Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013

Lord Freud Excerpts

Monday 21st October 2013 Lords Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con)]

My Lords, I should genuinely like to thank everyone who has spoken today. I want to emphasise that I listen very closely to what noble Lords say in this House and, without shame, steal as many of the good ideas as I can. This is not just with a long nose, using SSAC, which has done an extraordinary job in helping us to sort out not just the regulations on universal credit but a lot of other things, too. I shall describe some of what we have been doing since we went through that committee and some of the ideas that we debated together then which I have tried to use and embed.

I hope also to allay some of the concerns expressed by noble Lords. When one has a new canvas, as we have here, one can worry about absolutely everything. It is important to be alert to the issues that one needs to worry about and then, as the evidence comes in, to see what the real problems are and to be able to move. We have laid out this evening a range of possible things that could go wrong. Some of them may go wrong and we will need to do something about them. Others may not emerge as issues, so it is important that we are watching this like a hawk.

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Lister of Burtersett]

I am very sorry to prolong matters. I quite understand that it has not been possible to answer all the questions asked, but will the Minister undertake to write to all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate with detailed responses to the questions that have been asked?

[Lord Freud]

I have tried to answer absolutely everything. I will double check. If I have missed anything, I will write on it, but my answers are on the record. I think that I answered virtually everything, but if there is anything more, I will make sure that I cover it.