Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rate of Universal Credit for young adults living in supported accommodation.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
People on a low income living in supported or temporary accommodation can claim Universal Credit for help with their daily living costs and Housing Benefit for help with their housing costs.
Universal Credit awards are formed of a standard allowance, paid according to age and household unit, plus help with eligible housing costs, which can then be supplemented with additional elements and premiums for groups recognised as having additional needs, such as parents, disabled people, and carers.
Under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 the Secretary of State is required by law to review State Pension and benefit rates each year to see if they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices or earnings. Benefit rates are reviewed each year, increasing by 6.7% in April 2024 and by a further 1.7% from April 2025, in line with inflation. Around 5.7 million Universal Credit families are forecast to benefit from uprating in financial year 2025 to 2026, with an average annual gain for a family estimated to be £150. The Government has committed to reviewing Universal Credit and we will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have closed the Welsh language provision of the Department for Work and Pensions bereavement service; and, if so, when and why.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The Welsh language provision of DWP’s Bereavement Service has not been closed down.
The Bereavement Service includes:
Bereavement teams within Regional Pension Centres (RPCs) provide this service. A Welsh team in Swansea Pension Centre supports the Welsh language service. This can be accessed by calling 0800 731 0453.
Those reporting a death, who have a Tell Us Once Reference Number, provided by the Registrar, can report a death on-line through the Tell Us Once service, which is also available in Welsh [Beth i'w wneud ar ôl i rywun farw: Dywedwch Wrthym Unwaith -GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)] or by calling 0800 085 7308 and selecting option 1 to speak to someone in Welsh. For those without a Tell Us Once Reference Number, the death can be reported by calling the Welsh Bereavement Service helpline on 0800 731 0453.
The Bereavement Support Payment can also be claimed online in Welsh [Taliad Cymorth Profedigaeth: Sut i wneud cais - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)].
Information relating to Bereavement can be found on GOV.UK in both Welsh and English.