Oral Answers to Questions

Stuart Anderson Excerpts

Monday 29th June 2020 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Stuart Anderson (Wolverhampton South West) (Con)]

What steps she is taking to support local jobcentres (a) during and (b) following the covid-19 outbreak.

[Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con)]

What steps she has taken to meet the increased demand on her Department’s services resulting from the covid-19 outbreak.

[The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse Coffey)]

I want to praise our excellent jobcentre staff and all Department for Work and Pensions staff and contractors for their tireless work through this emergency in supporting an unprecedented level of new claimants as well as existing claimants. To assist this effort, we redeployed thousands of staff and streamlined our processes where possible. Looking forward, we are now working with local managers to start fully reopening jobcentres in July to help get Britain back into work. Over 17,00 people are now working remotely, and we have already recruited new people into DWP to help with the increased demand.

[Stuart Anderson]

Unemployment in Wolverhampton is above the country average, and covid-19 will have an impact on these figures. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the local jobcentre staff, who have been working tirelessly through this pandemic, will play an integral part in making sure our great city is not left behind?

[Dr Coffey]

My hon. Friend is right to pay tribute to staff at his local jobcentre. Without the success of the furlough scheme introduced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor, this could have been far worse. We are working hard across Government to help people in these challenging times to get back into work as soon as possible and to support an economic recovery that levels up all parts of the country, including Wolverhampton. I am sure he can refer people to the two new websites, job help and employer help, to signpost people to live vacancies and online support.

--- Later in debate ---

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

I thank everyone who works in our jobcentres. Our Secretary of State has committed to doubling the number of work coaches. We take an individual focus on our claimants, and we will take a place-based approach to helping people into work. We are actively working with our operations to ensure that this is done safely so that people can get back into work.

[Stuart Anderson (Wolverhampton South West) (Con)]

Will my right hon. Friend assure me that experiences of disabled people will be front and centre of the disability Green Paper?

[Justin Tomlinson]

I can absolutely reassure my hon. Friend that disabled people will be at the very heart of the consultation on both the Green Paper and the national strategy for disabled people. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will begin the roadshow of consultation across the whole country, making sure that all voices are heard and shape our future priorities.