The new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and his team faced a wide range of questions in the House of Commons on Monday, from both sides of the chamber. Mel Stride responded to various queries on the State Pension annual uprating, cost of living support payments, Pension Credit take-up and benefits.
The new boss at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) gave little away on matters that have not already been made public and expressed a few times how a decision on the State Pension and benefits uprating will not be announced before the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, delivers his Autumn Statement to Parliament on November 17.
However, one question which may unsettle millions of people across the country claiming disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance for Children, Attendance Allowance and even Carer’s Allowance - which isn’t a direct disability benefit in itself but rather the person being cared for - centred around making these means-tested.
Shadow secretary of state for work and pensions, Jonathan Ashworth, asked Mr Stride: “Can he give a categorical assurance that, in the Autumn Statement, he will rule out means-testing Personal Independence Payments, Carer’s Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance for Children?”
The Labour MP added: “The Prime Minister tells us that we do not need a general election because the 2019 manifesto gives him and the Conservative party a mandate.
“Given that that manifesto committed to the Triple Lock, why can he not give pensioners the reassurance that they deserve?”
Mr Stride did not rule out making disability benefits means-tested, instead he opted not to offer a direct response.
He replied: “The right hon. Gentleman is inviting me, in a whole host of areas, to break with what has been a very long-standing and quite correct convention that Ministers simply do not provide a running commentary about what may or may not be in a major fiscal event.
“However, he has my personal assurance that when and as it is appropriate to pass him information of that kind, he will be the first to know.”
The Autumn Budget is scheduled to take place on November 17.
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