Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rate of Universal Credit for young adults living in supported accommodation.

People on a low income living in supported or temporary accommodation can claim Universal Credit for help with their daily living costs and Housing Benefit for help with their housing costs.

Universal Credit awards are formed of a standard allowance, paid according to age and household unit, plus help with eligible housing costs, which can then be supplemented with additional elements and premiums for groups recognised as having additional needs, such as parents, disabled people, and carers.

Under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 the Secretary of State is required by law to review State Pension and benefit rates each year to see if they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices or earnings. Benefit rates are reviewed each year, increasing by 6.7% in April 2024 and by a further 1.7% from April 2025, in line with inflation. Around 5.7 million Universal Credit families are forecast to benefit from uprating in financial year 2025 to 2026, with an average annual gain for a family estimated to be £150. The Government has committed to reviewing Universal Credit and we will set out further details in due course.