Teachers: Universal Credit

(asked on 16th June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the universal credit taper for teachers in receipt of universal credit who receive payments under the (a) Mathematics and Physics Teacher Retention Payments Pilot scheme and (b) Teachers’ Student Loan Reimbursement Pilot scheme.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 22nd June 2020

The Mathematics and Physics Teacher Retention Payments Pilot and Teachers’ Student Loan Reimbursement Pilot are designed to reward early career secondary school teachers who are teaching in certain areas of the country. We know there are particular challenges in retaining early career teachers in these areas, especially those teaching mathematics and the sciences. These pilots are testing whether offering these payments incentivises these teachers to remain in the profession.

Universal Credit awards are calculated in a way that ensure fairness of treatment for all claimants. This means that as earnings increase Universal Credit is gradually reduced, which is a long-standing principle of means-tested benefits. The payments made under the two pilot schemes are treated in the same way as any other earnings. All earnings are subject to the Universal Credit taper rate and a work allowance where appropriate.

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