Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Sharma and Tom Pursglove

Monday 13th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Employment (Alok Sharma)]

Under universal credit, our work coaches provide vital one-to-one support to all claimants. Work coaches receive appropriate training to ensure that they can offer support to claimant groups with a variety of characteristics.

[Tom Pursglove]

As I understand it, the test and learn approach has been crucial to improving the system and getting it right for individual claimants. What key lessons have been learned and what steps have been taken to address them?

[Alok Sharma]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right: the test and learn approach has allowed us to adapt the delivery of universal credit to support claimants more fully. Examples include: abolishing the seven-day waiting period; the introduction of 100% advances; the landlord portal; and the flexible support fund being used to cover initial childcare costs.

Universal Credit: Managed Migration

Debate between Lord Sharma and Tom Pursglove

Tuesday 8th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

I am always happy to have a detailed discussion with the hon. Gentleman on any issues, but let me commend to him our response to the Social Security Advisory Committee’s recommendations. As he will see, we have taken on the vast majority of those recommendations—and, of course, we have committed ourselves to working with stakeholders, which we are already doing.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

On Friday, it was great to be interviewed by a university student from Corby, Bethany Kilgallon, about universal credit. What message would my hon. Friend want me to pass on to her about the successes of universal credit so far, and the way in which the roll-out will be handled in future?

[Alok Sharma]

My hon. Friend has raised a fundamental point. Universal credit replaces a very complicated legacy benefits system, and is ensuring that people get into work faster and stay in work for longer. That, ultimately, is what we should all be trying to do, as well as helping people to progress when they are already in work.

Universal Credit

Debate between Lord Sharma and Tom Pursglove

Tuesday 16th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

More women in work, youth unemployment hugely down and record low unemployment not seen since the 1970s; what role has universal credit played in the delivery of that success?

[Alok Sharma]

I was in the House in 2010 when the Conservatives had to come in to sort out the mess left by the previous Government. Labour Members told us that as a result of our policies, there would be a million fewer jobs, but there are more than 3 million more jobs. They should welcome today’s jobs figures. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that unemployment is at its lowest level since 1975, youth unemployment is at a record low—it has more than halved since 2010—and wages are outpacing inflation for the seventh month in a row.

Regulation of Property Agents

Debate between Lord Sharma and Tom Pursglove

1st reading: House of Commons
Wednesday 18th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

My hon. Friend makes a powerful point. We will, of course, reflect on that matter when we respond to the leasehold consultation.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

Is my hon. Friend able to reassure the House that any clampdown on excess service charges will not have an adverse impact on rents?

[Alok Sharma]

When we talk about the ban on letting agents’ fees and making the system fairer, the industry has talked about an increase in rents as a possible impact, but that did not come to pass in Scotland. We want to introduce fairness across the system, and I hope that that will ultimately mean lower charges and lower fees for tenants.