Every parliamentary written question tabled by Sorcha Eastwood this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–18 of 18 · Department for Work and Pensions
How income earned by Northern Ireland residents in the Republic of Ireland is treated for (a) Universal Credit and (b) contributory pension entitlements.
Universal Credit in Northern Ireland is administered by the Department for Communities (DfC). DfC is responsible for how income earned by Northern Ireland residents in the Republic of Ireland is treated for the purposes of Universal Credit and contributory pensions entitlements.
If he will hold discussions with Centrepoint on taking steps to help tackle youth homelessness.
Ending all forms of homelessness is a priority for this Government, and we are committed to tackling youth homelessness. My department plays a key role and works closely with homelessness stakeholders including Centrepoint, who provide invaluable support to young people. I have met Centrepoint previously and would welcome the opportunity for further discussions.
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential fiscal impact of (a) increasing the Housing Benefit earnings disregard from £5 to £57 and (b) reducing the taper rate from 65 per cent to 55 per cent for young people living in supported accommodation.
We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. Currently, a broad spectrum of customers receive their rent support through Housing Benefit. This includes pensioners, residents in Supported or Temporary Accommodation and customers who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rules would apply to all these groups. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while considering the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions on DWP housing support will be taken in the round and measures which best meet Government goals, within the current fiscal environment, will be prioritised. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.
What recent assessment he has made of the potential savings to the public purse of enabling young people in supported accommodation to increase their working hours without losing access to affordable housing.
We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. Currently, a broad spectrum of customers receive their rent support through Housing Benefit. This includes pensioners, residents in Supported or Temporary Accommodation and customers who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rules would apply to all these groups. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while considering the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions on DWP housing support will be taken in the round and measures which best meet Government goals, within the current fiscal environment, will be prioritised. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the interaction between Housing Benefit and Universal Credit on the ability of young people living in supported accommodation to increase their working hours.
We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. Currently, a broad spectrum of customers receive their rent support through Housing Benefit. This includes pensioners, residents in Supported or Temporary Accommodation and customers who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rules would apply to all these groups. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while considering the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions on DWP housing support will be taken in the round and measures which best meet Government goals, within the current fiscal environment, will be prioritised. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing the Housing Benefit earnings disregard from £5 to £57 for young people living in supported accommodation on youth employment.
We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. Currently, a broad spectrum of customers receive their rent support through Housing Benefit. This includes pensioners, residents in Supported or Temporary Accommodation and customers who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rules would apply to all these groups. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while considering the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions on DWP housing support will be taken in the round and measures which best meet Government goals, within the current fiscal environment, will be prioritised. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential financial impact of the Housing Benefit and Universal Credit interaction on young people in supported accommodation who move into work.
We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. Currently, a broad spectrum of customers receive their rent support through Housing Benefit. This includes pensioners, residents in Supported or Temporary Accommodation and customers who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rules would apply to all these groups. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while considering the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions on DWP housing support will be taken in the round and measures which best meet Government goals, within the current fiscal environment, will be prioritised. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing the Housing Benefit taper rate from 65 per cent to 55 per cent on young people living in supported accommodation.
We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. Currently, a broad spectrum of customers receive their rent support through Housing Benefit. This includes pensioners, residents in Supported or Temporary Accommodation and customers who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rules would apply to all these groups. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while considering the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions on DWP housing support will be taken in the round and measures which best meet Government goals, within the current fiscal environment, will be prioritised. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.
Whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on supporting young people in supported accommodation as part of preparations for the Autumn Budget.
We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. Currently, a broad spectrum of customers receive their rent support through Housing Benefit. This includes pensioners, residents in Supported or Temporary Accommodation and customers who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rules would apply to all these groups. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while considering the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions on DWP housing support will be taken in the round and measures which best meet Government goals, within the current fiscal environment, will be prioritised. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.
If she will make an assessment of the number of people who are currently in receipt of PIP who are likely to lose their entitlement under the proposals in the Health and Disability Green Paper, broken down by primary health condition.
No such assessment will be made. PIP is not based on primary medical condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These impacts are uncertain at an overall England and Wales level, and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at such a granular level as individual primary medical conditions.There will be no immediate changes. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. They will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. At the award review, claimants will be seen by a trained assessor or healthcare professional and assessed on individual needs and circumstances.We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.
What steps her Department has taken with (a) disabled people and (b) disabled people’s organisations to develop the Health and Disability Green Paper; and what plans she has to work with disabled people to develop the (i) design and (ii) delivery of any proposed reforms.
Our Green Paper, “Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working” is an important staging post on a journey of reform, building on the vision and approach set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper in November 2024. It sets out our vision, strategy and proposals for change. Our conversations with disabled people and people with health conditions, as well as experts, have already shaped and informed this Green Paper. We are committed to continuing this dialogue and drawing on a wide range of insights and experiences to get these reforms right.The Pathways to Work consultation invites people to share their views on our proposals, and we hope that a wide range of voices will respond before it closes on the 30 June 2025. Our schedule of virtual and in-person public consultation events across the country will further facilitate input and help us to hear from disabled people and stakeholder organisations directly. Full details of how to respond to the consultation and join the events can be found on.gov.uk.We have also committed to the establishment of a panel to consult disabled people on our reforms, and of ‘collaboration committees’ to develop them further, both on design and delivery. These committees will involve bringing together groups of disabled people, representative organisations, and other experts for specific work areas to collaborate and provide discussion, challenge, and recommendations.
For what reason her Department's consultation on the Health and Disability Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, does not include proposals to (a) abolish the Work Capability Assessment, (b) freeze the Universal Credit Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity element and (c) make change to the PIP daily living component; and if she will (i) change that consultation to include those measures and (ii) extend the consultation period.
The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out our plans and proposals for reform to health and disability benefits and employment support. This includes urgently needed reforms to PIP eligibility and Universal Credit rates that are not subject to consultation but which Parliament will fully debate and vote on. The reforms are included in the Green Paper to provide the wider context. We are also scrapping the Work Capability Assessment to end the dysfunctional process which drives people into dependency – delivering on the Government’s commitment to reform or replace it. The details will be set out in a White Paper in autumn 2025, following the Green Paper consultation, which closes on 30 June. This will be followed by further primary legislation, which we expect to take forwards in the second session, subject to parliamentary approval. We will not be changing the scope of the consultation or extending the consultation period. The Green Paper does consult on many key elements of the reform package, including employment support and Access to Work, which are at the centre of our plans to improve the system for disabled people. We hope that a wide range of voices will respond to the consultation, and we are holding a programme of public consultation events across the country to help facilitate input. We are also developing other ways to facilitate the involvement of stakeholders and disabled people in our reforms. In addition to the consultation itself, we will establish ‘collaboration committees’ that bring groups of people together for specific work areas and our wider review of the PIP assessment will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience.
If she will make an estimate of the potential impact of her Department's proposals to freeze the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity element of Universal Credit until 2029-30 on disabled people.
Some information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published in the evidence pack, impacts analysis and equalities analysis at:[https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper]The proposals have been carefully designed to protect the finances of severely disabled people. However, there will be no immediate changes. The rebalancing of Universal Credit (UC) is not coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.A further programme of analysis to support development of these proposals will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.
Which organisations she consulted on the proposal of having job coaches visit mental health patients in hospital.
The Secretary of State has made no announcement regarding having job coaches visit mental health patients in hospital and therefore did not consult any organisations. She was referring to her experience visiting a severe mental illness Individual Placement and Support programme. The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment model is internationally recognised as one of the most effective way to support people with mental health problems to gain and keep paid employment. Individual Placement and Support services offer intensive, individually tailored support to help people to choose and find the right job, with ongoing support for the employer and employee to help ensure the person sustain their employment. In August, 38,704 people had accessed Individual Placement and Support services in the previous 12 months, meaning we are above our trajectory to meet the end of year target of 40,500 people accessing these services.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) maternity and (b) paternity pay for (i) one child and (ii) multiple child births.
Maternity pay is primarily a health and safety provisions for pregnant working women. It is not intended to replace a woman's earnings completely, rather it provides a measure of financial security to help pregnant working women take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth. We want new parents to be able to take time away from work. The standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance and Statutory Paternity Pay is reviewed annually. All three rates were raised again by 6.7% in April from £172.48 to £184.03. These payments are not paid in respect of each child but in respect of each pregnancy. The qualifying conditions for both are generally based on a woman's, father’s or partner’s recent employment and earnings. They are not intended to assist with the costs associated with the birth of a new child or children.
Whether she plans to ensure Local Housing Allowance keeps pace with local rents.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were restored to the 30th percentile of local market rents from April 2024 for one year. Decisions on LHA for future years will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, housing priorities, and the fiscal context.
If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the eligibility criteria for Carer’s Allowance for people in receipt of the State Pension who have provided long-term unpaid care.
Although there is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, it cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. It has been a long-held feature of the GB benefit system, under successive Governments, that where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to avoid duplication for the same need. Although entitlement to State Pension and Carer’s Allowance arise in different circumstances they are nevertheless designed for the same contingency – as an income replacement. Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person is unable to undertake full time employment due to their caring responsibilities, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. For this reason, social security rules operate to prevent them being paid together, to avoid duplicate provision for the same need. However, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance which is currently £81.90. Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £45.60 a week and potentially other means-tested support. Around 125,000 people are receiving the Carer Premium with their Pension Credit. And even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, they may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of defaulting self-employed people into pension savings.
Finding effective and enduring solutions to enable self-employed people to achieve greater financial security in later life is a challenge, which the UK like other countries is confronting. Research has highlighted that while self-employments are diverse, the behavioural barriers that were overcome through Automatic Enrolment for employees persist for self-employed people, in particular low levels of knowledge and inertia make it difficult to get started with retirement saving. In addition, there are specific barriers experienced by many self-employed people, including irregularity of income. My department has been working with research partners to explore the feasibility of addressing such barriers through building and testing default retirement saving solutions in digital platforms, used by many self-employed people to manage their money. The second phase of our pensions review will begin later this year, looking at further steps to improve pension outcomes, including assessing pension adequacy.