Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Autumn Statement 2023, whether he has held discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of withdrawing free prescriptions from claimants subject to an open-ended sanction for over six months on their (a) health and (b) well-being.

There is no change to free prescriptions eligibility as a result of the sanctions measures announced at Autumn Statement 2023.

The Autumn Statement 2023 claim closure measures will only impact customers who are entitled to the Universal Credit (UC) Standard Allowance and where they do not re-engage for a continuous period of six months or more following an open-ended sanction decision.

Entitlement to free prescriptions is based on receipt of a monetary award of UC, sanctioned customers in receipt of the UC Standard Allowance only will lose their entitlement to help with health costs at the point that the sanction decision is applied. Therefore, closure of their claim after 6-months will not change this position.

The Autumn Statement 2023 measure will not be applied where the customer receives additional amounts of UC for childcare, housing, or a disability, or where they have a new, or pre-existing vulnerability which impacts on their ability to look for, or to take up work.