Monday Volume 682 19 October 2020 No. 122 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 19 October 2020 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2020 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 735 19 OCTOBER 2020 736 The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse House of Commons Coffey): I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question, because he gives me the opportunity to highlight Monday 19 October 2020 again what we are doing to help people in the sectors worst affected by the covid-19 outbreak. I have worked with my colleagues across government in forming and The House met at half-past Two o’clock delivering our £30 billion plan for jobs to increase employment support, protect jobs and create new PRAYERS opportunities. He will be aware of the kickstart scheme, which particularly focuses on young people, but we will continue to help people of all ages to get back into work. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Virtual participation in proceedings commenced Chris Elmore: May I raise the specific issue of the (Order, 4 June). support that is available to single parents when their [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] child has to self-isolate? They are not able to claim statutory sick pay if their child is having to self-isolate at school age. In addition, if they were to apply for universal credit, they would have to restart the process each and Oral Answers to Questions every time. I have constituents who have had to self-isolate on multiple occasions because their school-age children have been told they have to stay at home and cannot WORK AND PENSIONS stay at home on their own. Can the Secretary of State either tell me now, or come back to me on it in writing, The Secretary of State was asked— what specific support can be directed towards constituents who need that additional support as single parents? Job Entry Targeted Support Dr Coffey: I will certainly ask the Minister for Disabled Miriam Cates (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Con): People, Health and Work to look into that detailed What steps she is taking to ensure that the job entry issue on SSP. If a person is required to self-isolate as a targeted support programme supports jobseekers to consequence of somebody in their household having move into growth sectors of the economy. [907669] symptoms, then, in my view, they should be eligible for SSP. But given that it is such a legal and technical issue, The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work I will ask my hon. Friend to write to the hon. Gentleman (Justin Tomlinson): Our new JETS scheme has started specifically. rolling out across the country and blasted off in my hon. Friend’s constituency on 5 October. The scheme Neil Gray (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) [V]: Ending the has £238 million of funding that is dedicated to helping furlough scheme early is going to put livelihoods at risk, people who have been out of work for three or more so will the Secretary of State provide an update on her months and may be at risk of long-term unemployment. discussions with the Treasury about extending the covid- JETS will see a variety of providers work at our local related increase to universal credit and ensuring that it jobcentre networks to offer a range of bespoke services, is expanded to legacy benefits? While she is in those including important advice on how people can move discussions, will she raise extending the furlough scheme into new, growing sectors, as well as help with CV and ask that the covid self-isolation grants be tax-exempt, building and interview coaching. as called for by the Social Security Secretary in Scotland, Shirley-Ann Somerville? Miriam Cates: I am glad that the scheme is already helping my constituents in Penistone and Stocksbridge, Dr Coffey: There are multiple questions there. My many of whom are now struggling to find work as a right hon. Friend the Chancellor has already responded result of the pandemic. However, getting people back by introducing the new job support scheme, which he into work will require a national effort, so will he updated for particular sectors, thinking of tier 3 in provide a broader update on the roll-out of the scheme? England, to extend even further the furlough scheme. It is clear that this Government are doing what is needed. Justin Tomlinson: My hon. Friend is right to suggest In terms of the other things that the hon. Gentleman that tackling the impacts of covid will require a national mentions, he will be aware that I continue to have effort, and the DWP stands ready to deliver this with regular discussions with my Treasury colleagues on the our network of local jobcentres,which we will be expanding. best way that we can help to support people during this The JETS scheme started two weeks ago and is now live pandemic. right across England and Wales, and we are contracting anew in Scotland. We anticipate that as JETS continues Child Poverty: Covid-19 to roll out across Great Britain, it will help 280,000 of our claimants to find work and build the skills to pivot Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab): What recent into new sectors if required. assessment she has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on levels of child poverty. [907671] Covid-19 Support: Worst-affected Sectors The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work Chris Elmore (Ogmore) (Lab): What discussions she has andPensions(WillQuince):ThisGovernment’sunprecedented had with Cabinet colleagues on support for people in support package has supported the poorest working the sectors worst affected by the covid-19 outbreak. households the most, with Her Majesty’s Treasury’s [907670] analysisshowingthatthepoorest10%of workinghouseholds 737 Oral Answers 19 OCTOBER 2020 Oral Answers 738 have seen no income reduction, owing to the fast action our new job entry targeted support scheme—JETS—will taken by this Government in responding to the pandemic, help those who have been unemployed for more than including a £9.3 billion injection into the welfare system. three months move into new and growing sectors. Our additional job finding support service will provide targeted Alison McGovern: The problem with the Minister’s support for the newly unemployed, with local provisions answer is that this crisis is only revealing problems with available now and a national contract due in place from policies that we knew were there already. Members of 21 January. this House are against it; members of faith communities are against it; leading charities are against it; and now Marcus Rashford is campaigning against it. So what is Elliot Colburn: In Carshalton and Wallington, we the Minister going to do to end the two-child policy for know that the self-employed are the risk takers, and the universal credit once and for all? pandemic has shown that we need to be there for them. Work coaches have done a good job of knowing what is Will Quince: The two-child policy in universal credit fair and reasonable and are able to apply discretion is one of fundamental fairness, and it means that those when setting work search requirements, so will my hon. who are in receipt of benefits should be in the same Friend assure me that self-employed claimants will also position as those who are not. I am not a particular benefit from this personalised, discretionary approach football fan, but I certainly know Marcus Rashford’s as the minimum income floor is reintroduced? name now, and I congratulate him on his MBE. We welcome the establishment of the taskforce and will Mims Davies: I can assure my hon. Friend that claimants carefully consider its recommendations as we approach will always be contacted before the minimum income the spending review. floor is applied to them. Universal credit claimants who were subject to the minimum income floor prior to the Ms Karen Buck (Westminster North) (Lab): Wealready pandemic will be given the opportunity to review their know that child poverty rates have been rising across self-employment status and activity, ensuring that their north-west England, and that is before the economic current circumstances are reflected and their business impact of the restrictions consequent upon tier 3. The continues to be viable before any reintroduction of the Chancellor talks about the way that the job support MIF. My hon. Friend will be aware that the regulations scheme and universal credit protect income, saying that to relax the MIF are in place until November, and I will it leaves households with 90% of their income, but update the House on arrangements beyond that in due many households will get nothing like that, and those course. who lose their jobs entirely sometimes go on to universal credit at 30% of income. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of the restrictions on child Jason McCartney: I joined my caseworker on a recent poverty in the north-west and how that compares with a covid-safe visit to Huddersfield jobcentre, which is rolling local furlough scheme that protects all jobs that are at out a seven-day-a-week operation to support jobseekers. risk? Will the Minister join me in thanking all the team at Huddersfield jobcentre and continue to give them all Will Quince: I will look carefully at the points that the support required as they recruit the extra staff they the hon.