Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the draft Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (Managed Migration) Regulations 2018, what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of claimants in receipt of (a) severe disability premium and (b) enhanced disability premium under employment support allowance who will see a reduction in social security support as a result of moving to universal credit.

The Government has already made a commitment that anyone who is moved to Universal Credit without a change of circumstance will be protected. Transitional protection will be provided to eligible claimants, including those in receipt of severe disability or enhanced disability premiums, to safeguard their existing benefit entitlement until their circumstances change.

We are also changing the system to prevent those claimants in receipt of Severe Disability Premium on existing benefits from moving to Universal Credit until they qualify for transitional protection. In addition, we will provide both an on-going payment to claimants who have already lost this Premium as a consequence of moving to Universal Credit and an additional payment to cover the period since they moved.

These changes are subject to parliamentary approval of the Universal Credit Managed Migration and Transitional Protection Regulations which we intend to bring forward in the autumn. In the legacy system there are £2.4bn of unclaimed benefits not taken up by people who need them, because they do not know about them. These Regulations will ensure that 700,000 more people will get paid their full entitlement under Universal Credit.