Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his Department holds on the number of people who have newly claimed Universal Credit in each of the last five years by (a) health-related reasons for claiming and (b) the searching-for-work conditionality group.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 November 2025 to PQ UIN 92813.
Asked by: Helen Whately (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families in receipt of the child benefit of UC are exempt from the household benefit cap because they (a) receive limited capability for work and work-related activity, (b) are in a grace period and (c) earn £846 or more a month.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of Universal Credit advances that remain outstanding beyond 12 months.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Most UC advances (new claims, benefit transfer and Budgeting Advances) have a maximum repayment period of 24 months except change of circumstances advances which have a maximum of 6 months.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households currently subject to the Household Benefit Cap are living in (a) council housing and (b) housing association accommodation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There were 540 households on Housing Benefit affected by the benefit cap in May 2025. Of these, 40 were living in council housing and 100 were living in housing association accommodation.
There were 123,000 households on Universal Credit affected by the benefit cap in May 2025. Accommodation data in Universal Credit does not identify housing association accommodation separately from council housing. Of the 123,000 households on Universal Credit affected by the benefit cap in May 2025, 45,000 were living in council housing or housing association accommodation.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is available for workers who have been exposed to hazardous chemicals in upholstery and furniture manufacturing.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government offers a range of financial support for individuals whose health has been adversely affected by exposure to hazardous chemicals in the workplace.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is a non-contributory, non-means-tested benefit paid to those who become disabled because of a workplace accident or certain prescribed industrial diseases. The amount of benefit awarded depends on the level of disablement, which is assessed by an independent medical professional. In some cases, additional allowances may also be available, depending on individual circumstances.
Those who are unable to work due to illness or disability may be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Eligibility is dependent on satisfying the basic conditions of entitlement and contribution conditions. Where appropriate, individuals may claim Universal Credit which provides financial support for people on low incomes or who are unable to work because of a health condition.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can provide help towards the extra costs arising from a long-term health condition or disability for working-aged people. Entitlement to PIP focuses on the functional impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life and is assessed on the basis of needs arising and not on the condition itself.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the adequacy of financial support for parents of critically and terminally ill children.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly meets with colleagues across Government to discuss a range of issues.
Many parents caring for children and young people with serious illnesses are likely to need additional support through social security. Financial support is available through Universal Credit (UC), a means tested benefit, which if needed, can offer support available on day one through a UC advance. There is also Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children aged under 16 and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for those over 16. They are available if a child or young person’s condition or illness is of a long-term nature and gives rise to care, daily living or mobility needs. These are not means-tested.
For claimants at the end of life, the Government’s priority is to provide financial support quickly and compassionately through special benefit rules – called the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). For parents with children nearing the end of life these enable families to get faster, and guaranteed, access to the care component of DLA or the daily living components of PIP, without having to undergo a functional assessment or serve a qualifying period.
People caring for a child in these circumstances can use an independent, free and anonymous benefits calculator to check what they could be entitled to. These are available on Gov.uk and provide estimates of the benefits someone could get, how these payments are affected by re-starting work or by a change in circumstances change.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, further to question 95498 if he will make an assessment of the impact for his policies of the findings of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation entitled Guarantee our Essentials: reforming Universal Credit to ensure we can all afford the essentials in hard time, published on 4 March 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As I set out in the response I gave on 4 December 2025 to PQ UIN 95498, this government is taking important steps to tackle child poverty and improve the support we provide people with their living costs.
There is no overall agreed approach to benchmark benefit levels. Each household will always have different requirements depending on their circumstances. We will continue to consider evidence and insights from a range of organisations to ensure the social security system provides the support people need.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the child poverty strategy.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Poverty Strategy was published on Friday 5 December.
It sets out the steps we are taking to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks we need to change the course we’re on and create long-term change.
The action we are taking includes removing the two child limit on Universal Credit, support for working families to stop children growing up in B&Bs, expanding childcare for families on UC and helping parents save up to £500 on baby formula
The Strategy will lift around 550,000 children out of poverty and will see the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the document entitled School level underlying data 2025, published on 5 June 2025, what assessment she has conducted on the reasons why 625 pupils in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency who are eligible for free school meals are not accessing them.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty which is why we are introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals ensuring all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be eligible from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives of as part of the Child Poverty Strategy published on 5 December. Under the expansion, over half a million additional pupils will become eligible for free school meals.
The department has not made a formal assessment of the situation in Ely, however, specific factors such as lack of knowledge, stigma, and language barriers may impact take-up of free school meals.
The department wants to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their free school meals. Introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals so that all children from households in receipt of universal credit will be eligible for free school meals from September 2026 will make it easier for parents to know whether they are entitled to receive free meals.
To support take-up, we are also rolling out improvements to the checking system that is available to all local authorities to help verify eligibility for free meals.
We welcome local authorities taking action to ensure government support reaches families, subject to them meeting legal and data protection requirements.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what Barnett consequential funding will Wales receive as a direct result of measures set out in the UK Government’s child poverty strategy published on 5 December 2025.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The Barnett formula has been applied in the normal way to changes in UK Government Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL). Spending Review 2025 provided the Welsh Government with their largest spending review settlements in real terms since devolution. As a result of decisions at Budget 2025, the Welsh Government will receive an additional £320 million RDELex and £185 million CDEL through the operation of the Barnett formula on top of these record settlements. This means the Welsh Government’s settlement continues to grow in real terms between 2024-25 and 2028-29.
Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The Government is investing in the future of our children and introducing a fundamental change by removing the two-child limit on Universal Credit, benefitting 69,000 children in Wales. This comes alongside a package of measures that will drive down working poverty by raising the minimum wage, creating more secure jobs by strengthening rights at work.
The Strategy builds on the reform plans already underway across government and the important work underway in Welsh Government. We are committed to continued collaboration with the Welsh Government to tackle child poverty across Wales, particularly through the implementation phase that will now follow.