Changes to Universal Credit

This House notes that Universal Credit payments are not keeping pace with rising living costs; notes that deductions taken from those payments, for example to repay advances, leave households on low incomes struggling to afford food and other essentials; recognises the action taken by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2021 to extend the repayment period for Advances from 12 to 24 months and to reduce the maximum rate of deductions from 30% of the standard allowance to 25%; and calls on the Department to immediately take further action by reducing the maximum rate to 10% again, in recognition of the fact that deductions are taken from benefits already set at subsistence levels.