The committee has been involved in a number of significant investigations.
Welfare safety net inquiry (2015)Edit
On 18 September 2015, the committee announced that it was beginning an enquiry into the 'welfare safety net'.[10] The committee's chair, in launching the enquiry, said:
"There is a great deal of concern that some of the least advantaged people are slipping through our safety net into a state of hunger. Our welfare safety net has developed over decades because there is a level below which we as a society do not believe anyone should fall, no matter where they live. We want to understand how local councils are adapting and coping with the changes in benefits and the extra responsibilities on them to meet genuine need and maintain that basic safety net."
Two child limit (2019)Edit
In 2019 the Work and Pensions Select Committee recommended ending the two-child limit on welfare payments. The committee heard evidence from charities, economists and faith groups and stated the limit had, “unintended consequences that no government should be willing to accept”. The committee stated the justification for the limit assumed all pregnancies were planned, that distinguishing between families on benefits and families in work was “crude and unrealistic”, further evidence did not support the case that the two child limit might encourage parents to increase their incomes from work. The committee argued for no significant distinction between households on benefits and those working. In April 2019, 72% of families getting tax credits were in work. In May 2019, 28% of working-age housing benefit claimants were, “in employment and not on passported benefit”. in October 2019, 33% of Universal Credit claimants were recorded as employed. Frank FieldMP said, “Any family in this country, except the super-rich, could fall foul of the two-child limit if their circumstances changed for the worse. This is exactly why social security must act as a national insurance scheme covering people when they’re most exposed to hardship – not increase it.”[11]
^"Work and Pensions Committee". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^"Work and Pensions Committee - Membership - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^"Stephen Timms elected as Chair of Work and Pensions Committee - News from Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^"Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 627. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 12 July 2017.
^"Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 628. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 11 September 2017.
^"Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 597. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 18 June 2015.
^"Business without Debate". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 598. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 8 July 2015.
^"Speaker's Statement". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 511. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 10 June 2010.
Records for this Committee are held at the Parliamentary Archives
October 20, 2023
work, pensions, select, committee, select, committee, house, commons, parliament, united, kingdom, remit, committee, examine, expenditure, administration, policy, department, work, pensions, associated, public, bodies, contents, membership, changes, 2019, pres. The Work and Pensions Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom The remit of the committee is to examine the expenditure administration and policy of the Department for Work and Pensions and its associated public bodies 1 Contents 1 Membership 1 1 Changes 2019 present 2 2017 2019 Parliament 2 1 Changes 2017 2019 3 2015 2017 Parliament 3 1 Changes 2015 2017 4 2010 2015 Parliament 4 1 Changes 2010 2015 5 Significant inquiries 5 1 Welfare safety net inquiry 2015 5 2 Two child limit 2019 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksMembership EditThe full membership of the committee in the 58th Parliament is as follows 2 Member Party ConstituencyStephen Timms MP chair 3 Labour East HamDebbie Abrahams MP Labour Oldham East and SaddleworthShaun Bailey MP Conservative West Bromwich WestSiobhan Baillie MP Conservative StroudNeil Coyle MP Labour Bermondsey and Old SouthwarkDavid Linden MP Scottish National Party Glasgow EastSteve McCabe MP Labour Birmingham Selly OakNigel Mills MP Conservative Amber ValleySelaine Saxby MP Conservative North DevonDr Ben Spencer MP Conservative Runnymede and WeybridgeDesmond Swayne Conservative New Forest West Changes 2019 present Edit Date Outgoing Member amp Party Constituency New Member amp Party Constituency Source9 January 2023 Chris Stephens MP SNP Glasgow South West David Linden MP SNP Glasgow East Hansard2017 2019 Parliament EditThe chair was elected on 12 July 2017 with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017 4 5 Member Party ConstituencyFrank Field MP Chair Labour BirkenheadHeidi Allen MP Conservative South CambridgeshireAlex Burghart MP Conservative Brentwood and OngarMarsha de Cordova MP Labour BatterseaNeil Coyle MP Labour Bermondsey and Old SouthwarkRuth George MP Labour High PeakSteve McCabe MP Labour Birmingham Selly OakChris Stephens MP Scottish National Party Glasgow South WestChanges 2017 2019 Edit Date Outgoing Member amp Party Constituency New Member amp Party Constituency Source16 October 2017 New seat Andrew Bowie MP Conservative West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine HansardJack Brereton MP Conservative Stoke on Trent SouthChris Green MP Conservative Bolton West23 October 2017 Marsha de Cordova MP Labour Battersea Emma Dent Coad MP Labour Kensington Hansard20 February 2018 Chris Green MP Conservative Bolton West Nigel Mills MP Conservative Amber Valley Hansard4 June 2018 Andrew Bowie MP Conservative Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine Justin Tomlinson MP Conservative North Swindon HansardEmma Dent Coad MP Labour Kensington Rosie Duffield MP Labour Canterbury26 November 2018 Justin Tomlinson MP Conservative North Swindon Derek Thomas MP St Ives Hansard11 February 2019 Alex Burghart MP Conservative Brentwood and Ongar Anna Soubry MP Conservative Broxtowe Hansard2015 2017 Parliament EditThe chair was elected on 18 June 2015 with members being announced on 8 July 2015 6 7 Member Party ConstituencyFrank Field MP Chair Labour BirkenheadDebbie Abrahams MP Labour Oldham East and SaddleworthHeidi Allen MP Conservative South CambridgeshireMhairi Black MP Scottish National Party Paisley and Renfrewshire SouthKaren Buck MP Labour Westminster NorthJohn Glen MP Conservative North East HertfordshireRichard Graham MP Conservative SalisburyEmma Lewell Buck MP Labour South ShieldsCraig Mackinlay MP Conservative South ThanetJeremy Quin MP Conservative HorshamCraig Williams British politician MP Conservative Cardiff NorthChanges 2015 2017 Edit Date Outgoing Member amp Party Constituency New Member amp Party Constituency Source26 October 2015 Debbie Abrahams MP Labour Oldham East and Saddleworth Steve McCabe MP Labour Birmingham Selly Oak Hansard1 February 2016 Emma Lewell Buck MP Labour South Shields Neil Coyle MP Labour Bermondsey and Old Southwark Hansard31 October 2016 Jeremy Quin MP Conservative Horsham James Cartlidge MP Conservative South Suffolk HansardCraig Williams MP Conservative Cardiff North Luke Hall MP Conservative Thornbury and Yate19 December 2016 John Glen MP Conservative Salisbury Royston Smith MP Conservative Southampton Itchen Hansard2010 2015 Parliament EditThe chair was elected on 10 June 2010 with members being announced on 12 July 2010 8 9 Member Party ConstituencyAnne Begg MP Chair Labour Aberdeen SouthHarriett Baldwin MP Conservative West WorcestershireKaren Bradley MP Conservative Staffordshire MoorlandsKaren Buck MP Labour Westminster NorthMargaret Curran MP Labour Glasgow EastRichard Graham MP Conservative GloucesterKate Green MP Labour Stretford and UrmstonOliver Heald MP Conservative North East HertfordshireSajid Javid MP Conservative BromsgroveStephen Lloyd MP Liberal Democrats EastbourneShabana Mahmood MP Labour Birmingham LadywoodChanges 2010 2015 Edit Date Outgoing Member amp Party Constituency New Member amp Party Constituency Source2 November 2010 Karen Buck MP Labour Westminster North Alex Cunningham MP Labour Stockton North HansardMargaret Curran MP Labour Glasgow East Glenda Jackson MP Labour Hampstead and KilburnShabana Mahmood MP Labour Birmingham Ladywood Teresa Pearce MP Labour Erith and Thamesmead29 November 2010 Richard Graham MP Conservative Gloucester Andrew Bingham MP Conservative High Peak HansardSajid Javid MP Conservative Bromsgrove Brandon Lewis MP Conservative Great Yarmouth27 June 2011 Alex Cunningham MP Labour Stockton North Debbie Abrahams MP Labour Oldham East and Saddleworth Hansard25 October 2011 Kate Green MP Labour Stretford and Urmston Sheila Gilmore MP Labour Edinburgh East Hansard29 October 2012 Harriett Baldwin MP Conservative West Worcestershire Aidan Burley MP Conservative Cannock Chase HansardAndrew Bingham MP Conservative High Peak Jane Ellison MP Conservative BatterseaKaren Bradley MP Conservative Staffordshire Moorlands Graham Evans MP Conservative Weaver ValeOliver Heald MP Conservative North East Hertfordshire Nigel Mills MP Conservative Amber ValleyBrandon Lewis MP Conservative Great Yarmouth Anne Marie Morris MP Conservative Newton Abbot10 June 2013 Aidan Burley MP Conservative Cannock Chase Mike Freer MP Conservative Finchley and Golders Green Hansard4 November 2013 Jane Ellison MP Conservative Battersea Kwasi Kwarteng MP Conservative Spelthorne HansardMike Freer MP Conservative Finchley and Golders Green Dame Angela Watkinson MP Conservative Hornchurch and Upminster27 January 2014 Stephen Lloyd MP Liberal Democrats Eastbourne Mike Thornton MP Liberal Democrats Eastleigh Hansard8 September 2014 Dame Angela Watkinson MP Conservative Hornchurch and Upminster Paul Maynard MP Conservative Blackpool North and Cleveleys HansardSignificant inquiries EditThe committee has been involved in a number of significant investigations Welfare safety net inquiry 2015 Edit On 18 September 2015 the committee announced that it was beginning an enquiry into the welfare safety net 10 The committee s chair in launching the enquiry said There is a great deal of concern that some of the least advantaged people are slipping through our safety net into a state of hunger Our welfare safety net has developed over decades because there is a level below which we as a society do not believe anyone should fall no matter where they live We want to understand how local councils are adapting and coping with the changes in benefits and the extra responsibilities on them to meet genuine need and maintain that basic safety net Two child limit 2019 Edit In 2019 the Work and Pensions Select Committee recommended ending the two child limit on welfare payments The committee heard evidence from charities economists and faith groups and stated the limit had unintended consequences that no government should be willing to accept The committee stated the justification for the limit assumed all pregnancies were planned that distinguishing between families on benefits and families in work was crude and unrealistic further evidence did not support the case that the two child limit might encourage parents to increase their incomes from work The committee argued for no significant distinction between households on benefits and those working In April 2019 72 of families getting tax credits were in work In May 2019 28 of working age housing benefit claimants were in employment and not on passported benefit in October 2019 33 of Universal Credit claimants were recorded as employed Frank Field MP said Any family in this country except the super rich could fall foul of the two child limit if their circumstances changed for the worse This is exactly why social security must act as a national insurance scheme covering people when they re most exposed to hardship not increase it 11 See also EditParliamentary Committees of the United Kingdom Department for Work and PensionsReferences Edit Work and Pensions Committee UK Parliament Retrieved 8 April 2020 Work and Pensions Committee Membership Committees UK Parliament committees parliament uk Archived from the original on 8 August 2021 Retrieved 8 April 2020 Stephen Timms elected as Chair of Work and Pensions Committee News from Parliament UK Parliament Retrieved 8 April 2020 Speaker s Statement Select Committee Chairs Parliamentary Debates Hansard Vol 627 Parliament of the United Kingdom House of Commons 12 July 2017 Business without Debate Parliamentary Debates Hansard Vol 628 Parliament of the United Kingdom House of Commons 11 September 2017 Speaker s Statement Parliamentary Debates Hansard Vol 597 Parliament of the United Kingdom House of Commons 18 June 2015 Business without Debate Parliamentary Debates Hansard Vol 598 Parliament of the United Kingdom House of Commons 8 July 2015 Speaker s Statement Parliamentary Debates Hansard Vol 511 Parliament of the United Kingdom House of Commons 10 June 2010 Committees Parliamentary Debates Hansard Vol 513 Parliament of the United Kingdom House of Commons 12 July 2010 Welfare safety net inquiry launched UK Parliament Archived from the original on 22 September 2015 Retrieved 21 September 2015 End two child benefits limit say cross party MPs Archived 26 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine The ObserverExternal links EditWork and Pensions Committee Records for this Committee are held at the Parliamentary Archives Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Work and Pensions Select Committee amp oldid 1156838461, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
