Asked by: Lord Bishop of Hereford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of transiting from tax credits to Universal Credit on people who live in accommodation tied to their work; and whether they undertook any consultation with ministers of religion or other cohorts particularly affected by these proposed changes.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie
Universal Credit (UC) was legislated for in 2012. We continue to learn and iterate our approach as we progress the Move to UC activity and remain committed to ensuring that the transition works as smoothly as possible for all individuals. Latest findings of the Move to UC process were published here: Move to Universal Credit – insight on Tax Credit migrations and initial Discovery activity for wider benefit cohorts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Hereford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to address the fact that people living in tied accommodation are not eligible to claim Universal Credit if they own more than £16,000 of a property in which they do not live.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie
People who own a second property that they do not live in, will have the equity value of that property taken into account as part of their capital when assessing their claim for Universal Credit. If this causes the total capital they hold to exceed £16,000 then they will no longer be eligible for Universal Credit support.