Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeff Smith and Thérèse Coffey

Monday 19th October 2020 Commons Chamber

[Dr Coffey]

My noble Friend Baroness Stedman-Scott is the Minister responsible for the Child Maintenance Service. She is more than happy to meet colleagues who are having particular difficulties with paying parents who are refusing to cough up.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

  My constituent Joseph made a claim for industrial injuries disablement benefit in January. His assessment, along with all the other new assessments, was postponed because of covid, so he is living with the extra costs that come with having an industrial disease, but he does not have the extra benefits he needs. Can the Secretary of State please urgently resume IIDB assessments?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeff Smith and Thérèse Coffey

Monday 29th June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Dr Coffey]

It is important that as the jobcentres fully reopen this week we reinstate the need for a claimant commitment. It is an essential part of the contract to help people start to reconsider what vacancies there are, but I know that I can trust the work coaches and jobcentre managers, who are empowered to act proactively with people. There will be some people right now who have not had to look for a job for the last 20 to 30 years, and they will need careful support, tailored to make sure they can start to look for the jobs that are available and which I hope will soon become available.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

What recent estimate her Department has made of the number of universal credit applicants awaiting a decision on applications made since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

Will the Secretary of State clarify whether the Government intend to keep their manifesto commitment to maintaining the pensions triple lock?

[Dr Coffey]

The Government are absolutely committed to fulfilling their manifesto commitments. It is fair to say that we have some situations ahead of us, but it is something I am in discussions about. This is not about abandoning the triple lock in any way, but I assure the hon. Gentleman that there are some consequences—of which he may not be aware—if average earnings fall during this year. We may need to rectify things to make sure that aspects of the law that are already in place cannot be set aside.