Topical Questions

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

Demand for Access to Work has risen sharply, with spending increasing by 17% over the past year. However, Access to Work cannot replace a well-designed support programme, which is what we are determined to put in place. The Department’s new, independent disability advisory panel will help us work out the best approaches to employment support.

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

Transitional protection is available for people making the transition across to universal credit, and support is provided through the enhanced support journey for those whose transition may be particularly difficult. The Minister suggests sending details of specific cases if worried about particular individuals.

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Andrew Western)

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The Government plan to consult on changes to the calculation that will automatically capture more income types within that calculation. Where parents wilfully avoid their financial obligations, the CMS financial investigation unit does have the powers to act and will investigate. Child maintenance is key to keeping children out of poverty, and we will use these powers wherever necessary.

Answer from Stephen Timms

I would be very happy to look into the particular case the hon. Member raises. Of course, an appeal process is available, so I hope that her constituent has submitted an appeal. If she lets me have the details, I will gladly have a look at the case.

Answer from Pat McFadden

The Spear programme was one of the first organisations to go through an evaluation with the data lab a few years ago. I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that the findings from that were really positive, and I am delighted that his constituency is located in one of the youth guarantee trailblazer areas. As we have reiterated several times, it is crucial that we do everything we can to help young people into work and address the issue, which we inherited, of people not in employment, education or training.

Answer from Stephen Timms

There is a problem in the interaction between housing benefit, which provides housing support for people in supported accommodation, and housing support in the universal credit system. That interaction does cause difficulties, and I think that is what the hon. Lady is referring to. We are looking at that at the moment. We are talking to other parts of government and working with people such as YMCA and Centrepoint to look at the problem and what we can do to fix it.

Answer from Andrew Western

The Department is prioritising ensuring that there is adequate staffing resource available to support claimants and deliver migration smoothly and on time. I am concerned to hear what my hon. Friend says about the experience of his constituents in Coatbridge and Bellshill. I will look into this issue further on his behalf and report back to him.

Answer from Pat McFadden

I recently spoke at an event in Parliament hosted by that organisation. I am pleased to say that its report said there had been a small drop in the use of food banks over the past year. We have put the household support fund, now the crisis and resilience fund, on a proper basis for the next three years to support those families in the most desperate need.

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Torsten Bell)

The previous Minister for Pensions met representatives of the WASPI campaign in order to hear directly from them about their experiences. She was the first Minister to do so in eight years. I will look into the details of the letter the hon. Gentleman mentions.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Pat McFadden)

That sounds like an excellent initiative. Of course, if we are to rehabilitate prisoners, it is important that they get training and the chance to get into constructive employment after their sentence. I am sure that that applies not just to the prison in my hon. Friend’s constituency but throughout the country.

Answer from The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Pat McFadden)

We have already taken action to reduce child poverty, by extending free school meals to all families on universal credit, and we will of course explore other avenues. We want to reduce child poverty—in stark contrast to the record of the Conservatives.

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Andrew Western)

The right hon. Gentleman raises an important issue. It might be better raised at questions to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, but as he asks me to pick this up with Ministers across Departments, I am happy to do so. I can tell him that the crisis and resilience fund—formerly the household support fund—is in place to support people setting up in their new homes, as are grants that are available from housing associations directly.