell (The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)

We need to take the implementation seriously. If specific cases are identified, please write to me about them; we are working closely with the NHS pension scheme to ensure members receive relevant letters as soon as possible.

Answer from Stephen Timms (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions)

We have said clearly in the Green Paper that we will ensure those who will never be able to work will not go through repeated reassessments. This is being built into the system, initially benefiting those meeting severe conditions criteria.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Liz Kendall)

We are committed to working closely with all stakeholders, including charities, to ensure that our policies support vulnerable communities effectively. We will be reviewing the specific concerns raised by my hon. Friend and look into ways to collaborate on addressing them.