Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 135706, on Flexible Support Fund, what assessment her Department has made of trends in (a) claimant needs and (b) volumes between 2013-14 and 2016-17.

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that unemployment fell by 1 million (just under 40%) between April 2013 and March 2017. Because of this fall in unemployment we have been able to reduce the size of the Flexible Support Fund (FSF). The Department keeps the FSF and other budgets under continuous review.

In January to March 2018 our unemployment rate currently stands at 4.2% - it has not been lower since 1975.