Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Bowie Excerpts

Monday 15th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Guy Opperman]

Is it not rich that the Labour party, which never came up with or implemented a pensions dashboard, is criticising us, who are doing exactly that? Let me make it acutely clear that this is a party that works together, and that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I, and all the members of the DWP team, are completely behind the pensions dashboard.

[Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)]

13. What progress she has made on the roll-out of universal credit throughout the UK.

[The Minister for Employment (Alok Sharma)]

Universal credit is now live in 495 jobcentres available to new claimants, and within weeks it will be available throughout the country.

[Andrew Bowie]

In two weeks’ time the remaining two thirds of my constituency will receive universal credit, following the one third who have already received it. Notwithstanding the frankly irresponsible narrative that we hear from Opposition Members, the work and pensions staff in the Aberdeen jobcentre cannot wait to get started and to deliver this transformative benefit. Can the Minister confirm that it is on track to be rolled out in two weeks’ time?

[Alok Sharma]

I thank my hon. Friend for engaging with his local jobcentre, which is not always done by Opposition Members. I hear the same thing from other jobcentre staff across the country. Universal credit is working, and I say to the Opposition, “Stop scaremongering: you are not helping the people who need the support.”

--- Later in debate ---

[The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work (Sarah Newton)]

I advise the hon. Gentleman’s constituents to use the telephone service or for one of their friends or family members to call up, because it is absolutely essential that people who have any sort of disability that prevents them from accessing their benefit have those barriers overcome: so pick up the phone and the support will be available.

[Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con)]

T9. How many people in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine have benefited from automatic enrolment thus far?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Guy Opperman)]

Some 10,000 of my hon. Friend’s constituents are benefiting from automatic enrolment, with thanks to the 1,800 employers involved, and nationally workplace pension provision for women and young people has now doubled in the last five years.