Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the effect of denying social security support to people affected by the Windrush scandal on their (a) rent arrears, (b) homelessness, and (c) personal debt.

DWP provides a fast track service which engages with the Home Office and other Government bodies to help individuals affected, to ensure that they are able to access the benefits and services to which they are entitled.

DWP also has backdating provisions in place, where benefit decisions can be revised without limit where evidence shows that a previous benefit decision was reached without knowledge of a material fact, or based on incorrect information.

The Government is committed to putting in place a compensation scheme for members of the Windrush generation who have suffered loss as a result of difficulties in demonstrating their lawful immigration status and has launched a public consultation. The Home Office will be publishing the formal Government response to the consultation shortly, which will also include more detailed rules and guidance about the scheme, and information about how eligible claimants can apply.