Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they applied the Family Test to the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2022.

In making her decisions relating to the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2022, the Secretary of State considered her obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty which also included the impact on families.

Specific consideration was given to the profile of disability related benefits; the proportion of families in receipt of State Pension and Pension Credit by ethnicity; and the gender and age of claimants for Universal Credit (UC), Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment & Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support and Housing Benefit (HB). In addition, consideration was given to the ethnicity breakdown of ESA and JSA claimants and the family type of UC and HB households.