Oral Answers to Questions

Justin Tomlinson Excerpts

Monday 15th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Alex Cunningham (Stockton North) (Lab)]

8. What assessment her Department has made of recent trends in the average level of household debt for people in receipt of universal credit.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Justin Tomlinson)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on his wedding, and we look forward to his reply.

[Justin Tomlinson]

A truly memorable day.

Alongside the personalised and tailored support of universal credit, claimants have access to extended childcare support, increases in the personal tax allowance and the introduction of the national living wage. For those transferring from legacy benefits, there is an additional two weeks of housing benefit support.

[Alex Cunningham]

It is all too easy for people to fall into debt with universal credit failures. My constituent Kayley Aithwaite gets paid on the last working day of each month, meaning she had two lots of wages considered in the last calculation period, and was denied her usual universal credit. How common is this particular problem and what is the Minister going to do about it?

[Justin Tomlinson]

I thank the hon. Gentleman. Universal credit is designed to mirror the world of work, with monthly payments. It is far better that, through the personalised and tailored support of their individual work coach, claimants are able to be given the support to navigate that now and not on the first day of entering work.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

What sort of honeymoon is this?

[Justin Tomlinson]

It is a great honour to share my honeymoon with so many wonderful colleagues.

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman almost kept a straight face, but not quite.

[Eleanor Smith (Wolverhampton South West) (Lab)]

18. Due to the massive backlog in universal credit appeals in Wolverhampton, what steps will the Minister take to ensure that my disabled constituents do not have to wait months on end without benefits for their court appeals?

[Justin Tomlinson]

This is an issue that has been raised and that is why additional judges have been recruited to the tribunal system to make sure that goes as quickly as possible. Through their individual work coach, people will get the tailored support as quickly as they can.

[Mr Speaker]

I thought we might hear from the voice of South Suffolk, but the hon. Gentleman seems disinclined to participate in this exchange even though he has a comparable question. He is not obliged. If he is more interested in his phone, so be it. [Interruption.] Get in there, man. I call James Cartlidge.

[James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) (Con)]

15. I also extend my congratulations to my hon. Friend. Does he agree that universal credit is not just about getting more people into work, but people currently working part-time working longer hours by getting rid of the disincentives they used to face on 16 hours and so on?

[Justin Tomlinson]

I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. That is absolutely key: with universal credit you will always be better off in work. UC removes the effective 90% tax rate of the legacy benefit and the cliff-edges of 16, 24 and 30 hours. It is a far simpler benefit, which is stopping the £2.4 billion-worth of benefits that were missed in claiming.

[Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale) (Lab)]

From July 2019, up to 2.8 million people will be required to move from their existing benefits by making a new claim for universal credit. Many are set to lose up to £200 a month. The Trussell Trust, the Child Poverty Action Group, Disability Rights UK, two former Prime Ministers, the future Chancellor and even the Archbishop of Canterbury have all called for a halt to this process, which is driving the growth of poverty in our communities. At what stage will the Secretary of State take her fingers out of her ears, listen to reality and halt this chaos?

[Justin Tomlinson]

This is the reality, as it stands today: complex legacy benefits of £2.4 billion-worth of benefits not being claimed—an average of £285 a month. As the roll-out of universal credit continues, it will remain a test-and-learn process. Where we can see improvements—we have made many already—we will continue to make them.

[Stephen McPartland (Stevenage) (Con)]

9. What steps the Government have taken to improve universal credit since autumn 2017.

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[Lee Rowley (North East Derbyshire) (Con)]

10. What steps the Government are taking to ensure that the benefits system is able to meet the changing needs of claimants.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Justin Tomlinson)]

This Government are delivering the biggest changes to the welfare system since its inception, creating flexibility to adapt to changing working patterns and offering personalised support.

[Lee Rowley]

I thank the Minister for his response. An increasing number of people in my constituency are self-employed and setting up their own businesses. Will the Minister outline what universal credit is doing to support people who are setting up their own businesses?

[Justin Tomlinson]

I thank my hon. Friend, who is a real champion of the self-employed community, and I am proudly a former business owner myself. Universal credit is far more flexible to adapt to changing circumstances, particularly for those who are starting up on their career of owning their business.

[Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab)]

21. Under the managed migration plans, are there any proposals for vulnerable people—particularly those with a mental health issue or a learning difficulty—to be guaranteed face-to-face and telephone support, as opposed to just online support?

[Justin Tomlinson]

Yes, absolutely. This is an important point, and that is why we have improved the training for all work coaches to identify as quickly as possible those who need that additional support. It is a really important and key part of UC.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

11. What steps the Government are taking to help people with disabilities into work.

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[Eddie Hughes (Walsall North) (Con)]

T2. The roll-out of universal credit will come to Willenhall in my constituency on Wednesday. Will the Minister join me in endorsing the work of Walsall Housing Group and its Rent First programme, which is helping tenants to prepare for that transition?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Justin Tomlinson)]

I know that my hon. Friend has great experience in this area, and I should be very excited to hear about those proposals in more detail. I am keen to meet him to establish whether any lessons can be learned.

[Stephen Lloyd (Eastbourne) (LD)]

T4. Shortly after the 2015 general election, the then Chancellor removed £3 billion per annum from universal credit. That would never have been allowed to happen had the Liberals still been in government. Members of all parties in the House have urged the Secretary of State to urge the Chancellor to replace the £3 billion work allowance so that work really does pay; will she do so?

--- Later in debate ---

[Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (Con)]

T7. I welcome the announcement that the Department is providing work experience, and working with Barnardo’s to provide work experience, for care leavers. What further support is my hon. Friend offering to care leavers to ensure they fulfil their potential?

[Justin Tomlinson]

This is a real priority for our Secretary of State and it will involve building on our work to enable care leavers to make advanced UC claims, access to the youth application support programme, early access to the Work and Health programme and extensions to second chance learning, and we will work with employers to create more opportunities to build on this partnership with Barnardo’s.[Official Report, 18 October 2018, Vol. 647, c. 10MC.]

[Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Brighton, Kemptown) (Lab/Co-op)]

T6. I had a constituent with severe learning impairment who, being unable to read the letters she received about the transition to PIP, had her DLA payments suspended. How can the Secretary of State justify a managed migration for disabled people when the Government cannot even get the basics right of communicating with people?