Zero-hours Contracts

Debate between Baroness Neville-Rolfe and Baroness Hollis of Heigham

Thursday 11th June 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hollis of Heigham (Lab)]

My Lords, most people on zero-hours contracts are also in minimum-wage jobs. They are very low paid. In the past 48 hours, we have learned that the Government are expecting something like £5 billion out of the £12 billion welfare cuts to be saved from working tax credits. Those people on zero-hours contracts survive because of those tax credits. How will they survive in future?

[Baroness Neville-Rolfe]

My Lords, zero-hours contracts allow people to come into the workforce who could not otherwise come in for the reasons I have explained, participate and get a job. The social security welfare framework continues to apply. This seems to me to be a good thing, not a bad thing, as the noble Baroness suggests.