Oral Answers to Questions

Will Quince Excerpts

Monday 13th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Paul Masterton (East Renfrewshire) (Con)]

4. What steps the Government are taking to support young vulnerable adults in receipt of universal credit who live in supported accommodation.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Will Quince)]

As announced in August last year, housing costs for all claimants in supported housing, including universal credit claimants, will continue to be met through housing benefit. Maintaining housing benefit for all supported housing reflects the particular needs of these vulnerable groups.

[Paul Masterton]

I welcome the Minister to his new role. However, is he aware of an issue with the Universal Credit Regulations 2013, which refer only to English county councils as relevant bodies? Supported accommodation provided by Scottish local authorities is not covered, even though those living in identical circumstances in accommodation in England will be covered and so will still be subject to housing benefit. Will he meet me to discuss the matter?

[Will Quince]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. He is a passionate campaigner, and I recognise that that is a specific constituency issue. There is no difference in how English lower-tier local authorities and Scottish local authorities are treated within the regulations. Amendments to the regulations were introduced in 2014 to extend the protection to other supported housing, which was not previously included and was most likely to be affected by the welfare reforms. However, I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this complex issue further.

[John Cryer (Leyton and Wanstead) (Lab)]

Contrary to what the Minister just said, I have had a small group of constituency cases in which the Department for Work and Pensions does not seem able to decide whether people in supported accommodation should continue on housing benefit or whether their housing costs should be paid through universal credit. Will he repeat his clarification to make the situation absolutely certain, because the DWP does not seem able to decide in its own cases?

[Will Quince]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I am happy to look at those individual cases. He can write to me, or I would be happy to meet him.

[Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)]

Mr Speaker, I could probably ask this question on the back of any question on the Order Paper. Broadband connectivity is very poor in parts of my constituency, which surely flies in the face of the Government’s best efforts to ensure that people who deserve benefits get them and that people who want to get back to work have that opportunity. What do the Government intend to do about the problem to help my constituents?

[Will Quince]

The question is a good one, and we will always look at alternative forms of communication.

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

Too many young people who are sofa-surfing or, worse, sleeping rough are doing so because of problems due to universal credit delays and sanctions. When will the Government do an assessment of the impact of these delays and sanctions on vulnerable young people?

[Will Quince]

That is why, in recent Budgets, we have put an additional £1.7 billion into the universal credit system.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

5. What steps she is taking to increase employment opportunities for care leavers.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Will Quince)]

This Government have introduced a £1,000 bursary for those starting an apprenticeship, the care leaver covenant and extended paid internship opportunities across the Government. I will build on the good work of my predecessor and meet employers to see how we can further improve job opportunities for care leavers.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

Of what does the Minister’s work with Barnardo’s consist?

[Will Quince]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that question. He is a passionate campaigner and supporter of Barnardo’s. The Department and Barnardo’s are developing a small work experience pilot for care leavers in a number of Barnardo’s high street shops. More broadly, the Government aim to use the care leaver covenant to secure 1,000 employment opportunities by September 2021.

[Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby) (Lab)]

Why is the youth obligation failing our young people so badly? More people on the youth obligation are falling out of benefits altogether. They are unable to maintain stability and are unable to go on to seek work.

[Will Quince]

I thank the hon. Lady for her question, but I gently point out that youth unemployment has halved under this Government.

[Giles Watling (Clacton) (Con)]

6. What steps her Department is taking to increase financial support for vulnerable universal credit claimants compared with the legacy system.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)]

16. What steps the Government are taking to support ex-offenders into employment.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Will Quince)]

The Government know that getting ex-offenders into work is a crucial part of rehabilitation. DWP prison work coaches and jobcentre work coaches provide tailored support to ex-offenders. The DWP works collaboratively with Ministry of Justice on its education and employment strategy, creating a system where prisoners are on a path to employment as soon as they enter prison.

[Mark Menzies]

People from all walks of life have to undergo work capability assessments, but ex-offenders have complex needs and often institutionalised experiences. What measures is my hon. Friend taking to ensure that the assessors themselves are taking the appropriate measures?

[Will Quince]

My hon. Friend raises a good point. Healthcare professionals are subject to a rigorous recruitment process, followed by a comprehensive training programme in disability assessment for physical and mental health conditions, and have to be approved by the Department. They are then required to complete a programme of continuing professional development.

[Ellie Reeves (Lewisham West and Penge) (Lab)]

Reoffending rates among those who have served a sentence of less than 12 months are a staggering 64%. The Ministry of Justice has signalled a clear intent to move away from this model of sentencing. What discussions have Ministers had with the Ministry of Justice about ensuring that community-based sentences have substantive support around employment to ensure that reoffending is curbed and sentences deliver meaningful rehabilitation and workplace opportunities?

[Will Quince]

I thank the hon. Lady for her question. Being relatively new in post, I have not had those conversations as yet, but I do work very closely with my counterpart at the Ministry of Justice and will be having such conversations.

[Mr Speaker]

We look forward to an update in due course and we are grateful to the hon. Gentleman.

--- Later in debate ---

[David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con)]

T6. The hon. Member for Swansea East (Carolyn Harris) has fought a very good campaign to have a children’s funeral fund set up in England. She was told that it would happen within 12 months, and it has not. Does my right hon. Friend agree that all of us on the Government Benches have an obligation to fulfil promises that have been made, and that that is a very important one?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Will Quince)]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question, and I absolutely agree with him. He may know that I campaigned with the hon. Member for Swansea East (Carolyn Harris) before taking up my post. I am personally committed to this, the Department is committed to this, the Prime Minister is committed to this and we will deliver it.

[Wes Streeting (Ilford North) (Lab)]

T5. Access to Work is essential to enabling disabled people to get into employment, but does the Minister recognise that delays with processing applications are causing real difficulty, but particularly for people who are self-employed or, indeed, holding elected office in local government. May I ask him to meet me and one of my local councillors, Rosa Gomez, to discuss these particular challenges?