To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of Universal Credit have a total gross household income, including earnings and other income, within each of the following bands: (a) £0–£20,000; (b) £20,001–£40,000; (c) £40,001–£60,000; (d) £60,001–£80,000; (e) £80,001–£100,000; (f) £100,001–£120,000; (g) £120,001–£140,000; and...

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of Universal Credit have a total gross household income, including earnings and other income, within each of the following bands: (a) £0–£20,000; (b) £20,001–£40,000; (c) £40,001–£60,000; (d) £60,001–£80,000; (e) £80,001–£100,000; (f) £100,001–£120,000; (g) £120,001–£140,000; and...

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many departmental staff are part of teams considering the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the social security and welfare system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many departmental staff are part of teams considering the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the social security and welfare system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to train job coaches to support workers at risk of losing their jobs from Artificial Intelligence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to train job coaches to support workers at risk of losing their jobs from Artificial Intelligence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the National Insurance rate, Minimum Wage and Employment Rights Act on the unemployment rate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the National Insurance rate, Minimum Wage and Employment Rights Act on the unemployment rate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants receiving the higher Daily Living rate of Personal Independence Payment are in receipt of Carers Allowance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants receiving the higher Daily Living rate of Personal Independence Payment are in receipt of Carers Allowance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 47466 on Pathways to Work: Impact Assessments, what the most recent equivalent disaggregation is by health category; what definitions are used in the disaggregation for Anxiety and Depression and...

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 47466 on Pathways to Work: Impact Assessments, what the most recent equivalent disaggregation is by health category; what definitions are used in the disaggregation for Anxiety and Depression and...

Every holiday period, Kent and my constituency of Faversham and Mid Kent is brought to a standstill, and that has become much worse with the introduction of the EU entry-exit system, despite the fact that our ports and Eurotunnel have invested in the technology. I understand that it is not...

Every holiday period, Kent and my constituency of Faversham and Mid Kent is brought to a standstill, and that has become much worse with the introduction of the EU entry-exit system, despite the fact that our ports and Eurotunnel have invested in the technology. I understand that it is not...

I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing the debate. She is making an important point about the fact that we need not just the minimum but the maximum. We need really strong commitments. The Cleve Hill solar development in the village of Graveney in my constituency is huge. It has...

I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing the debate. She is making an important point about the fact that we need not just the minimum but the maximum. We need really strong commitments. The Cleve Hill solar development in the village of Graveney in my constituency is huge. It has...

On the point about considering the community benefit, what counts as a community is really important. In some circumstances—this has come up in my local area—a large geographical area is considered as a community, even though the number of households that are very substantially affected is very small. It is...

On the point about considering the community benefit, what counts as a community is really important. In some circumstances—this has come up in my local area—a large geographical area is considered as a community, even though the number of households that are very substantially affected is very small. It is...

Well, there we heard it a moment ago: a Labour Back Bencher calling for yet more money to be spent on benefits. What we should be doing is talking about all the households who are avoiding the cap, when 100,000 households get over—

Well, there we heard it a moment ago: a Labour Back Bencher calling for yet more money to be spent on benefits. What we should be doing is talking about all the households who are avoiding the cap, when 100,000 households get over—

Some 100,000 households get over £50,000 in benefits, and 16,000 households get over £60,000 in benefits. That gives them the same income as the top 10% of earners in this country. British people are sick and tired of footing the bill for “Benefits Street” and seeing welfare claimants living lives of luxury at their expense. The right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) has called for more collaborative politics, so will the Minister adopt our plan to toughen up the benefits cap and save £1 billion off the benefits bill?

Some 100,000 households get over £50,000 in benefits, and 16,000 households get over £60,000 in benefits. That gives them the same income as the top 10% of earners in this country. British people are sick and tired of footing the bill for “Benefits Street” and seeing welfare claimants living lives of luxury at their expense. The right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) has called for more collaborative politics, so will the Minister adopt our plan to toughen up the benefits cap and save £1 billion off the benefits bill?

I associate myself and those on the Opposition Benches with the Secretary of State’s comments about the outgoing permanent secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions. I am sorry that this may be my last exchange with the Secretary of State, as we await the coronation of the king in the north and the appointment of his new team. I hope that the right hon. Gentleman is not sacked for telling the truth about his fellow Labour MPs, who just want to put up taxes to pay for more benefits. Does he think that our next Prime Minister will have the courage to take on those Labour MPs and bring down the benefits bill, or will the new PM bottle it like his predecessor did?

I associate myself and those on the Opposition Benches with the Secretary of State’s comments about the outgoing permanent secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions. I am sorry that this may be my last exchange with the Secretary of State, as we await the coronation of the king in the north and the appointment of his new team. I hope that the right hon. Gentleman is not sacked for telling the truth about his fellow Labour MPs, who just want to put up taxes to pay for more benefits. Does he think that our next Prime Minister will have the courage to take on those Labour MPs and bring down the benefits bill, or will the new PM bottle it like his predecessor did?

I heard no commitment from the Secretary of State that the benefits bill was going to come down any time soon. Labour can change its leader, but it is still the same old welfare party.

The right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) told us this morning that he is going to bring “Manchesterism” to the whole country. In Manchester, he is spending nearly three quarters of a million pounds on helping asylum seekers to claim benefits. British people are tired of seeing their hard-earned money being spent on handouts to foreigners. We cannot be a cash machine for the world. Does the Secretary of State think that this is a good use of taxpayers’ money?

I heard no commitment from the Secretary of State that the benefits bill was going to come down any time soon. Labour can change its leader, but it is still the same old welfare party.

The right hon. Member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) told us this morning that he is going to bring “Manchesterism” to the whole country. In Manchester, he is spending nearly three quarters of a million pounds on helping asylum seekers to claim benefits. British people are tired of seeing their hard-earned money being spent on handouts to foreigners. We cannot be a cash machine for the world. Does the Secretary of State think that this is a good use of taxpayers’ money?

My hon. Friend is making a really important point about local identity and about how important it is that Ministers listen. We have a Minister here today listening. I want to talk about the local government reorganisation in Kent, an area that has an incredibly strong historic identity. It is...

My hon. Friend is making a really important point about local identity and about how important it is that Ministers listen. We have a Minister here today listening. I want to talk about the local government reorganisation in Kent, an area that has an incredibly strong historic identity. It is...

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to Question 125451 from the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to Question 125451 from the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent.

We have had a few days of hot weather, and yet again we have had water outages in my constituency and across Kent, on top of what we saw earlier this year and last year. Residents, businesses and livestock owners are frustrated, but they are also really worried, because getting...

We have had a few days of hot weather, and yet again we have had water outages in my constituency and across Kent, on top of what we saw earlier this year and last year. Residents, businesses and livestock owners are frustrated, but they are also really worried, because getting...

Urgent question on the publication of the Milburn report on young people and work.

Urgent question on the publication of the Milburn report on young people and work.

(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make a statement on the publication of the Milburn report on young people and work.

(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make a statement on the publication of the Milburn report on young people and work.

I am grateful to you, Mr Speaker, for granting the urgent question. It is a shame that the Minister had to be dragged here. Last week, the Secretary of State was only too eager to talk about this report on the telly. Where is he today? Why so quiet now?...

I am grateful to you, Mr Speaker, for granting the urgent question. It is a shame that the Minister had to be dragged here. Last week, the Secretary of State was only too eager to talk about this report on the telly. Where is he today? Why so quiet now?...