Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Hepburn and Kris Hopkins

Monday 10th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Kris Hopkins)]

Local council tax support schemes are a matter for local authorities. An independent review of schemes will be carried out within three years, as set out in legislation.

[Mr Hepburn]

The changes to council tax benefit that the Government have brought in are every bit as cruel as the evil bedroom tax and Thatcher’s poll tax. My local citizens advice bureau tells me that its new referrals to food banks have gone up from two a month to 10 a week. When will the Government stop attacking the poor?

[Kris Hopkins]

One way in which we can get people to stop using food banks is to get them into a job, and this Government have delivered 1.8 million jobs for those individuals.