Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason there is a lower rate of Universal Credit for people under the age of 25; what recent assessment her Department has made of the difference between (a) average costs incurred by and (b) Universal Credit entitlement for people (i) under and (ii) over the age of 25; what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the lower rate of Universal Credit on (A) homelessness and (B) poverty; and whether her Department plans to take steps to equalise the rates of Universal Credit.

No such assessment has been made.

Universal Credit provides those who are under 25 with lower rates than those over the age of 25. This is to reflect the fact that these claimants are more likely to live in someone else’s household and have lower living costs. It also reflects the lower wages that younger workers typically receive. However, it is acknowledged that some claimants under 25 do live independently and all claimants have different needs. This is why Universal Credit includes separate elements to provide support to claimants towards additional costs, such as housing costs.