Debates between Will Quince and Yvonne Fovargue during the 2019 Parliament

Universal Credit: Delayed Roll-Out

Debate between Will Quince and Yvonne Fovargue
Tuesday 4th February 2020

(4 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Will Quince Portrait Will Quince
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I thank my hon. Friend for that question and for his support for universal credit and, indeed, his local jobcentre. We believe that work should always pay, and we need a welfare system that helps people into work, supports those who need help, and is fair to the taxpayers who pay for it. It is important to stress—my hon. Friend is right about this—that it always pays to work and increase one’s hours under universal credit. That was not the case under the legacy benefit system.

Yvonne Fovargue Portrait Yvonne Fovargue (Makerfield) (Lab)
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Overwhelming evidence from the pilot areas such as Wigan and debt charities such as StepChange shows that the five-week wait is causing further debt problems. Will the Minister use this delay to rescind and reconsider this policy urgently?

Will Quince Portrait Will Quince
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I have huge respect for the hon. Lady, and I would be happy to visit her constituency to meet some of the organisations she references. It is important to state that nobody has to wait five weeks for an initial payment, which can be done on day one. It is repayable over 12 months but, as of next year, that will be extended to 16 months. We also have additional measures such as the two-week housing run-on and, as of July this year, a further two-week run-on of other legacy benefits. Are there further improvements that I would like to make? Yes, of course there are. They would all require Treasury approval, but I would be happy to work with hon. Lady to look at them in further detail.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Will Quince and Yvonne Fovargue
Monday 27th January 2020

(4 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Will Quince Portrait Will Quince
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As I have already said in answer to two other colleagues, the amount of universal credit paid to claimants reflects as closely as possible the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period, so over the course of a year it levels out and people do not lose out. I appreciate, though, that there is a budgeting issue, and I am keen to find a solution.

Yvonne Fovargue Portrait Yvonne Fovargue (Makerfield) (Lab)
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14. What recent assessment her Department has made of the effect of the roll-out of universal credit on the personal finances of claimants.