Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people whose allowances have been altered by measures announced in the Autumn Statement receive adequate financial support.

The Autumn Statement 2023 claim closure measure will introduce legislation to close the claim of those on work-related benefits who do not re-engage for a continuous period of six months or more following an open-ended sanction decision. It remains unchanged that customers usually lose 100% of their Universal Credit Standard Allowance when a sanction is applied.

The claim closure measure will not be applied where a customer receives additional amounts of Universal Credit (UC) for childcare, housing, or a disability. Where those in receipt of an additional amount of UC remain disengaged for a period of 2 months or more following an open-ended sanction, Targeted Case Reviews (TCR) will be conducted to encourage these customers to re-engage and to confirm their benefit entitlement. The TCR process forms part of our wider fraud and error agenda to ensure we are paying customers what they are entitled to, and a review could result in the customers benefit payment being maintained, reduced, or increased.

For customers who demonstrate that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs as a result of a sanction, we have a well-established system of hardship payments. These needs can include heating, food, and hygiene.