Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Thomson Excerpts

Monday 13th September 2021 Commons Chamber

[Will Quince]

Of course, I am always happy to meet the hon. Gentleman, as I have always sought to do. I remind the House that there have been significant improvements in the public health situation, the vaccine roll-out is a huge success, our economy is opening up, restrictions are lifted, and we have a record number of vacancies in our labour market. Universal credit provides a safety net but it is not designed to trap people on welfare. Work is the best route out of poverty and to prosperity, but I am very happy to meet him to discuss this further.

[Richard Thomson (Gordon) (SNP)]

17. What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of universal credit received by claimants.

[Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)]

23. What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of universal credit received by claimants.

[Richard Thomson]

If the UK Government plough ahead with their planned cut to universal credit, it will result in one in three families with children in Scotland losing over £1,000 overnight and plunge 20,000 children into poverty. Does the Minister understand why so many people in Scotland think that it is the uplift that should stay and the Government snatching away that financial lifeline that should go instead?

[Will Quince]

There is no objective way of deciding what an adequate level of benefit should be, as everyone has different requirements. Income-related benefit rates are not made up of separate amounts of specific items of expenditure, such as food or fuel charges. The Government have always been clear that this uplift was a temporary measure, and I gently remind the hon. Gentleman that we spend over £110 billion on benefits for working-age people.