Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to hold a public consultation on her Department's proposed changes to the digital age of consent.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In December 2024 DSIT commissioned a feasibility study into research to understand the impact of smartphones and social media on children. The report will be published in due course.
The government keeps all legislation under review and engages regularly with experts – including Chief Scientific Advisors - to gather evidence of where updates are needed. The government has not proposed changes to digital age of consent or a consultation on this, at this stage.
Where there is evidence that more needs to be done to protect children online the government will not hesitate to act.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the digital age of consent.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In December 2024 DSIT commissioned a feasibility study into research to understand the impact of smartphones and social media on children. The report will be published in due course.
The government keeps all legislation under review and engages regularly with experts – including Chief Scientific Advisors - to gather evidence of where updates are needed. The government has not proposed changes to digital age of consent or a consultation on this, at this stage.
Where there is evidence that more needs to be done to protect children online the government will not hesitate to act.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 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.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
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 impact of increasing the Housing Benefit earnings disregard from £5 to £57 for young people living in supported accommodation on youth employment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
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 impact of reducing the Housing Benefit taper rate from 65 per cent to 55 per cent on young people living in supported accommodation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 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.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 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.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 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.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
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.