"I welcome my right hon. Friend to his new position. Will he tell the House what progress his Department is making to increase the uptake of pension credit, which means that more vulnerable elderly people will be eligible for cold weather payments?..." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
"Can my hon. Friend the Minister confirm that before this Government came into office in 2009-10, the state pension was £95 a week and that this year it will rise to £185 a week? Does he agree that this explains why there are over 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty …..." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
"15. What plans she has to work with employers and skills providers at a local level to help more jobseekers into work. ..." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
"In North West Leicestershire, we are fortunate enough to have 1.1 jobs for every individual. However, a large amount of our unemployment is down to gaps in skills and training, so what will the Department do to solve that problem?..." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
"Will the Minister outline to the House what steps his Department is taking to support those citizens who have fallen into problem debt?..." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
"Can the Minister confirm that this Government’s numerous increases to the personal allowance since 2015-16 have taken a further 1.74 million people out of income tax altogether?..." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
"Will my right hon. Friend tell the House what safeguards are in place to help universal credit claimants with regard to the repayments of any debts they might have accrued?..." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
"I am glad that 145,000 more people with disabilities have found work in the last 12 months, leading to a total of 930,000 moving into work in the last five years. Does the Minister agree that the Government’s declared target of helping 1 million people with disabilities into work could …..." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
"Some people are paid four-weekly, not monthly, so one month of the year, they will get two payments. Will the Minister ensure that universal credit can cope adequately with this situation?..." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
"Will my right hon. Friend confirm that someone on benefits moving into work under the legacy welfare system that we inherited from the Labour Government could have lost up to £9 of every £10 they earned? There was no incentive to work whatsoever...." Andrew Bridgen - View Speech