Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 29 Nov 2017
State Pension Age: Women
"I certainly agree with my hon. Friend. These women have been the backbone of our country and they have been betrayed by this Government.
What is really scary is how many women do not realise that they have been affected. Yet this Government are still not listening. They have betrayed …..."Carolyn Harris - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 29 Nov 2017
State Pension Age: Women
"It is cruel—there is no other word to describe the current state of play. These women have fought tirelessly for justice, but appallingly their cries for justice are falling on deaf ears.
I think that most people are aware of my passion for the campaign. Like the 1950s women, I …..."Carolyn Harris - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 29 Nov 2017
State Pension Age: Women
"I do not want to get involved in the argument about what the Scottish Government can and cannot do, but I agree that this matter affects all women, regardless of their nationality.
Many in this House stand by these women. I call on the Government to make a commitment to …..."Carolyn Harris - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 29 Nov 2017
State Pension Age: Women
"I am going to make progress.
The reality is that these women are desperate. I have women affected all over the country calling my office every day, letting me know that they have had to sell their belongings and that they are relying on family, friends and food banks just …..."Carolyn Harris - View Speech
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Written Question
Wednesday 29th November 2017
Asked by:
Carolyn Harris (Labour - Neath and Swansea East)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the MP hotline will be available over the Christmas period for urgent universal credit casework inquiries.
Answered by Damian Hinds
For MPs who have issues with constituents who are full service Universal Credit claimants, the Complaints Resolution Team route is available. We have recently confirmed that claimants do not need to give consent for MPs and their caseworkers to raise concerns. It is also important to remember that, in the full service, Universal Credit claimants, Universal Credit service centre colleagues and Universal Credit work coaches have access to a claimant’s online journal, which holds the details of a claim. In effect, any of these Universal Credit colleagues can provide the service that an MPs’ hotline would deliver.
We are also currently writing to MPs as the full service goes live in their constituency. These letters explain the implicit consent arrangements for MPs. The letters also give the telephone number and email address of the district manager in the constituency so that MPs can contact district managers if there are urgent constituent cases that need attention. The letter also mentions that the jobcentre will be contacting the MP to arrange a visit to the jobcentre. This visit is another opportunity for MPs’ offices to build the relationship with their local Complaints Resolution Team.
Written Question
Wednesday 29th November 2017
Asked by:
Carolyn Harris (Labour - Neath and Swansea East)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether an emergency telephone line will be available over the Christmas period to allow new universal credit claimants to apply for an advance before their first payment.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Department plans to advance the timing of all payments where people would be impacted by bank holidays, to ensure they have money over the festive period, also supporting those customers who request an advance payment during this time and minimising any impact on claimants for the brief period when the Universal Credit helpline is closed. This includes the careful assessment of technical system and banking system availability to ensure successful payments can be made. This year we have enhanced the functionality and added a faster payment contingency function in Universal Credit.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 13 Nov 2017
Oral Answers to Questions
"4. What assessment the Government have made of the equity of pension provision between men and women. ..."Carolyn Harris - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 13 Nov 2017
Oral Answers to Questions
"Two former Pensions Ministers have criticised the Government for the policy, all Opposition parties recognise that the Government are wrong, the continuously growing number of cross-party MPs who have joined the all-party parliamentary group say it is wrong, and hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged 1950s-born women know it is wrong. …..."Carolyn Harris - View Speech
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Written Question
Monday 30th October 2017
Asked by:
Carolyn Harris (Labour - Neath and Swansea East)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of lifting the freeze on benefits on account of changes to the level of inflation after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 has frozen the majority of working-age benefits for four tax years, from 2016-17 to 2019-20. The analysis published at the time of the 2015 Budget assesses the impact of the measures in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016. This includes an estimate that the benefit rate freeze would save £3.5 billion in 2019-20 (https://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006C.pdf).
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 Oct 2017
Universal Credit Roll-out
"Last Wednesday I came to this place to do what I, like everyone else here, was elected to do: to debate the issues that affect our constituents, and to vote on those issues in the way that we believe will best support them. The Ayes definitely had it last week, …..."Carolyn Harris - View Speech
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