To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on 24 May that "almost 9 in 10 families on Universal Credit cannot afford basic items like food and clothing"; and what steps they are taking to ensure that benefits always cover the cost of essentials.
Answered on
13 June 2023
No formal assessment has been made.
Universal Credit awards are formed of a Standard Allowance, paid according to age and family status, plus help with eligible housing costs, which can then be supplemented with additional elements for groups recognised as having additional needs, such as parents, disabled people, and carers.
The rates of benefit are not determined by individuals' living costs and so it is not possible to provide a breakdown of these amounts by reference to separate amounts for specific items of expenditure, such as the TV licence, gas, electricity, and food. The Government firmly believes claimants should be free to spend their benefit as they see fit, in line with their individual needs and preferences.
The Government does not consider it appropriate to introduce changes that would prioritise one particular area of household expenditure over the cost of other essential goods and services.
To protect the most vulnerable, from April 2023, we increased benefits in line with inflation. This means that they will rise by September Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation – 10.1%.