Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to protect claimants in the Employment and Support Allowance Support Group and its Universal Credit equivalent from financial loss if they engage in work-related activity and are subsequently transferred to the Work-Related Activity Group or its Universal Credit equivalent.

Where an ESA claimant in the Support Group or the UC equivalent chooses to undertake some form of work-related activity, we provide encouragement, help and support to assist the claimant to do so. Volunteering to undertake some work-related activity does not mean, in itself, that the claimant will be transferred to the Work-related Activity Group.

ESA and UC claimants whose condition improves so that following a Work Capability Assessment they move from the Support Group to the Work-related Activity Group will receive the relevant rate of benefit. Where the date of claim is prior to 3 April 2017 that will include the work-related activity component and the UC equivalent.