Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the government has to include household food insecurity in the evaluation of the effectiveness of Universal Credit.

The Department currently has no plans to include household food insecurity in the evaluation of the effectiveness of Universal Credit. However, we do continue to evaluate Universal Credit as it is delivered. Research and analysis is conducted to assist and inform the evaluation and the expansion of Universal Credit, focusing specifically on the effects of Universal Credit on claimants’ behaviours and outcomes.

The Universal Credit Evaluation Framework can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-evaluation-framework-2016