Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he has assessed how far back in time it is possible to produce an adjusted poverty estimate of Households Below Average Income (HBAI); and if his Department will commit to going back as far as they can, by a named date.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The latest Households Below Average Income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2025 release, published in March 2026, used an improved approach that uses linked administrative data in place of survey responses for the major state benefits and tax credits. In this March 2026 release, low-income estimates based on administrative linked data were produced for 2024/25 and the back-series years 2023/24, 2022/23 and 2021/22. In March 2027, administrative data linking will be applied to a further three back-series years: 2020/21, 2019/20 and 2018/19. Administrative linked estimates for Great Britain cannot be produced prior to 2018/19 due to the changes in General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018.
For more information please see both:Family Resources Survey Transformation: integrating administrative data for benefits - GOV.UK and Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics - GOV.UK
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to introduce marine net gain as part of offshore developments.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The timing for any future marine net gain scheme will depend on its scope. Our current priority is building the evidence base for marine recovery more broadly, which we are doing through our research and development programme.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will provide an update on his Department's work to abolish the Work Capability Assessment as outlined in the 'Pathways to Work' Green Paper 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Pathways to Work Green Paper outlined our plan to end the link between capacity to work and additional financial support and the binary categorisation of claimants as “can or can’t work” by abolishing the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). Instead, any extra financial support for health conditions in Universal Credit will be assessed via a single assessment – the PIP assessment (in England and Wales) – and be based on the impact of disability on daily living, not on capacity to work.
Due to its link with the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment, Work Capability Assessment abolition will not take place until after the Timms Review into PIP has reported. We are currently considering how the future system will operate and will provide further information in due course.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of not uprating Local Housing Allowance in-line with inflation at the Autumn 2025 Budget on levels of homelessness among Universal Credit claimants in (a) the South West and (b) Torbay.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Secretary of State reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, including the shared accommodation rate, at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, including rent levels across Great Britain and the levels of support currently available were considered against the fiscal context and welfare priorities. In line with equality duties, impacts on specific groups were also considered. DWP also continues to work closely with Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government to make sure interactions with homelessness and temporary accommodation are considered.
Renters receiving housing support who need further help to meet their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he was made of the potential impact of the decision not to uprate Local Housing Allowance in the Autumn 2025 Budget on (a) families, (b) older renters, and (c) people with disabilities.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Secretary of State reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, including the shared accommodation rate, at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, including rent levels across Great Britain and the levels of support currently available were considered against the fiscal context and welfare priorities. In line with equality duties, impacts on specific groups were also considered. DWP also continues to work closely with Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government to make sure interactions with homelessness and temporary accommodation are considered.
Renters receiving housing support who need further help to meet their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Shared Housing Rate on the ability of under 35s to secure homes.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Secretary of State reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, including the shared accommodation rate, at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, including rent levels across Great Britain and the levels of support currently available were considered against the fiscal context and welfare priorities. In line with equality duties, impacts on specific groups were also considered. DWP also continues to work closely with Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government to make sure interactions with homelessness and temporary accommodation are considered.
Renters receiving housing support who need further help to meet their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.