Debbie Abrahams

Debbie Abrahams

Labour — Oldham East and Saddleworth

Speaking in the House of Commons on 1 July 2025

Debate

Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill

Contribution

We have to ensure that that does not happen. There are risks: I am being very honest about that. As we heard in the evidence that my Committee received as part of our “Pathways to Work” inquiry, ours is an ageing society, with worse health than other advanced economies as a result of the austerity policies of the previous Government, including the cuts in support for working-aged people. According to a very good report—published in 2018, so before the pandemic—if we improved the health of those in the areas with the worst health in the country, we would increase our productivity by more than £13 billion a year. We need to look at that in the round.

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