Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 31 Oct 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"8. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of social security payments in meeting the cost of living. ..."Martin Docherty-Hughes - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 31 Oct 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"I am grateful for the Minister’s answer, but the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has warned that if social security does not get uprated with inflation, it will be the
“largest permanent deliberate real-terms cut”
to the basic rate of social security by a British Government in history. According to the Child …..."Martin Docherty-Hughes - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 21 Mar 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"8. What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that disabled people are supported in work. ..."Martin Docherty-Hughes - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 21 Mar 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"I am sure the Minister would agree that an important part of preventing the disability employment gap from widening further is the provision of assistive technology for disabled claimants who are applying for jobs. Can the Minister advise the House on whether every jobcentre is equipped with assistive technology for …..."Martin Docherty-Hughes - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 17 Mar 2022
DWP Estate: Office Closures
"I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow South West (Chris Stephens) for securing this urgent question. He is open and transparent about his strong trade union membership, unlike some Members of the House, who spend their weekends partying with Russian lords and are not open about that.
The …..."Martin Docherty-Hughes - View Speech
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Written Question
Monday 7th February 2022
Asked by:
Martin Docherty-Hughes (Scottish National Party - West Dunbartonshire)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department is providing to social security claimants to help them manage increased utility costs.
Answered by David Rutley
The government is providing significant financial support to many households to support them with rising energy bills. The Energy Bills Rebate will provide around 28 million households with an upfront discount on their bills worth £200. Energy suppliers will apply the discount to domestic electricity customers from October, with the Government meeting the costs. Households in England, which are in council tax bands A-D, will also receive a £150 rebate on their council tax. The rebate to bills will be made directly by local authorities from April and will not need to be repaid.
DWP administers the Cold Weather Payment scheme, which provides £25 extra a week to vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits, when the average temperature has been recorded, or is forecast to be, 0 degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible person’s postcode.
Some customers in receipt of Universal Credit may be entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment if they or their partner reached state pension age on or before 26 September 2021.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy administers the Warm Home Discount Scheme for low income and vulnerable customers. It gives direct assistance with their energy costs. Energy suppliers provide rebates on energy bills currently worth £140 per household each winter. This year (2021/22), the scheme will be worth £354 million.
The Energy Price Cap will continue to protect consumers, ensuring they pay a fair price for their energy this winter.
Further detail on all three schemes can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment
https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment
https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme
In addition, we recognise that some people require extra support over the winter, which is why vulnerable households across the country can access the £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund provides £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula applies in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 25 Jan 2022
Cost of Living
"I am grateful that my hon. Friend mentioned energy prices. Does she agree that the UK Government’s penchant for reducing investment in onshore wind farms, as well as removing subsidies for offshore specifically in Scotland, undermines not only renewable energy but the production of the cheapest energy that this United …..."Martin Docherty-Hughes - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 25 Jan 2022
Cost of Living
"rose—..."Martin Docherty-Hughes - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 25 Jan 2022
Cost of Living
"Does the hon. Gentleman agree that energy market reform also requires a reform of transmission charges? While in most parts of England a subsidy will be given to provide energy, north of a certain line north of London people have to charge to produce energy to put it on to …..."Martin Docherty-Hughes - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Mar 2021
Social Security
"These days we often talk about social media in denigrating terms, but we would sometimes do well to remind ourselves why it is a useful tool. I was reminded of this the other day when a picture popped up on my Twitter feed from West Dunbartonshire Council’s arts and heritage …..."Martin Docherty-Hughes - View Speech
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