Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Work and Pensions

Oral Answers to Questions

Euan Stainbank Excerpts
Monday 8th December 2025

(1 day, 11 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Stephen Timms Portrait Sir Stephen Timms
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Whether people get PIP is not about whether they can work—they may be working or not. The limited capability for work-related activity part of universal credit is about whether or not a person can work, but I will be very happy to have a conversation with the hon. Lady about what has happened.

Euan Stainbank Portrait Euan Stainbank (Falkirk) (Lab)
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Some 1,750 kids in Falkirk, most of whom have a parent in work, will be lifted from poverty and its lifelong economic consequences by the fully funded lifting of the two-child cap. Does the Minister agree that the cost of this poverty-alleviation policy is far less than the long-term cost of leaving those parents in poverty?

Diana Johnson Portrait Dame Diana Johnson
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I agree with my hon. Friend. It is shocking that during the previous Government some 900,000 children were allowed to get into poverty. The cost of that will be borne by us all, which is why the investment now will pay dividends in the future.