During a debate in the House of Commons on 22 June, Stephen spoke about the experiences of families struggling with current benefit levels, and urged the Government to improve the process for setting these rates.
On 22 June, MPs debated the Social Security (Additional Payments) Bill, which was introduced by the Government to provide additional support for benefit claimants during the cost of living crisis. Stephen acknowledged that big measures are needed to help support low-income families in the coming months, as inflation is expected to rise to 10%.
Speaking in the chamber, Stephen said “the reason the Bill is needed is that the system for social security uprating has failed. It is a long-standing system. There is nothing new about the way it is done, but the unforeseen burst in inflation means that it simply has not worked this year.”
You can watch Stephen’s full speech below.