Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the roll-out of universal credit on families with disabled children.

In formulating Universal Credit policy for support for families with disabled children the Government’s aim was to simplify previous provision and align the lower disabled child addition with that for adults. This was in order to ensure that, for this group, the extra amounts that are payable for disability were aligned when the young person claims benefit in their own right. The Government also took the opportunity to refocus resources on the most severely disabled children and adults and extended eligibility for the higher rate to children who are registered blind.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people, improving the quality of life of those facing disadvantage and tackling poverty by addressing the causes driving it. We recognise that there can be extra costs associated with disability. Universal Credit provides additional support for disabled adults and disabled children.

No one, including households with disabled children, will have a reduced benefit entitlement at the point that they move over to Universal Credit as a result of managed migration.

Universal Credit claimants who are responsible for a child or a qualifying young person may be entitled to a Disabled Child Addition for each eligible child. This continues to be available for all eligible children, regardless of the total number of children in the household.