Working-age Welfare System

Lord Bishop of Manchester Excerpts

Tuesday 1st September 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Sherlock (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises an important point. We all agree that those who can work should work and those who cannot work at all should be supported. That leaves us with two questions. One is: how do you tell the difference? The second is: is it an absolute difference anyway? I think it actually is not. The mistake we have made is assuming that the world is in two categories of people: those who can work and those who never can. The fact is that for lots of us there are times in our life when we can or cannot work, and times when we can do some work. Our job is to accept that the overwhelming majority of people can work, either now or in the near future, and we know they want to. Our job is to make sure that we support people and help them. But clearly the system is there. There are clear conditionality requirements. If you can work, you should. But just telling you that is not enough. We need to give you the confidence. For example, in our work with young people—I am sorry, Chief Whip, I will stop now.

[The Lord Bishop of Manchester]

My Lords, I am glad to hear that the Minister is so passionate about this and that, overall, this is taking place. As part of that, however, the Trussell Trust tells me that the majority of people who go to food banks are already on universal credit. Are the Government going to look at what it actually costs to survive in this country so that that can be factored into what levels of universal credit people are going to be getting?

[Baroness Sherlock (Lab)]

The right reverend Prelate raises a really important point. As I know he knows, in our work on rebalancing universal credit, the Government are making the first above-inflation increase in the standard rate of universal credit. We are also investing in other things that support people with the cost of living: help with housing, with heating and with childcare. We need to support those who are out of work. Also, a lot of people on universal credit are in work, so it is important for us to help them to get on in work, develop, improve their salaries and have opportunities. Most people do not want to spend their entire life out of work. It is not good for them; it is not good for the state. That is our job.