For those interested I am speaking at the following meetings on Monday 4 th October

13.00   Bruges Group   on the  future of Conservatism with 3 other speakers

Science and Industry Museum

Liverpool Road

Manchester M3 4FP

18.30   Politeia

Making the most of Brexit

with Jacob Rees Mogg, David Jones and Barnabas Reynolds

Novotel Manchester Centre

21 Dickinson Street M1 4LX

This new support fund, at least half of which will help families with children, will bolster
existing measures we have introduced for low-income households, such as increasing
the national living wage, the rise in the Local Housing Allowance, expanding the £221
million Holiday Activities and Food which will be offering nutritious meals and enriching
activities to disadvantaged children this Christmas, doubling free childcare for eligible
working parents and increasing the value of Healthy Start vouchers by over a third.
The Fund also sits alongside the Warm Home Discount which provides a £140 rebate
on energy bills each winter to over 2.2 million low-income households and the Cold
Weather Payment which provides £25 extra a week for poorer households when the
temperature is consistently below zero.
Please direct constituents in need of support to their local council who will be able to
help them access the Fund. The Barnett formula will apply in the usual way, with the
devolved administrations receiving £79 million on top of the £421 million for England.

I have received a letter, reproduced below, from the Minister at the Department of Work & Pensions.

Dear Colleague,

COVID-19 SUPPORT: FOCUSING ON AND INVESTING IN OUR JOBS RECOVERY

Over the past year, the UK Government has helped millions of people as part of its Plan for Jobs to
protect, support and create employment. As we emerge from the pandemic and learn to live with
COVID-19, we remain focused on creating new, better jobs, and helping people gain the skills they
need to succeed. More people are getting back into work, the number of payrolled employees has
returned to pre-pandemic levels and there are record levels of vacancies. This is a tribute to the
British people and businesses and a testament to our comprehensive and unprecedented £400
billion package to support people and businesses through the economic shock from COVID-19.
Despite the biggest recession in 300 years, our support package has helped to safeguard jobs,
businesses and public services in every region and nation of the UK, demonstrating it was right to
provide exceptional support while widespread COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

The temporary £20 uplift was an important part of the measures we took, helping people facing the
greatest financial disruption, specifically those who came onto Universal Credit because they saw
their hours reduced and incomes fall suddenly as a result of pandemic restrictions. We have always
been clear that this was a temporary measure, responding to extraordinary circumstances. In line
with other emergency support it helped to protect livelihoods through the worst of the pandemic.
With most restrictions lifted and with record numbers of vacancies, it is right that we now focus on,
and invest in, jobs and improving the prospects for those already in employment as we bring these
measures to an end.

The Government recognises the importance of giving people time to prepare for a change in their
income. Which is why DWP has been proactively communicating this change with claimants. In July,
we updated the UC statement to show claimants they have been receiving an additional £86.67 a
month in response to the pandemic. In August and September, we notified all claimants via two
separate UC journal messages that this temporary measure would be coming to an end. These
messages outline the date of their last payment which includes the uplift and signposts claimant’s
to organisations who can help with budgeting, and additionally to the “Universal Credit: help with
managing your money” guidance on GOV.UK. Our Work Coaches have been supporting claimants
on changes to the uplift during appointments, as well as signposting claimants to additional support
if it is required. We have also increased the number of people on the telephone helpline and are
monitoring phone lines and UC journal entries to identify vulnerable claimants who may need further
support.

We will issue a final statement change to inform claimants that Assessment Periods ending on, or
after, 6 October 2021 will not include the £20 per week uplift.

We recognise that some people are worried about the cost of living, which is why as well as helping
people move into better-paid work and to progress in work, we are also continuing to support people
with the cost of living and put more pounds into the pockets of low-income families. This includes
raising the National Living Wage, doubling free childcare, supporting households at risk of fuel
poverty through the Warm Home Discount, increasing the value of Healthy Start Vouchers and
through the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. In addition, our new Household Support Fund
will make £500 million available to local authorities during October to help the most vulnerable
households with the extra costs of this winter. The Barnett formula will apply in the usual way, with
the devolved administrations receiving up to £79 million of the £500 million.

For those who require further assistance managing their money, the Money and Pensions Service
(MaPS) provides free and impartial debt advice, money guidance and pension guidance through
their MoneyHelper service which can be accessed at www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en. Individuals who
require help managing payments, credit or loans could also access breathing space through debt
advisors if they are eligible.

As our recovery gathers pace, the Government is continuing to help people into work and increase
their earning potential – the most sustainable route to financial security and the best route out of
poverty. We’re investing billions through our Plan for Jobs and the Lifetime Skills Guarantee. With
over a million vacancies in our labour market and more than 27,000 Work Coaches are helping
people get into work and improve their prospects. We’ve got dedicated programmes helping those
of all ages; Kickstart for young people; JETS for those directly impacted by the pandemic; SWAPs
helping match talent to opportunity by switching sectors; and Restart for the longer term
unemployed. But, our support isn’t limited to those seeking work – Work Coaches are able to help
those already in jobs with extensive training opportunities and other support to boost their hours and
further their employment prospects.

With the economy rebounding, and backed by our Plan for Jobs, we have a unique opportunity, to
help people move into new and better paid jobs, progress in their existing job, raising their earnings
and building their financial resilience. We are dedicated to these tasks as we build back better and
fairer.

DAVID RUTLEY MP
MINISTER FOR WELFARE DELIVERY

World supply is damaged. China has introduced electricity rationing and is producing less as a result. Some Chinese ports have been partially closed for periods this summer thanks to continuing covid outbreaks. World shipping has been disrupted by shortages of empty containers, by a Suez Canal blockage and by pandemic restrictions. There is a general shortage of heavy goods vehicle drivers across Europe. China, the USA and the EU are turning to policies that rely more on home production and less on imports and global collaboration. There is a gas shortage worldwide, worsened by a period of little wind to  generate power that way and by Russian negotiations over the new pipeline to Germany . The regulator still has to grant a licence for the pipeline which is fully compliant with EU rules.  There are skill shortages on both sides of the Atlantic as economies recover from the anti pandemic closures.

The UK labour market despite the lockdowns has relatively low unemployment and a high level of vacancies. Some lower paid activities are in particularly short supply. There needs to be an adjustment, with people offered training and better pay and conditions to ensure we have enough HGV drivers, care workers, food processors, farm workers, chefs  and the rest. We also need to make sure there are enough people going through the longer training periods to be nurses, doctors, engineers and similar  so we do not have to rely on inviting them in from lower income countries that need their own people.

Whilst in the short term these stresses are worrying to people, they are also an opportunity to improve the lives of many. I have written and spoken before about truck drivers. There is  now greater agreement that they need better break and overnight facilities. They could also do with Highway departments that understand their needs to get to shops, hospitals and other customer places more easily. There does need to be better pay for those still on low pay and for those the industry needs to attract. It is primarily a task for employers to offer the better packages and to support people through training where necessary. Government needs to see through its promises to greatly expand training and testing capacity and should with Councils work on improving the conditions for drivers on the public highway and in parking and rest facilities.

Employers in a  number of areas need to do a similar exercise. In the care sector local government has a role to play as the buyer and user of many services. What combination of better training, more machine power and other support, and pay is needed to recruit the workforce needed?  On the farms what investment can there be in support equipment and labour saving machinery to get the crops in, the fruit picked and the vegetables packaged? There is still a long way to go with growing methods for fruit and vegetables to make them easier to pick and pack. Can the hotel and restaurant industry offer better career opportunities including training more chefs?

Here is a short clip of my interview on GB News last night: