Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2019 to Question 207224 on Universal Credit: Support for Mortgage Interest, what assessment he has made of the effect of the zero-earning rule on incentivising people to move into work.

The zero earnings rule for help with mortgage interest, coupled with generous Universal Credit disregards, ensures that owner occupier claimants have the right incentives to move into work and increase their hours of work over time where possible. Certain owner occupiers receiving Universal Credit who are not also receiving help with their mortgage interest because of the zero earnings rule qualify for the higher earnings disregards that apply to those claimants who have no housing costs. My department has made no formal assessment of the effect of the rule on incentivising people to move into work.