Universal Credit: Cost of Living
Commons · Question 117569 · Tabled 3 Mar 2026 · Department for Work and Pensions · Official record
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Question
Asked by Margaret Mullane
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of commissioning independent advice on the cost of essentials when setting the rate of the Universal Credit Standard Allowance.
Answer
Answered by Sir Stephen Timms, 17 Mar 2026
The Government has taken important steps to improve the support available to help people with the cost of essentials. The Universal Credit Act will deliver the first sustained above inflation rise in the standard allowance of Universal Credit since it was...