Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will issue guidance on how disabled people can maintain their national insurance contributions needed to qualify for full state pension if (a) their household income is above the Universal Credit threshold due to a partner’s income and (b) they can only claim the replacement for new style Employment and Support Allowance for 6-12 months.

As part of the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper published in March 2025 we are consulting on establishing a new “Unemployment Insurance” benefit through the reform of contributory working-age benefits. Unemployment Insurance would be a new non-means tested entitlement for people who have contributed into the system and replace existing NS JSA and NS ESA. Policy on the new Unemployment Insurance is being developed, and we will be considering the detailed contributory related entitlement conditions with further detail to be published in a White Paper in Autumn.

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