Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2017 to Question 108182, on universal credit, whether his Department has conducted any similar research on the nature of household poverty.

DWP has not conducted research into the impact of UC on household poverty. Estimates of the number and proportion of individuals in relative low income are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/households-below-average-income-hbai--2.

The latest annual publication was on 2015/16 data and we will continue to monitor relative low income rates in future publications. The Prime Minister has set out clearly that she is committed to building a country that works for everyone – not just the privileged few. We know that work is the best route out of poverty, and Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for parents to move into and progress in work. The impact of Universal Credit cannot be considered in isolation– it is a key component of a broader strategy to move Britain to a higher wage, lower welfare, lower tax society.