Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Bob Blackman and Esther McVey

Monday 24th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Esther McVey]

The Work programme is working. For those people who are on employment and support allowance, it is about getting closer to the job market and that is what we are doing—putting provision in place. I remind the hon. Lady that, under her Government, those people were not supported in any consistent way whatsoever.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

T10. One of the issues raised during the last debate before the recess was payment of benefits to terminally ill patients. Will Ministers update the House on what additional help and support is available for recipients of PIP?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Bob Blackman and Esther McVey

Monday 13th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Michael Ellis (Northampton North) (Con)]

14. What assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the most recent employment statistics.

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Esther McVey)]

The latest employment statistics, which show a record number of people in work and falling unemployment, demonstrate that our policies are working.

[Bob Blackman]

Will my hon. Friend tell the House by how much the number of claimants has fallen since the Government were elected in 2010, and what has been the consequent saving to the public purse?

[Esther McVey]

I know that my hon. Friend is very interested in this subject. I understand that he runs business breakfast clubs to help people to obtain work, and to secure growth in his constituency. I can tell him that 525,000 fewer people have claimed the three main out-of-work benefits since the election, that both unemployment and the claimant count are lower, and that in his constituency the claimant count has fallen by 23% in the last year, long-term unemployment has fallen by 16%, and youth unemployment has fallen by 28%. Obviously, all that is saving the Government a considerable amount of money.