Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of people aged under 21 who will be affected by the planned removal of the housing benefit element of universal credit who have a mental health issue.

Current estimates suggest that 10,000 people will be affected by the policy in total. The Department does not hold information which estimates how many of those have a mental health issue. Nonetheless, the Department has worked in collaboration with a range of stakeholders to make sure the policy includes the right exemptions to protect the most vulnerable people; including those who have a mental health issue.