Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the Government’s proposed reforms to universal credit and personal independence payments on the number of care leavers in poverty.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The data are not available to make an assessment on this basis.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) Universal Basic Income and (b) existing social security benefits in reducing poverty.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Universal Basic Income is not being considered as an alternative social security system by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has undertaken research into the potential impact of implementing a universal basic income on (a) employment rates and (b) workforce participation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Universal Basic Income is not being considered as an alternative social security system by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Universal Basic Income on (a) job-seeking behaviour and (b) participation in the gig economy.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Universal Basic Income is not being considered as an alternative social security system by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of Universal Basic Income on (a) absolute and (b) relative poverty in the UK.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Universal Basic Income is not being considered as an alternative social security system by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had discussions with her international counterparts in countries that have trialled Universal Basic Income on (a) their experiences and (b) key challenges.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Universal Basic Income is not being considered as an alternative social security system by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to (a) review and (b) incorporate international best practices from Universal Basic Income trials into domestic policy considerations.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Universal Basic Income is not being considered as an alternative social security system by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the outcomes of national trials of Universal Basic Income conducted in the UK.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Universal Basic Income is not being considered as an alternative social security system by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the potential impact of international trials of universal basic income on (a) employment rates and (b) poverty levels.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Universal Basic Income is not being considered as an alternative social security system by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to introduce safeguards for pensions against future (a) sale and (b) transfer of pension funds to (i) insurance companies and (ii) other entities.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Insurance buyout is a long-established way of ensuring members get the full value of their promised defined benefit (DB) pensions from an insurer, backed by a 100 per cent compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. This is widely regarded as a positive outcome for scheme beneficiaries.
The Pension Schemes Bill 2025 introduces a regulatory framework for “superfunds”, which can consolidate closed DB schemes where buyout is unaffordable. Member security is at the heart of the new regime, which has rigorous safeguards and robust funding requirements. Superfunds will also continue to be overseen by the Pensions Regulator and underpinned by the Pensions Protection Fund.
Trustees must be satisfied that transferring the liabilities of the scheme to an insurer, or to a superfund, is in the best interests of the members before any transfer can take place.