Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Cost of Living: Support for Young People
"My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech, and I am glad that he is including students. There will be mixed experiences in terms of students’ ability to fall back on family support, but is he aware that recent research conducted for Universities UK indicated that over half of students …..."Paul Blomfield - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Cost of Living: Support for Young People
"I know that the hon. Member regularly takes up student issues and is a strong advocate for her student constituents. Does she recognise that students, particularly those from poorer backgrounds, went into this crisis already at a disadvantage, not least because the salary threshold for eligibility for maximum loans in …..."Paul Blomfield - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Cost of Living: Support for Young People
"I will write to the Minister on that point. It is all very well saying that the maximum loan has been increased, but people cannot access it because the threshold has not changed. I think there is some serious work to be done by the Government on that. It could …..."Paul Blomfield - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 23 Sep 2022
The Growth Plan
"After 12 years of Conservative economic failure, the Financial Times reported earlier this week that those on the lowest incomes in the UK are much poorer than their counterparts across the rest of Europe—20% below Slovenia, for example—while those at the top are among the wealthiest. The Prime Minister has …..."Paul Blomfield - View Speech
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Written Question
Thursday 14th July 2022
Asked by:
Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question
to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of permitting the use of identity documents other than a passport and driving license for verifying Government Gateway accounts.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Before sharing any personal data with a customer online the Government have a duty to establish their identity to a sufficient degree of confidence. The Government aims to strike a balance between making this journey as straightforward as we can for customers but, at the same time, setting the bar high enough to deter fraudsters.
When asked to prove their identity, customers are currently able to select two items from the following where they are available:
• Tax credit claim details
• P60 or most recent payslips
• UK passports
• Information held on credit file (such as loans, credit cards or mortgages)
• Self-assessment tax return details
• Northern Ireland and British driving licences
Most customers can use Government services securely online, but we do recognise that not every customer currently can. HMRC is constantly working on the Government Gateway service and the identity verification capability that supports it to help more people gain access while keeping customer information secure. Some of these developments include:
• Following discussions with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency the UK driving licence was been added as an additional evidence source within the HMRC identity verification service on 1 July 2022; and
• Government Digital Service (GDS) is developing a new mobile app that will allow people to use the camera on their smartphone/device to confirm a match with photographic identification, starting with the driving licence but extending to support other biometric documents over time. HMRC will be adopting this from the summer, giving some of our customers an alternative way to prove their identity. HMRC will be working with GDS to make it available to more customers in phases.
In the longer term, HMRC intends to move services to One Login for Government, the new cross-government sign-on and identity verification system being developed by GDS. HMRC is working closely with GDS on the design and development of the new service to ensure it best meets the needs of all our customers.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 26 May 2022
Economy Update
"The Chancellor talked about supporting the most vulnerable, but there appear to be questions about his targeting when we look at the detail in the announcement. Everybody accepts that the most effective way to get support to those most in need would be to restore the universal credit uplift and …..."Paul Blomfield - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 17 May 2022
Tackling Short-term and Long-term Cost of Living Increases
"It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr Fysh), who made some important points about the need for action now, in recognition of the severity of the crisis we face.
I spent yesterday morning at a crisis meeting in a part of my constituency where incomes …..."Paul Blomfield - View Speech
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Written Question
Thursday 10th February 2022
Asked by:
Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question
to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what analysis been conducted into the increased administrative cost of new customs checks for exporters and importers since 1 January 2022; what data the Government holds on the additional costs incurred for those businesses.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
HMRC recognises these are significant changes for businesses and has worked closely with industry and business in implementing the changes and providing extensive support to adjust to the changes in their customs obligations.
HMRC continues to support businesses now that these changes have come into force. This includes guidance products, daily calls with the border industry, direct mailshots, e-mails, UK and EU facing webinars, and ‘how to’ videos.
Through the SME Brexit Support Fund and the Intermediaries Grant, the Government has made over £100 million available to help businesses adapt to the new rules.
To assist businesses to get help with making declarations, HMRC has created a customs intermediary register on GOV.UK to help traders find an intermediary appropriate to their needs. The register lists around 1500 intermediaries, whether they are taking on new clients, and the services they provide.
HMRC has also increased its 24/7 support for businesses who need help with customs processes for goods moving across the border. A robust support and resolution process is also in place to ensure the smooth flow of goods in the event of any disruption, congestion, or other issues affecting customs controls.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 01 Feb 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"8. What fiscal steps he plans to take to help reduce the impact on households of the rise in the cost of living. ..."Paul Blomfield - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 01 Feb 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"A constituent wrote to me recently; she is 57 and works four days a week on the minimum wage. Her energy bill is rising from £95 to £220 a month, eating up an extra 11% of her take-home pay. Weekend reports suggest that Treasury action on the cost of living …..."Paul Blomfield - View Speech
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