Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the Universal Credit Health Element on poverty among disabled people.

The Department published an updated assessment of the poverty impacts of the health/disability benefit changes announced at Spring Statement with revisions to reflect the proposed changes since tabled. This estimates that there will be 50,000 fewer individuals in relative poverty after housing costs in 2029/30 as a result of the changes.

The assessment is available at: Spring statement social security changes – updated impact on poverty levels in Great Britain, July.

We will continue to carefully consider the impacts of reforms as we develop our detailed proposals for change.