Disabled People in Poverty

Mary Kelly Foy Excerpts

Tuesday 17th June 2025 Westminster Hall

[Alison McGovern]

I thank the hon. Member for his point, because it is one of the other things I wanted to clarify. A number of Members have mentioned money being taken out of communities. Having been a Member of Parliament during the actual austerity years under the Conservatives, I can say that the benefit and other changes made under austerity clearly had a huge impact on certain parts of the country.

That is why the spending review set out our investment plans. I have already mentioned the funding for the NHS and other areas through which we will be supporting the very communities that need to be lifted. I refer the hon. Member to the distributional analysis published alongside the documents last week, where he will see that this Government are prioritising lifting the communities that really need to be lifted.

The hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Pinkerton) has gone now, but I want to say that veterans can be supported through the armed forces independence payment, whether in work or not. That is separate from PIP, and no changes are proposed to it.

[Mary Kelly Foy (City of Durham) (Lab)]

Will the Minister give way?

[Alison McGovern]

I will wind up, because we are out of time. I have no doubt that these discussions will continue over the coming weeks, and I look forward to engaging with everybody here on them. [Interruption.]