Oral Answers to Questions

Cat Smith Excerpts

Monday 6th March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Guy Opperman]

The hon. Gentleman is right. I agree with him; there is life in the old dog yet, as they say. It is important that we continue to make the case that employment for the over-50s should be supported by all employers.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

6. What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the fall in the level of single-parent employment between 2019 and 2022.

[Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab)]

15. What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the fall in the level of single-parent employment between 2019 and 2022.

[Cat Smith]

On Friday, I visited my local citizens advice bureau at its new offices on George Street in Lancaster, where I heard at first hand of the challenges that single parents are having with the amount of the childcare element of universal credit being capped at the level set in 2005 and with its being paid in arrears. What steps has the Minister taken to ensure that benefits go up in line with the cost of childcare and to look at paying this element up front?

[Mims Davies]

I thank the hon. Lady for that question. The UC childcare element can be used to top up a claimant’s eligible free childcare hours if more hours are worked and more childcare is required. We also use the flexible support fund to support those up-front costs, as we heard earlier. However, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about employers; this is not solely about what the Government can do on our own to help lone parents. Job design, the opportunity to progress and flexible work are really important too, as is the opportunity to return and progress. We cannot do this on our own.