Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the recent cost of living increases on people claiming Personal Independence Payments.

In response to the increase in the costs of living, around six million people who receive a non-means-tested disability benefit will receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150, including those in receipt of Personal Independence Payment. This is only one part of the government’s £15bn package of support and sits alongside Cost of Living Payments of up to £650 for means-tested benefits recipients, the first instalments of which are currently being made, payments to those eligible for Winter Fuel Payments and the extension of the Household Support Fund. This is on top of the £22bn the government has already announced to support households with the cost of living.

In addition to specific targeted support, disabled people may also benefit from previously announced measures to help people tackle the cost of living, including:

• £150 council tax rebate
• £400 discount from energy bills
• cuts to the Universal Credit taper rate
• frozen alcohol duty and fuel duty and
• the further rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour from April 2022.