Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to amend rules on competent states for UK citizens residing in the UK who are (a) subject to EU Regulation E883/2004 and (b) receiving a small pension from another country.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no plans to review the rules relating to competent states. The EU Regulation 883/2004 only applies to those in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement. The role of these regulations is to coordinate the differing EU social security systems. The UK is bound by these international agreements and cannot change how the competent state is determined.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of economic inactivity in Teesside.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Office for National Statistics estimate that 110 thousand working-age people in Tees Valley are economically inactive. This is similar to the pre-pandemic level. This government has ambitious plans to devolve more power to local areas to help more people get into work.