Tag: Jonathan Reynolds

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2021 Comments on Universal Credit

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2021 Comments on Universal Credit

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on 16 January 2021.

    Britain is facing the worst economic crisis of any major economy. The chancellor’s decision to wind down support with his cut to universal credit will be devastating for families already struggling to get by and leave unemployment support at a 30 year low.

    Bringing in a one off payment that doesn’t even equal half the amount the government is planning to cut from millions of families’ incomes will damage our recovery. With jobs being lost each day and the furlough cliff edge looming, a lump sum rather than extended support will leave many to fall through the gaps.

    Instead of yet another inadequate sticking plaster, the government needs to do the right thing and cancel the cut to universal credit. If the chancellor refuses, we urge Conservative MPs to vote with Labour on Monday to give families the security and support they need.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2021 Comments on Universal Credit Cut

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2021 Comments on Universal Credit Cut

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on 14 January 2021.

    Under the Conservatives, families come last. The government’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic means Britain is facing one of the worst recessions of any major economy. Boris Johnson’s decision to cut Universal Credit will hit millions of families who are already struggling to get by.

    There cannot be another repeat of the government’s indecision and mismanagement of the free school meals scandal. The government must put families first during this lockdown and act now instead of waiting until the last minute. If ministers refuse, Conservative MPs have to opportunity to vote with Labour and give families the support they need to get through this pandemic.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments at Data Breach at DWP

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments at Data Breach at DWP

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on 11 November 2020.

    There must be an urgent internal investigation into how this breach happened, why the information was in the public domain for so long and what steps the Government will be taking to restore people’s trust.

    This breach not only damages public trust in the Government but may also mean more taxpayers money is wasted due to Government incompetence.

    An apology and inquiry are urgently needed to ensure this never happens again.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Kickstart Scheme

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Kickstart Scheme

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, on 12 November 2020.

    These latest figures show the Government’s Kickstart scheme is failing to deliver for young people, creating opportunities for just 3% of the 600,000 young people unemployed. The Government must be much more ambitious if we are to prevent a generation scarred by long term unemployment.

    It is worrying that months into this jobs crisis we still have no plan from this Government to tackle rising unemployment and get Britain back to work.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on ONS Statistics on Fall in Workers

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on ONS Statistics on Fall in Workers

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, on 15 September 2020.

    These new figures are deeply concerning, over 5 million people are not working and 2.5 million have been out of work for three months or more.

    Unemployment will continue to rise unless the Government acts now and adopts a more flexible approach targeted at the sectors that need it most.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Potential Number of Redundancies

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Potential Number of Redundancies

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on 23 August 2020.

    Every job lost is a tragedy and we must do all we can to safeguard people’s livelihoods.

    We are in the midst of a jobs crisis right across the UK but these figures show certain areas are more at risk than others. The Government’s one size fits all approach will see some communities hit harder and they must adopt a more tailored approach now if we are to avoid further job losses.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Compensation for Families of NHS Staff

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Compensation for Families of NHS Staff

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, on 21 August 2020.

    Health and social care workers are putting their lives on the line to care for coronavirus patients, often without the proper equipment, and many have sadly lost their lives as a result.

    The Government was right to say we must honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. So it is shocking that families are being forced to choose between accessing social security they are entitled to or the compensation they need.

    This must change so that families can grieve in peace with the full support they have every right to expect.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Universal Credit Numbers

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Universal Credit Numbers

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, on 11 August 2020.

    Britain is in the midst of a jobs crisis. As Universal Credit hits 5.5 million the Government must reconsider its position on sanctions and conditionality, which risk plunging millions into hardship and do nothing to help people back to work.

    In particular, it is extremely worrying that this increase in unemployment has hit older workers, the self-employed and part-time workers hardest.

    Every job lost is a tragedy and we must do all we can to safeguard people’s livelihoods. The Government must wake up to the scale of this crisis and adopt a more flexible approach targeted at the sectors who need it most.

    Labour believes Universal Credit should be replaced with a system which offers a proper social security safety net and decent support to all.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Fall in Employment

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Fall in Employment

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions, on 11 August 2020.

    Labour has repeatedly warned the Government their one size fits all approach will lead to job losses. These figures confirm what we feared – Britain is in the midst of a jobs crisis.

    It is extremely worrying that this increase in unemployment has hit older workers, the self-employed and part-time workers hardest.

    The Government must wake up to the scale of this crisis, and put an end to this jobs crisis and adopt a more flexible approach targeted at the sectors who need it most.

    Every job lost is a tragedy and we must do all we can to safeguard people’s livelihoods.

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Unemployment Risk

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2020 Comments on Unemployment Risk

    The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, on 10 August 2020.

    This research confirms what many businesses have been saying for months – the removal of government support while some businesses have yet to even open their doors again has created a jobs crisis.

    Every job lost is a tragedy. We know that unemployment scars employees, their families and their communities. The Government must act now to put an end to this jobs crisis.

    The Government’s one size fits all approach is clearly not working and they must now adopt a tailored approach, getting support to where it is needed to prevent even more redundancies.