Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the paper by Joseph Rowntree Fund and the Trussell Trust entitled Guarantee our Essentials, published on 27 February 2023, what recent assessment he had made of the potential merits of uplifting Universal Credit in the context of his upcoming Spring Budget.

In April, we are uprating benefit rates (including Universal Credit) and State Pensions by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions, the benefit cap levels are also increasing by the same amount. We will also work closely with officials so corresponding provisions can be made in Northern Ireland.