Written questions by Bloore.

For what reason there is an age differential between the national living wage age band and the lower universal credit band.

Young people in work typically earn less than those over 25 and are also more likely to live in someone else’s household, with lower living costs. It is not inconsistent to maintain different rates of Universal Credit while moving to a single rate of the National Living Wage. Even with the rise of the minimum wage, younger workers will still, in general, earn less. The lower rate of Universal Credit maintains an incentive to work as we continue to support young people into employment and to improve their career opportunities.

How many people under the age of 25 are receiving Universal Credit.

Monthly statistics for the number of People on Universal Credit in Great Britain are published regularly on Stat-Xplore. The latest release provides provisional figures for the ‘count date’ of 13 February 2025 which can be broken down by ‘Age (in bands and single year)’. The next release with provisional figures for the count date of 13 March 2025 is scheduled for release on 15 April 2025 at 09:30am. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

How many and what proportion of people who are (a) in receipt of Universal Credit and (b) under the age of 25 are parents.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.Monthly statistics for the number of Households on Universal Credit in Great Britain are published quarterly on Stat-Xplore. The latest statistics in table ‘UC Households 1 – month by family type’ provide a monthly breakdown of households on UC by family type up to November 2024. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

How many people aged between 16 and 18 were in receipt of Universal Credit on 18 March 2025.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Monthly statistics for the number of People on Universal Credit in Great Britain are published regularly on Stat-Xplore. The latest release provides provisional figures for the ‘count date’ of 13 February 2025 which can be broken down by ‘Age (in bands and single year)’. The next release with provisional figures for the count date of 13 March 2025 is scheduled for release on 15 April 2025 at 09:30am. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.

What proportion of people claiming universal credit under the age of 25 are living (a) in someone else's home and (b) independently.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Whether her Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

The department introduced Kinship leave and pay in November 2024. Other support available within the department includes access to an Employee Assistance Programme, staff networks, Mental Health First Aiders and the ability to request flexible working.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of making the use of Nazi (a) symbolism and (b) salutes illegal in non-academic settings.

The government has a robust legislative framework in place to deal with the perpetrators of racist and other forms of hate crime and expect the perpetrators of these abhorrent offences to be brought to justice. We are deeply concerned about the unprecedented levels of antisemitism we have seen over recent years. That is a stain on society, and we must never relent in our work to root out hatred in all its forms.The government has been working closely with the Independent Adviser on Antisemitism Lord Mann along with Jewish community voices such as the Community Security Trust on the most effective methods to tackle antisemitism. Government has committed funding of £72m for the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to provide protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems) at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites until 2028.It is vital that the government continues to offer support and reassurance to communities targeted by hatred and that we are firm in pushing back on those seeking to incite hatred and promote extremist narratives.

How many single parent families are affected by the two-child limit for benefits by the gender of the parent.

In April 2024, the number of single parents on Universal Credit affected by the two-child policy, by gender, was as follows. Single parents household on Universal Credit affected by two-child policy (April 2024)Female201,000Male5,000Total206,000 Notes:The figures above are for Universal Credit only and do not include any households on Child Tax Credit affected by the policy.Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000

Whether she plans to review the age brackets for Universal Credit.

There are currently no plans to review the age brackets for Universal Credit. The lower rate of Universal Credit for those aged under 25 reflects the fact that the majority of young people live in someone else’s household and are therefore likely to have lower living costs. Younger workers also typically earn less as they are earlier in their careers, with the lower rate maintaining the incentive for younger people to find and progress in work.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the lower rate of Universal Credit for people under 25 years old on those people.

No assessment has been made. The lower rate of Universal Credit for those aged under 25 reflects the fact that the majority of young people live in someone else’s household and are therefore likely to have lower living costs. Younger workers also typically earn less as they are earlier in their careers, with the lower rate maintaining the incentive for younger people to find and progress in work.

Media and Sport, what support her Department plans to provide to football clubs to (a) embed improved governance and (b) meet the requirements of the independent football regulator.

It will be the responsibility of the Independent Football Regulator to determine the key elements of the Football Governance Code, including whether independent directors should be included. The drafting of the Football Governance Code will be done in consultation with the FA and other stakeholders with an interest in safeguarding the long-term future of our national game. It is the norm for all corporate governance codes to have detail and guidance on INED’s included, and we do not expect the Football Governance Code to be any different. The Regulator will publish the Football Governance Code, guidance around this, and an annual report highlighting best practice and where certain clubs are failing to meet the standards. The Regulator will adopt a collaborative approach wherever possible and will meet regularly with clubs to ensure they are meeting the requirements set out by the legislation.

Media and Sport, whether the Football Governance Code will stipulate requirements for independent directors to be included in a club's governance structure.

It will be the responsibility of the Independent Football Regulator to determine the key elements of the Football Governance Code, including whether independent directors should be included. The drafting of the Football Governance Code will be done in consultation with the FA and other stakeholders with an interest in safeguarding the long-term future of our national game. It is the norm for all corporate governance codes to have detail and guidance on INED’s included, and we do not expect the Football Governance Code to be any different. The Regulator will publish the Football Governance Code, guidance around this, and an annual report highlighting best practice and where certain clubs are failing to meet the standards. The Regulator will adopt a collaborative approach wherever possible and will meet regularly with clubs to ensure they are meeting the requirements set out by the legislation.

Whether her Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

The Attorney General’s Office offers carers emergency leave for dependants with pay in accordance with the department’s special leave policy. Employees can take time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant or are able to request other leave, paid and unpaid, as well as annual and flexi leave as required to support them when they become a kinship carer. Employees are also able to request flexible working to support both short term and longer-term arrangements.

Whether their Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

The Ministry of Justice offers paid time off work, in the form of special leave, for kinship carers who have parental responsibility.Special leave may be granted to employees who need time off work to attend to their caring responsibilities. It may be planned or unplanned, and paid or unpaid. Employees may request special leave for several reasons including:where normal care arrangements break down and other arrangements must be made.to care for a sick or injured child if no other arrangements can be made.At the discretion of a manager, special leave may be granted for other personal reasons not mentioned above.Kinship carers with parental responsibility also have a statutory entitlement to unpaid parental leave.All Ministry of Justice employees who are kinship carers have access to:a comprehensive flexible working policy which all employees can access via the intranet.the employee assistance programme which offers a wide range of support to staff including confidential advice on personal, social or work-related problems.a variety of staff networks aimed at people with caring responsibilities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether their Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

The government defines kinship care as "any situation in which a child is being raised in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent". The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) offers support to employees who become kinship carers, similar to the support provided to foster carers. The entitlements include:Additional leave during the approval process or when a child is in placement: employees can receive an additional 5 days of paid or unpaid leave in a 12-month period at the discretion of their line manager. This leave can be used for meetings, training, unforeseen emergencies related to their fostering role, or to accommodate an emergency placement.Additional leave at the start of a planned permanent placement: employees are entitled to additional discretionary special paid leave for up to 10 days in a 12-month period. If both parents are employed by the FCDO, one parent would receive up to 10 days, and the other up to 5 days.These provisions ensure that employees who take on the important role of kinship carers have the necessary support and flexibility to manage their responsibilities effectively. Staff also have a statutory right to take unpaid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant.

Whether their Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

The Ministry of Defence does not have a policy which explicitly covers paid time off work and other support to employees who become kinship carers. This applies to both Civil Servants and Armed Forces personnel. Employees are able to take time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant or are able to request other leave, paid and unpaid, as well as annual and flexi leave as required to support them when they become a kinship carer. Employees are also able to request flexible working to support both short term and longer term arrangements.

Whether their Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

The Scotland Office does not employ any staff directly. All staff that join, do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other government departments, principally the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government, who remain the employers. They remain on the terms and conditions of their parent department and can access all schemes and assistance that are available through those departments.

Whether her Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

The Department for Transport does not currently offer paid time off or support specifically for kinship carers. This is something that the department along with other government bodies is reviewing.The department does offer support including paid and unpaid special leave for those with parental and caring responsibilities. It sponsors a Carers’ Network and a Families’ Network for staff. DfT employees have access to an Employee Assistance Programme which can help signpost them to sources of advice and support on a range of issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

The department does not have a policy which explicitly covers paid time off for staff who become kinship carers, but there are other provisions which may be applicable depending on the individual circumstances. In addition to annual leave and flexitime (if eligible), the following is available:Staff are able to make two requests for flexible working in a 12-month period in order to reach the right work/life balance for themIn addition to the statutory right to reasonable unpaid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant, and the statutory right to five days unpaid leave for those with caring responsibilities, we offer:o an additional five days’ off as paid leave for carerso an additional five days’ off as paid leave for those with dependentsUp to 18 weeks unpaid Parental Leave where the member of staff has acquired legal parental responsibility for the childUnpaid Special Leave and Career Breaks

Whether her Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

The Cabinet Office does not currently specifically offer (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers. However, the Cabinet Office has other mechanisms in place to support employees who are kinship carers, in parity with other forms of care leave.