Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Work and Pensions

Oral Answers to Questions

Laura Kyrke-Smith Excerpts
Monday 12th May 2025

(1 day, 19 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Liz Kendall Portrait Liz Kendall
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The shadow Secretary of State fails to recognise that job vacancies were falling under her Government. I would say to her that we are inundated with businesses that are desperate to recruit and to get young people the skills they need. I met a whole group of businesses in Leicestershire last week who are really keen to work with us. I suggest the hon. Lady takes a good, long, hard look at her own party’s record—the number of people she left on the scrapheap—say sorry and get her own policies right first.

Laura Kyrke-Smith Portrait Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury) (Lab)
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T4. I have been in touch with a constituent who has a disability and needs help with showering and dressing. She is concerned that, under our proposed reforms, she will not score enough points to continue receiving the daily living portion of PIP. I welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement that the Government are reviewing the PIP assessment, including the descriptors, but can she confirm that cases like that of my constituent will be considered as part of the review?

Stephen Timms Portrait Sir Stephen Timms
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I recognise my hon. Friend’s concern. We will engage stakeholders to consider the scope of the review before publishing terms of reference. In the review we will consider whether the assessment criteria effectively target the right people at the right level. We will look at the descriptors and consider the points allocated to them.