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Work and Pensions Select Committee

UK House of Commons select committee

The Work and Pensions Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the committee is to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Work and Pensions and its associated public bodies.

Membership

Membership of the committee is as follows:

Member	Constituency
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Debbie Abrahams MP (chair)	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Rushanara Ali MP	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	David Baines MP	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Lee Barron MP	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Johanna Baxter MP	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Peter Bedford MP	Conservative
Liberal Democrats (UK)}}"	Steve Darling MP	Liberal Democrats
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Damien Egan MP	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Amanda Hack MP	Labour
Liberal Democrats (UK)}}"	John Milne MP	Liberal Democrats
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Joy Morrissey MP	Conservative

Changes since 2024

Date	Outgoing Member
& Party	Constituency	→	New Member
& Party	Constituency	Source
nowrap	16 December 2024	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Neil Coyle MP (Labour)	Bermondsey and Old Southwark	→	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Frank McNally MP (Labour)
nowrap	17 March 2025	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Ben Obese-Jecty MP (Conservative)	Huntingdon	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Danny Kruger MP (Conservative)
nowrap	21 October 2025	Reform UK}}"		Danny Kruger MP (Reform UK)	East Wiltshire	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Joy Morrissey MP (Conservative)
27 October 2025	Labour Party (UK)}}"		David Pinto-Duschinsky MP (Labour)	Hendon	→	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Lee Barron MP (Labour)
Gill German MP (Labour)	Clwyd North	David Baines MP (Labour)	St Helens North
Frank McNally MP (Labour)	Coatbridge and Bellshill	Rushanara Ali MP (Labour)	Bethnal Green and Stepney

2019-2024 Parliament

The chair was elected on 29 January 2020, with the members of the committee being announced on 2 March 2020.

Member	Constituency
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Stephen Timms MP (chair)	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Debbie Abrahams MP	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Shaun Bailey MP	Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Siobhan Baillie MP	Conservative
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Neil Coyle MP	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Steve McCabe MP	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Nigel Mills MP	Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Selaine Saxby MP	Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Dr Ben Spencer MP	Conservative
Scottish National Party}}"	Chris Stephens MP	Scottish National Party
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Desmond Swayne	Conservative

Changes 2019-2024

Date	Outgoing Member
& Party	Constituency	→	New Member
& Party	Constituency	Source
nowrap	9 January 2023	Scottish National Party}}"		Chris Stephens MP (SNP)	Glasgow South West	→	Scottish National Party}}"	David Linden MP (SNP)
nowrap	18 December 2023	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Steve McCabe MP (Labour)	Birmingham Selly Oak	→	Labour Party (UK)}}"	Marsha de Cordova MP (Labour)

2017-2019 Parliament

The chair was elected on 12 July 2017, with the members of the committee being announced on 11 September 2017.

Member	Constituency
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Frank Field MP (Chair)	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Heidi Allen MP	Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Alex Burghart MP	Conservative
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Marsha de Cordova MP	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Neil Coyle MP	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Ruth George MP	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Steve McCabe MP	Labour
Scottish National Party}}"	Chris Stephens MP	Scottish National Party

Changes 2017–2019

Date	Outgoing Member
& Party	Constituency	→	New Member
& Party	Constituency	Source
16 October 2017	New seat	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative)	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine	Hansard
Jack Brereton MP (Conservative)	Stoke-on-Trent South
Chris Green MP (Conservative)	Bolton West
nowrap	23 October 2017	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Marsha de Cordova MP (Labour)	Battersea	→	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Emma Dent Coad MP (Labour)
nowrap	20 February 2018	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Chris Green MP (Conservative)	Bolton West	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Nigel Mills MP (Conservative)
4 June 2018	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Andrew Bowie MP (Conservative)	Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Justin Tomlinson MP (Conservative)
Labour Party (UK)}}"		Emma Dent Coad MP (Labour)	Kensington	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Rosie Duffield MP (Labour)	Canterbury
26 November 2018	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Justin Tomlinson MP (Conservative)	North Swindon	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Derek Thomas MP
nowrap	11 February 2019	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Alex Burghart MP (Conservative)	Brentwood and Ongar	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Anna Soubry MP (Conservative)

2015-2017 Parliament

The chair was elected on 18 June 2015, with members being announced on 8 July 2015.

Member	Constituency
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Frank Field MP (Chair)	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Debbie Abrahams MP	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Heidi Allen MP	Conservative
Scottish National Party}}"	Mhairi Black MP	Scottish National Party
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Karen Buck MP	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	John Glen MP	Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Richard Graham MP	Conservative
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Emma Lewell-Buck MP	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Craig Mackinlay MP	Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Jeremy Quin MP	Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Craig Williams (British politician) MP	Conservative

Changes 2015-2017

Date	Outgoing Member
& Party	Constituency	→	New Member
& Party	Constituency	Source
nowrap	26 October 2015	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Debbie Abrahams MP (Labour)	Oldham East and Saddleworth	→	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Steve McCabe MP (Labour)
nowrap	1 February 2016	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Emma Lewell-Buck MP (Labour)	South Shields	→	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Neil Coyle MP (Labour)
31 October 2016	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Jeremy Quin MP (Conservative)	Horsham	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		James Cartlidge MP (Conservative)
Craig Williams MP (Conservative)	Cardiff North	Luke Hall MP (Conservative)	Thornbury and Yate
nowrap	19 December 2016	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		John Glen MP (Conservative)	Salisbury	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Royston Smith MP (Conservative)

2010-2015 Parliament

The chair was elected on 10 June 2010, with members being announced on 12 July 2010.

Member	Constituency
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Anne Begg MP (Chair)	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Harriett Baldwin MP	Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Karen Bradley MP	Conservative
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Karen Buck MP	Labour
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Margaret Curran MP	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Richard Graham MP	Conservative
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Kate Green MP	Labour
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Oliver Heald MP	Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Sajid Javid MP	Conservative
Liberal Democrats (UK)}}"	Stephen Lloyd MP	Liberal Democrats
Labour Party (UK)}}"	Shabana Mahmood MP	Labour

Changes 2010-2015

Date	Outgoing Member
& Party	Constituency	→	New Member
& Party	Constituency	Source
2 November 2010	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Karen Buck MP (Labour)	Westminster North	→	Labour Party (UK)}}"	Alex Cunningham MP (Labour)
Margaret Curran MP (Labour)	Glasgow East	Glenda Jackson MP (Labour)	Hampstead and Kilburn
Shabana Mahmood MP (Labour)	Birmingham Ladywood	Teresa Pearce MP (Labour)	Erith and Thamesmead
29 November 2010	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Richard Graham MP (Conservative)	Gloucester	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Andrew Bingham MP (Conservative)
Sajid Javid MP (Conservative)	Bromsgrove	Brandon Lewis MP (Conservative)	Great Yarmouth
27 June 2011	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Alex Cunningham MP (Labour)	Stockton North	→	Labour Party (UK)}}"	Debbie Abrahams MP (Labour)
25 October 2011	Labour Party (UK)}}"		Kate Green MP (Labour)	Stretford and Urmston	→	Labour Party (UK)}}"	Sheila Gilmore MP (Labour)
29 October 2012	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Harriett Baldwin MP (Conservative)	West Worcestershire	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Aidan Burley MP (Conservative)
Andrew Bingham MP (Conservative)	High Peak	Jane Ellison MP (Conservative)	Battersea
Karen Bradley MP (Conservative)	Staffordshire Moorlands	Graham Evans MP (Conservative)	Weaver Vale
Oliver Heald MP (Conservative)	North East Hertfordshire	Nigel Mills MP (Conservative)	Amber Valley
Brandon Lewis MP (Conservative)	Great Yarmouth	Anne Marie Morris MP (Conservative)	Newton Abbot
10 June 2013	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Aidan Burley MP (Conservative)	Cannock Chase	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Mike Freer MP (Conservative)
4 November 2013	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Jane Ellison MP (Conservative)	Battersea	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Kwasi Kwarteng MP (Conservative)
Mike Freer MP (Conservative)	Finchley and Golders Green	Dame Angela Watkinson MP (Conservative)	Hornchurch and Upminster
27 January 2014	Liberal Democrats (UK)}}"		Stephen Lloyd MP (Liberal Democrats)	Eastbourne	→	Liberal Democrats (UK)}}"	Mike Thornton MP (Liberal Democrats)
8 September 2014	Conservative Party (UK)}}"		Dame Angela Watkinson MP (Conservative)	Hornchurch and Upminster	→	Conservative Party (UK)}}"	Paul Maynard MP (Conservative)

Significant inquiries

The committee has been involved in a number of significant investigations.

Welfare safety net inquiry (2015)

On 18 September 2015, the committee announced that it was beginning an enquiry into the 'welfare safety net'. The committee's chair, in launching the enquiry, said:

"There is a great deal of concern that some of the least advantaged people are slipping through our safety net into a state of hunger. Our welfare safety net has developed over decades because there is a level below which we as a society do not believe anyone should fall, no matter where they live. We want to understand how local councils are adapting and coping with the changes in benefits and the extra responsibilities on them to meet genuine need and maintain that basic safety net."

Two child limit (2019)

In 2019 the Work and Pensions Select Committee recommended ending the two-child limit on welfare payments. The committee heard evidence from charities, economists and faith groups and stated the limit had, “unintended consequences that no government should be willing to accept”. The committee stated the justification for the limit assumed all pregnancies were planned, that distinguishing between families on benefits and families in work was “crude and unrealistic”, further evidence did not support the case that the two child limit might encourage parents to increase their incomes from work. The committee argued for no significant distinction between households on benefits and those working. In April 2019, 72% of families getting tax credits were in work. In May 2019, 28% of working-age housing benefit claimants were, “in employment and not on passported benefit”. in October 2019, 33% of Universal Credit claimants were recorded as employed. Frank Field MP said, “Any family in this country, except the super-rich, could fall foul of the two-child limit if their circumstances changed for the worse. This is exactly why social security must act as a national insurance scheme covering people when they’re most exposed to hardship – not increase it.”

References

"Work and Pensions Committee".
. (29 October 2024). ["Work and Pensions Committee membership appointed"](https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/164/work-and-pensions-committee/news/203466/work-and-pensions-committee-membership-appointed/). *Work and Pensions Committee*.
(29 January 2020). "Speaker's Statement: Select Committee Chairs".
(2 March 2020). "Scottish Affairs Committee".
(12 July 2017). "Speaker’s Statement: Select Committee Chairs".
(11 September 2017). "Business without Debate".
(18 June 2015). "Speaker’s Statement".
(8 July 2015). "Business without Debate".
(10 June 2010). "Speaker’s Statement".
(12 July 2010). "Committees".
"Welfare safety net inquiry launched". UK Parliament.
[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/03/end-two-child-benefit-limits-say-mps End two-child benefits limit, say cross-party MPs] {{Webarchive. link. (26 July 2021 ''[[The Observer]]'')

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