Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 3.25 of the Autumn Statement 2023, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing parents' entitlement to benefits on their children.

As part of the Autumn Statement, we announced the intention to close the claim of those who have been disengaged for 6-months or more, where they are in receipt of a nil Universal Credit award following a sanction decision.

We will not be closing the claims of anyone who is in receipt of other Universal Credit elements, such as the child, housing, or disability element and no assessment has been made of the potential impact of removing a parents’ entitlement to benefits on their children.

Where entitlement to passported benefits, such has help to pay for NHS prescriptions, is reliant solely on a Universal Credit claim to establish eligibility, that eligibility will cease if the Universal Credit claim is closed. Claimants may still be entitled to access passported benefits through other means.

Safeguards will be put in place to ensure that any claimant vulnerabilities are taken into consideration and impacted claimants may still be able to access financial support for NHS services through other means.