Welfare Spending

Judith Cummins Excerpts

Tuesday 4th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I inform the House that Mr Speaker has not selected either of the amendments tabled. I call the shadow Secretary of State.

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[Sir Stephen Timms]

I am going to make a bit more progress.

We have seen what happens when social security is not managed properly. We have seen the consequences for child poverty and for the many thousands denied the opportunity to work—people who want to work, and who could work, with the right support. We are taking action now to give people the best chances in life, so that they can support themselves and their family. We are delivering on our plan to make work pay, including by removing the work disincentives from universal credit. We are joining up support, so that people get proper help into work. We are giving children and young people the best possible start in life and are setting them up to succeed in future. Unlike the previous Government, we are not resigned to failure. We are investing in success, in work, in health, and in skills support to provide hope for a better future. We are actively helping people along their own path to work, and creating an opportunity welfare state. We have made a great start, but there is a huge amount still to do, and I welcome this chance to seek the House’s support for our mission.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, Steve Darling.

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[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

Order. With an immediate four-minute time limit, I call Luke Akehurst.

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[Kirsty Blackman]

No, thank you.

What we should be doing in the Budget and in the child poverty strategy is talking about how the welfare system should support people and about how the welfare system fails to support people. I wish the Minister for Social Security and Disability well in his work co-producing his report, but the welfare system is currently broken, and that is not because the costs are spiralling out of control. The welfare system is currently broken because people are being demonised simply for claiming enough to live on.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

Order. I call the shadow Minister.