Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment she has made of the effect on trends in the level of poverty among young parents of those in receipt of (a) universal credit and (b) legacy benefits.

It is not possible to make meaningful comparisons between universal credit and legacy benefit claimants due to differences in the size, and composition of these caseloads.

Anyone on legacy benefits, who feels they would be better off on UC, can make a new claim to UC.

The Government encourages anybody to go on GOV.UK and use one of the independent benefit calculators to check carefully their eligibility, because on applying for Universal Credit, their entitlement to legacy benefits will cease and they will not be able to return to them in the future.