Work and Pensions

Alison McGovern Excerpts

Wednesday 28th November 2018 Ministerial Corrections

The following are extracts from questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 19 November 2018.

[Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)]

21. What assessment she has made of the effect of universal credit on lone parents.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Justin Tomlinson)]

Lone parents are the primary beneficiaries of the Government’s decision to increase the help provided for childcare from 70% to 85%, which will help us to enhance the record levels of lone parent employment in this country.

--- Later in debate ---

[Alison McGovern]

The whole House will be aware that lone parent employment increased radically under the last Labour Government, but unfortunately lone parents now face being worse off because of universal credit. So can the new Secretary of State and her ministerial team guarantee that as part of their review they will make sure that no lone parent family in this country is worse off because of universal credit?

[Justin Tomlinson]

The lone parent employment rate is now at 67.6%, which is a record high and something this Government are very proud of. We will continue to try to push to see that figure go up further. We have made announcements on increasing the national living wage, which has seen a real-terms increase of 8% over the past three years, and changes to the income tax threshold worth £1,200, while the national living wage in itself, for somebody working full-time, is worth £2,000. That is making sure that lone parents who are working are getting the support to have more money available at the end of every month.

[Official Report, 19 November 2018, Vol. 649, c. 566.]

Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the hon. Member for North Swindon (Justin Tomlinson):

Errors have been identified in the responses I gave to the hon. Member for Wirral South (Alison McGovern).

The correct responses should have been:

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Justin Tomlinson)]

Lone parents are the primary beneficiaries of the Government’s decision to increase the help provided for childcare from 70% to 85%, which will help us to enhance the near record levels of lone parent employment in this country.

[Alison McGovern]

The whole House will be aware that lone parent employment increased radically under the last Labour Government, but unfortunately lone parents now face being worse off because of universal credit. So can the new Secretary of State and her ministerial team guarantee that as part of their review they will make sure that no lone parent family in this country is worse off because of universal credit?

[Justin Tomlinson]

The lone parent employment rate is now at 67.1%, which is a near record high and something this Government are very proud of. We will continue to try to push to see that figure go up further. We have made announcements on increasing the national living wage, which has seen a real-terms increase of 8% over the past three years, and changes to the income tax threshold worth £1,200, while the national living wage in itself, for somebody working full-time, is worth £2,000. That is making sure that lone parents who are working are getting the support to have more money available at the end of every month.