Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister, responding to Labour Market Statistics, said:

“Any increase in employment is to be welcomed, but the real story of the labour market is a living standards crisis with  falling real wages, and millions working harder for less. David Cameron says he’s ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow DWP Minister, responding to the roll out of the benefits cap, said: 

“For all the Tory rhetoric, the true picture of this Government is one of economic failure. They are having to borrow £245 billion more than they planned, not to pay for the ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, responding to comments made by George Osborne on Mick Philpott and welfare, said:

“Mick Philpott's crimes were terrible. Everyone should be clear that responsibility for these evil acts rests with him and the others sentenced today.

“It is wrong ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, commenting on warnings that the introduction of Universal Credit should not leave the benefit system vulnerable to fraud, said:

“Universal Credit is becoming Universal Chaos. We warned Ministers two and a half years ago they hadn’t allowed enough time ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, responding to warnings that 420,000 disabled people could be affected by the bedroom tax, said:

“David Cameron needs to get a grip on this unfair bedroom tax which will hit hundreds of thousands of disabled people. The Government’s ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, responding to a DWP impact analysis of the Future Jobs Fund which shows the programme had a net benefit to society of £7,750 per participant, said:
 
“The truth is now clear for all to see – Labour’s Future Jobs ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister, in response to Tuesday’s Child Poverty Action Group report, said:

“This report is yet another nail in the coffin for compassionate conservatism.
 
“After all the rhetoric the truth is becoming increasingly clear – this Government is undoing a decade of progress in ...

Labour today warned that the Government's flagship Universal Credit programme risked descending into chaos, as an IFS report warned that changes to council tax benefit will 'severely undermine' Iain Duncan Smith's new system.

Stephen Timms MP, Labour's Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, said:

"We've been warning ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister, responding to today’s work experience figures, said:

“Labour believes in the value of Work Experience. It’s a tragedy that this out-of touch Tory-led Government made such a complete shambles of introducing its work experience schemes earlier this year, discouraging both ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister, responding to the Save the Children report, 'Ending Child Poverty', said:

"The Government must work harder to get Universal Credit right. The best way to get children out of poverty is to get more parents in work. But as this report shows ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour's Shadow Minister for Employment, said:
 
"This country is facing an unemployment emergency yet this complacent government is failing to act.
 
"Work experience can be valuable but it is simply wrong that young people today are given no choice of training, apprenticeship or a job because ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister, responding to the NAO Introduction of the Work Programme Report, said:

“This is a scathing report. Last week we learnt unemployment hit a 17 year high, and today we learn that the National Audit Office has got serious concerns about the Government ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, commenting on Chris Grayling’s comments, said:

"Only an out of touch Tory minister could say that a figure of one million young unemployed people is 'a bit of a distraction' - and on a day when he claimed he wasn ...

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister, commenting on today’s unemployment figures, said:
 
“This is a very worrying set of figures. The Government is being far too complacent about getting people back to work.
 
“Only days ago the Chancellor called Britain’s economy a safe haven and today ...