argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Work Capability Assessments: Claimant Health — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman, who, as I know from first-hand experience, has raised this issue repeatedly. We are working with stakeholders, charities and claimants on how we can continue to improve the system, particularly when it comes to gathering evidence, so that we can get support to the people most in need as swiftly as possible.
People with Disabilities: Assessments — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): We have made improvements to reduce assessments for work capability and personal independence payments. This includes reducing review frequency for pensioners and people with severe or progressive conditions. We are also exploring our manifesto commitment to ensure a minimum award review duration for PIP awards.
People with Disabilities: Assessments — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady calls for something to be scrapped while not setting out what the alternative would be. We recognise that when Labour introduced the work capability assessment it needed significant improvement. That is why we had five independent reviews and implemented more than 100 recommendations. We are now exceeding 92% claimant satisfaction with the work capability assessment, and 82% of PIP claimants are satisfied with the service they get. That is why, as a Government, we are now proud to spend an additional £10 billion a year supporting those with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
People with Disabilities: Assessments — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen Daniel Double (Conservative, Centre-right): I often have constituents come to see me who suffer from ongoing conditions that might be considered invisible disabilities. They tell me that the current assessment process does not accurately capture their conditions. Will the Minister continue to keep the assessment process under review, to ensure that it is fit for purpose in assessing people with invisible disabilities?
People with Disabilities: Assessments — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. As we have seen under PIP, 32% of claimants now access the highest rate of support, compared with just 15% under DLA. It is the hidden disabilities that have seen the most significant growth in that regard. For example, with mental health, 33% of claimants now get the highest rate, compared with just 6%—that is five times less—under the legacy benefits.
In-Work Poverty — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): May I welcome you, Mr Speaker, and the hon. Lady to your respective places? Since 2010, there have been more than 3.8 million more people in work and 730,000 fewer children growing up in workless households. Over three quarters of this employment growth has been in full-time work, which has been proven substantially to reduce the risk of poverty. But it is not enough to have just any job: we want people to be able to progress in the workplace. To do this, we are investing £8 million to develop the evidence about what works to support people to progress.
In-Work Poverty — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): As far as I am concerned, one person or family in poverty is one too many, and I will work to tackle that while I am in this role. The statistics show that full-time work substantially reduces the chances of poverty. The absolute poverty rate of a child when both their parents work full time is only 4%, compared with 44% when one or both parents are in part-time work. We are supporting people into full-time work where possible by offering, for example, 30 hours of free childcare to parents of three and four-year-olds. The jobcentre in the hon. Lady’s constituency is doing incredible work in this area, and I strongly recommend that she visit.
In-Work Poverty — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): Nobody needs to wait for an initial payment. An emergency or urgent payment of up to 100% of the first indicative award can be made within the first day in many cases. It is interest free and repayable over 12 months, increasing to 16 months as of next year.
In-Work Poverty — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): I recommend that the hon. Gentleman visits his local jobcentre and speaks to work coaches, because they will tell him about the impact of universal credit. More people are getting into and staying in work. Importantly, we do listen to hon. Members from across the House and to stakeholders within the Department. In addition to the measures I mentioned earlier, we now have a two-week run-on for housing benefit and will have a run-on for other legacy benefits as of October next year.[Official Report, 30 January 2020, Vol. 670, c. 8MC.]
In-Work Poverty — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): Employment has increased by over 3.8 million since 2010; the employment rate is 76.3%; unemployment is at its lowest rate since the ’70s, wage growth is outstripping inflation and wages are increasing at their fastest rate in a decade; and we have around a million fewer workless households and a record low 730,000 children in workless households. That is a record that we should be proud of. The hon. Gentleman talks about zero-hours contracts, but they account for 2.7% of the labour market and work very well for many people.
In-Work Poverty — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for that question. She is absolutely right that real wages have risen for over a year—22 months in a row. Total wages have risen by 3.2%, but we want to go further, which is why the Chancellor announced that the national living wage will rise to £10.50 by 2024 as part of our drive to end low pay.
In-Work Poverty — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Stephen Crabb (Conservative, Centre-right): Trapping families in welfare year after year, which was a key feature of the last Labour Government’s welfare policy, never got anybody out of poverty. Does the Minister agree that the surest foundation on which to build a true anti-poverty strategy is to have an expanding workforce and increasing incentives for people to work?
In-Work Poverty — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Institute for Fiscal Studies slammed Labour’s pledge to scrap universal credit as uncosted and "unwise…expensive, disruptive and unnecessary." We believe that work should always pay. We need a welfare system that helps people into work, supports those who need help and is fair for everyone who pays for it. Let us remember that no Labour Government have ever left office with unemployment lower than when they started.
In-Work Poverty — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): Absolutely. Income inequality has been falling under this Government in real terms, and the national living wage will rise to £8.72 in April and to £10.50 by 2024. My hon. Friend rightly points out that our tax changes have made basic-rate taxpayers over £1,200 better off than in 2010. We have doubled the free childcare available to working parents of three and four-year-olds to 30 hours per week, saving them up to £5,000 per year per child.
Universal Credit Roll-out — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): A record 32.9 million people are in work in this country, up by over 3.8 million since 2010. Universal credit has successfully rolled out and is now available in every jobcentre, with a caseload of 2.8 million claimants. We continue to build evidence on the experiences of claimants through our ongoing programme of research and evaluation. The next phase of delivery is to learn how to safely move people across from legacy benefits, which we are doing through our "Move to UC" pilot.
Universal Credit Roll-out — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman characteristically asks a very good question. Universal credit is based on real-terms earnings information, so it is a complex problem. We are subject to litigation on this matter, so I cannot go into too much detail, but I would be happy to meet him at a later point to discuss this issue further. I am keen to find a solution.
Universal Credit Roll-out — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): Universal credit provides a safety net but, importantly, does not trap people in welfare. The hon. Lady is right that we are running a pilot in Harrogate. The numbers are relatively small at the moment: just under 80, with around 13 having moved on to universal credit. [Interruption.] I can see that she is shocked, but it has been rather deliberate. My clear instruction to officials was to take this slow and steady, and to go at the pace the claimant requires. I want us to ensure that we have the information necessary to roll out universal credit without leaving anybody behind. We have to get it right.
Universal Credit Roll-out — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
Robert Goodwill (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Justin Madders) raises an important point. This often occurs at Christmas, when helpful employers want to pay their staff early so they can afford to pay for all the things they need. Can the Minister assure me that the system will be fixed by next Christmas at the latest?
Universal Credit Roll-out — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): As much as I would love to give my right hon. Friend that assurance, I cannot do so, but I assure him that I am working on it. Universal credit is based on real-time earnings data, so it is a tricky issue. No one loses out over the course of a year—that is an important point—but I understand that it causes budgeting issues for claimants.
Universal Credit Roll-out — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for that question, and I welcome her to her place. Compared with the system it replaces, universal credit will, in total, give claimants an extra £2.1 billion a year once fully rolled out. Around 1 million disabled households will receive, on average, around £100 more per month, and 700,000 families will get the extra money to which they are entitled. In short, the answer is yes.
Benefits: Administrative Errors — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What assessment she has made of trends in the level of administrative errors made in the processing of applications during the roll-out of (a) universal credit and (b) personal independence payment in Hartlepool constituency.
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): Last year, administrative errors in UC fell from 2.3% to 2.1% in respect of wrong payments. We recognise that this is still a relatively new system, and we will continue to work with claimants, charities and stakeholders to make sure that UC can continue to offer personalised, tailored support to unlock all people’s potential.
Benefits: Administrative Errors — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What assessment she has made of trends in the level of administrative errors made in the processing of applications during the roll-out of (a) universal credit and (b) personal independence payment in Hartlepool constituency.
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): The reality is that under PIP 32% of claimants now receive the highest rate of support compared with just 15% under the legacy system—that is worth £15.05 per week—and there are now 257,228 more people benefiting from PIP than did so under the legacy system.
Benefits: Administrative Errors — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
Questions: What assessment she has made of trends in the level of administrative errors made in the processing of applications during the roll-out of (a) universal credit and (b) personal independence payment in Hartlepool constituency.
Damian Patrick George Hinds (Conservative, Centre-right): UC smooths the transition into work and it smooths progression in work. Since it became the default benefit for newly unemployed people, we have had month after month after month of positive employment news. Is it not bizarre that Opposition Members want to scrap that system and return to the Labour system that saw millions of people either trapped in the 16-hour economy or shut out of work altogether?
Benefits: Administrative Errors — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
Questions: What assessment she has made of trends in the level of administrative errors made in the processing of applications during the roll-out of (a) universal credit and (b) personal independence payment in Hartlepool constituency.
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for what he says, and it is absolutely clear to someone who visits a jobcentre anywhere in the country: for the first time, work coaches feel empowered to offer personalised, tailored support, working with external agencies to provide as much opportunity as possible. We must remember that under the legacy benefits £2.4 billion per year went unclaimed because the system was too complex for some of the most vulnerable people in society. That was not acceptable.
Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
Questions: What recent discussion she has had with Cabinet colleagues on protecting employees that are (a) pregnant and (b) eligible for maternity leave against discrimination at work.
Marco Longhi (Conservative, Centre-right): By some margin, Dudley North is not showing the same fantastic rate of progress we are making with people on employment in the black country and around the country. Will the Minister use all the business-friendly measures she can, such as promoting shared parental leave, to encourage people back to work?
Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
Questions: What recent discussion she has had with Cabinet colleagues on protecting employees that are (a) pregnant and (b) eligible for maternity leave against discrimination at work.
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Whether it is shared parental leave or flexible working, we need to do everything to get more people into work and progressing. In a recent survey, four in five employers felt that it was in their interests to support pregnant women and bring them back to work. I remind the House that, under this Government, unemployment, in all nations and regions, has fallen since 2010, with 80% of employment since then in higher-skilled occupations—we are talking about 3.1 million people. If my hon. Friend is not seeing this in his constituency, I am keen to meet him to explore why.
Universal Credit: Monthly Assessment Period — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the monthly assessment period for universal credit is able to reflect a claimant's fluctuating income.
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): Monthly assessment periods align to the way the majority of employees are paid and also allow UC to be adjusted each month. They scrap the "cliff edges" that blighted the legacy benefits system and mean that if a claimant’s income falls, they will not have to wait several months for a rise in their UC.
Universal Credit: Monthly Assessment Period — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the monthly assessment period for universal credit is able to reflect a claimant's fluctuating income.
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): 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.
Universal Credit: Personal Finances — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): In total, universal credit is £2 billion a year more generous than the legacy system it replaces. For those who can work, universal credit ensures people take home more of their earned income and are supported to work more hours, whereas for those who cannot work, the higher disability element is more generous, meaning that 1 million disabled claimants will gain, on average, £100 a month.
Contracted-out Health Assessments — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Questions: What recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) accuracy and (b) efficiency of contracted out health assessments for (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) personal independence payment.
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): As I have set out in previous answers, we are now spending an additional £6 billion through personal independence payments to support some of the most vulnerable people in society. Under the work capability assessment, we have 92% satisfaction, and under PIP it is 82%. We are ambitious for more and will continue to work with claimants, stakeholders and charities to improve the experience.
Universal Credit: Transitional Support — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): The Department is working with a range of organisations to support claimants transitioning to universal credit, building on the success of the Help to Claim scheme, which is delivered by Citizens Advice and has helped more than 180,000 people. From April 2020, a new £10 million transitional fund will provide extra help to the most vulnerable, improving access to welfare and labour market opportunities.
Universal Credit: Transitional Support — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Kevin Paul Hollinrake (Conservative, Centre-right): If someone is on a four-weekly payment cycle, they will be paid twice in one month every year. That cocks up their universal credit claim as well as their cash flow. Until we fix the system, would a simple solution not be to give an interest-free loan to tide them over that period?
Universal Credit: Transitional Support — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): I am getting a strong steer that Members would like me to take a good look at this policy area, and I thank my hon. Friend for his suggestion. As he knows, we are always looking at ways to improve the UC system. The amount of UC paid to claimants reflects as closely as possible the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period, and those periods align to the way that the majority of employees are paid. I am of course willing to look into the issue, though, and am happy to meet my hon. Friend in due course.
Universal Credit: Transitional Support — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
Andrew John Carter (Conservative, Centre-right): The Minister will know that Warrington was one of the first pilot towns to move to universal credit, back in 2013. Today, the town has record levels of employment. However, problems have been reported to my office: new claimants often have to wait beyond a reasonable timeframe to access help. Will the Minister come to Warrington to work with me to identify changes that will speed up the process for claimants, so that we can help even more people back into work?
Universal Credit: Transitional Support — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): SNP Members were certainly notified that I was coming If I get the opportunity, I would very much like to visit the hon. Lady’s constituency. It is important to say that, once fully rolled out, universal credit will give claimants an additional £2.1 billion a year. It is a more generous system and I would be happy to work with her and her jobcentre to see how it is working with her constituents.
Universal Credit: Transitional Support — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Social Welfare
William James Quince (Conservative, Centre-right): I do not want anyone to feel that they have no choice but to visit a food bank. What is really important for me is understanding the drivers of food bank use. I work very closely with the Trussell Trust and independent food bank providers. Representatives of the Trussell Trust, whom I regularly meet, tell me some of the issues involved, and we are looking at addressing them. Also important for me is understanding food insecurity, as it is the key to tackling the root causes of the problem. We have also put a question on the family resource survey, which launched in April.
Benefits: Tribunal Awards — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: How many and what proportion of applications for (a) disability living allowance, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) personal independence payment that were considered by a tribunal resulted in a benefit award.
Philip Thomas Hollobone (Conservative, Centre-right): These numbers are far too high, and I suspect that one of the reasons that they are so high is that requisite paperwork is not provided until it reaches the tribunal stage. What can the Minister do to ensure that the paperwork from the applicants is provided earlier ?
Benefits: Tribunal Awards — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Law and Crime
Questions: How many and what proportion of applications for (a) disability living allowance, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) personal independence payment that were considered by a tribunal resulted in a benefit award.
Justin Paul Tomlinson (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is often the case that additional written and oral evidence is presented at the tribunal stage, which is why we have made significant changes to the mandatory reconsideration stage where we proactively contact claimants to try to assist in gathering that data. We rolled that out halfway through last year. It is now in all the mandatory reconsideration assessments, and we have seen a significant uplift in the number of appeals overturned at the MR stage, and that is a good thing.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): In the week that we leave the European Union, I am pleased to say that our labour market continues to thrive. Employment has reached a new record high of 76.3% matched by a record number of people in work, pulling Britain forward into the new decade. That includes 15.5 million women—more than ever before—and 1.3 million disabled people have joined the labour market since 2013. This shows a bright outlook for our buoyant economy as we continue to grow and enhance the labour market in this new era for our country.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2020-01-27
Topic: Labor
Thérèse Anne Coffey (Conservative, Centre-right): My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy leads on this issue. I assure my hon. Friend that we encourage people to take up the options and we support their efforts. We will continue to do more with our work coaches on helping people to get the most out of working.