Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 1.123 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, when he plans to publish further information on transitional protection for universal credit recipients; whether his policy is to guarantee that such protection entails no loss of income for recipients compared to income from tax credits; and whether he plans for such protection to apply to (a) new applicants and (b) people who experience a change in circumstances.

Priti Patel

At the summer budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out the Government’s commitment to move the UK from a high tax, high welfare, low wage society to a lower tax, lower welfare, higher wage society. This remains the case, and Universal Credit (UC) is delivering this.

UC is a fundamentally different benefit to the legacy benefit system and provides people with support into, and to progress in work.

Therefore there is no meaningful way of comparing an unreformed Tax Credit system with Universal Credit. The Government has committed to transitional arrangements as we reform the benefits and Tax Credit system. Those transferred without a change of circumstances by DWP from tax credits to UC will receive Transitional Protection so that their income is not reduced as a result of the transfer.

We will bring forward regulations for transitional protection in due course.