Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to provide additional payments for claimants of universal credit who previously received additional support through the Severe Disability Premium; and what steps her Department is taking to notify former Severe Disability Premium claimants of their entitlement to additional support.

Since the introduction of The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (SDP Gateway) Amendment Regulations 2019, which came into force on 16th January 2019, claimants who are entitled, or have been within the last month, to an award of an existing benefit that includes Severe Disability Premium (SDP) have not been required to move to Universal Credit; even if they have experienced a relevant change in their circumstances.

The draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019, which are currently before Parliament, make provision for SDP transitional payments for those eligible claimants who have already moved to UC and for moving existing legacy claimants onto Universal Credit and implementing transitional protection.

On Friday 3 May 2019, the High Court handed down a judgment in relation to Universal Credit and the SDP. The judgment quashed the SDP related parts of the draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019. The Department is pleased that the court recognises that it is for Ministers to determine the appropriate transitional arrangements for moving claimants on to Universal Credit, and we are currently considering the options open to us and will respond in due course.