Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mims Davies and Beth Winter

Monday 28th June 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mims Davies]

We always tailor personalised support to individual circumstances. I am proud of what we have done throughout the pandemic, particularly at our JCPs, to keep them open and keep people feeling safe, and to support businesses and workers to feel safe. I recently joined a spot check at the Bootle HQ with the CEO of the Health and Safety Executive. We have done over a quarter of a million checks to make sure that people feel safe at work.

[Beth Winter (Cynon Valley) (Lab)]

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the number of households subject to the benefit cap.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mims Davies)]

The most recent publication shows the proportion of capped households remains low, at 2.9% of the overall housing benefit and universal credit case load as of February 2021.

[Beth Winter [V]]

Today is a day of action for the “Right to Food” campaign, which I fully support. I can offer the Minister one possible policy to alleviate food poverty: drop the benefit cap. Food insecurity disproportionately affects families who are also most affected by the cap. The Child Poverty Action Group found that lifting the cap could take 150,000 children out of poverty. Will the Minister please explain her reasoning for not lifting it?