Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2018 to Question 165571 on employment and support allowance, if she will take steps to include the cost of NHS prescription charges and school meals incurred by affected claimants in the underpayment review as recommended in paragraph 2.15 of the National Audit Office report, Investigation into Errors in Employment and Support Allowance, HC 837, published on 19 March 2018.

We are engaging with a number of authorities who are responsible for passported benefits to raise awareness of the ESA underpayment exercise and the potential issues arising from it. This will enable Departments to understand the impacts on passported benefits they administer.

DWP does not hold information on what people may or may not have claimed. Our focus is on making sure people receive the arrears of ESA they are entitled to.