Benefit levels in the UK

Work and Pensions Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 30 Mar 2023 Closed: 23 May 2024 Parliament page
In our July 2022 report, The cost of living , we heard evidence which suggested that a root cause of the financial challenges households faced “lay in the fundamental inadequacy of social security support”. We therefore recommended that the Government should “review the adequacy of benefit levels and publish its … Read more
11 Recommendations
8 Conclusions
2 Reports
7 Oral sessions
4 Letters
7 Events
Activity timeline 21 events
23 May
2024
Report published
21 Mar
2024
Report published
21 Mar
2024
Report published
21 Feb
2024
Correspondence
14 Dec
2023
Correspondence
6 Dec
2023
Oral evidence
6 Dec
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
15 Nov
2023
Correspondence
25 Oct
2023
Correspondence
13 Sep
2023
Oral evidence
13 Sep
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
19 Jul
2023
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 7 sessions
6 Dec 2023
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Work and Pensions Committee
Katherine Green · Department for Work and Pensions Katie Farrington · Department for Work and Pensions Rt Hon Mel Stride · Department for Work and Pensions
13 Sep 2023
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Work and Pensions Committee
Adam Butler · StepChange Brian Dow · Rethink Mental Illness Duncan Shrubsole · Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales Emily Holzhausen OBE · Carers UK Jane Tully · Money Advice Trust Katherine Hill Tom Pollard · New Economics Foundation
19 Jul 2023
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Work and Pensions Committee
Andrew Harrop · Fabian Society Céline Jaeggy · UNEDIC Emily Farchy · Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Iain Mansfield · Policy Exchange Kristoffer Lundberg · Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden Mike Brewer · Resolution Foundation Rebecca Deegan · Association of British Insurers
28 Jun 2023
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Work and Pensions Committee
Balbir Chatrik · Centrepoint Ben Beadle · National Residential Landlords' Association Ben Twomey · Generation Rent Dr Carin Tunåker · University of Kent Francesca Albanese · Crisis Prof Peter Kemp · Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford Sheila Haig · City of Edinburgh Council Timothy Douglas · Propertymark
14 Jun 2023
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Work and Pensions Committee
Deven Ghelani · Policy in Practice Dr Stephen Brien · Social Security Advisory Committee Matthew Oakley · Social Metrics Commission Peter Whiteford · Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP
17 May 2023
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Work and Pensions Committee
Ciara Fitzpatrick · Northern Ireland Cliff Edge Coalition David Stickland · Benefits Training Company Dr Steffan Evans · Bevan Foundation James Taylor · Scope Ken Butler · Disability Rights UK Kirsty McHugh · Carers Trust UK Professor Stephen Sinclair · Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit (SPIRU) Tom Lee · Child Poverty Action Group
8 Mar 2023
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Work and Pensions Committee
Ashwin Kumar · Manchester Metropolitan University Donald Hirsch · abrdn Financial Fairness Trust Iain Porter · Joseph Rowntree Foundation Nicholas Timmins · Institute for Government Peter Kelly · The Poverty Alliance Robert Joyce · Institute for Fiscal Studies Ryan Shorthouse · Bright Blue
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - Benefit levels in the UK HC 142 21 Mar 2024 19 Responded
EasyRead Report - Benefit levels in the UK 21 Mar 2024 0
Recommendations & Conclusions
2 results
Clear
11 Conclusion Acknowledged
Second Report - Benefit levels in …
Government decisions to uprate working-age benefits and Local Housing Allowance welcomed.
We welcome the Government’s decision to take a consistent decision and uprate all working-age benefits for 2024–25 by the September 2023 CPI inflation rate of 6.7%. We also welcome the Chancellor’s announcement in the 2023 Autumn Statement that Local Housing … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledged and noted the committee's welcome for its decision to uprate working-age benefits and reset Local Housing Allowance rates.
Department for Work and Pensions
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17 Recommendation Acknowledged
Second Report - Benefit levels in …
Make a commitment to annually uprate Local Housing Allowance to retain its 30th percentile value.
The evidence is clear that support for housing costs cannot be viewed in isolation from wider support provided through other benefits. When and if claimants experience a shortfall in rent, this can impact other parts of household budgeting and erode … Read more
Government Response
The government made a vague commitment, stating the Secretary of State has committed to reviewing Local Housing Allowance rates annually, taking into account local rents and the broader fiscal context, but not explicitly committing to annual uprating at the 30th percentile.
Department for Work and Pensions
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Government Response AI assessment · 19 of 11 classified
Accepted 6
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 2
Rejected 9
Total 11 recs + 8 conclusions
Correspondence 4 letters
21 Feb 2024 Correspondence with the Secretary of State relating to Benefit levels in the UK
Parliament page
14 Dec 2023 Correspondence with the Secretary of State relating to Benefit levels in the UK
Parliament page
15 Nov 2023 Correspondence with the Secretary of State relating to benefit deductions
Parliament page
25 Oct 2023 Correspondence to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Chancellor of the Exchequer relating to uprating decisions: Working age benefits
Parliament page