Income-Driven Food Insecurity

#117 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Poverty Alliance in their written evidence to us highlighted that from their research they found that the five week wait was ‘the most negative aspect of Universal Credit for many people.’295 They argue that the policy is a major …

Gov response: New Claim Advances are the claimant’s benefit paid early, allowing claimants to access up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. With a Universal Credit Advance, claimants receive an additional Universal Credit payment, …

Not Addressed

#116 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We heard evidence of how the five week wait for Universal Credit and the associated advance payment system is causing a lot of difficulty for claimants in Scotland. Chris Birt of The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said it can ‘force people …

Gov response: New Claim Advances are the claimant’s benefit paid early, allowing claimants to access up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. With a Universal Credit Advance, claimants receive an additional Universal Credit payment, …

Not Addressed

#99 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Our survey on the experiences of people with social security in Scotland found that a majority (68%) felt that the money they received in support payments would not cover their bills for rent, food, internet, council tax and utilities. One …

Gov response: Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the UK Government announced the temporary uplift as part of a £400 billion package of measures put in place …

Not Addressed

#25 — Claimants received £4.2 billion less in benefits due to official error and unfulfilled eligibility.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: DWP estimates that claimants received 1.6% (£4.2 billion) less than they were eligible for in 2023–24, up from 1.5% (£3.5 billion) in 2022–23. These underpayments comprised £1.1 billion in official error and £3.1 billion in unfulfilled eligibility.49 Official error is …

Gov response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 5.2 According to the latest national statistics, "underpayments” in the benefit system represent a small percentage of total benefit expenditure. The total rate of benefit …

Accepted

#10 — DWP's declining timeliness in processing new benefit claims increases financial hardship

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: A failure to process claims and pay benefits in a timely way can mean claimants wait longer for money they are entitled to, increasing the risk of financial hardship and making it more difficult for them to manage their finances …

Gov response: 2.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 2.2 Whilst the department has significantly improved clearance times for PIP claims in 2023-24, with 52% cleared within 75 working days (increased from 7% in 2021-22) despite …

Not Accepted

#23 — Set out plans to build claimant trust and simplify reporting changes of circumstances.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: These underpayments leave the claimants affected with less money than they should have, making their finances more precarious than they should be. Underpayment rates are highest for disability benefits, such as PIP and Disability Living Allowance, where the most common …

Gov response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 5.2 According to the latest national statistics, "underpayments” in the benefit system represent a small percentage of total benefit expenditure. The total rate of benefit …

Accepted

#5 — Over £4 billion in benefit underpayments in 2023-24 increases financial hardship risks.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Benefit claimants received over £4 billion less than they were entitled to in 2023–24, increasing the risk of financial hardship for the people losing out. DWP estimates that claimants received 1.6% (£4.2 billion) less than they were eligible for in …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented According to the latest national statistics, "underpayments” in the benefit system represent a small percentage of total benefit expenditure. The total rate of benefit expenditure underpaid …

Accepted

#9 — Introduce auto-enrolment for all eligible children in free school meals without delay.

Education Committee

Recommendation: We consider that the arguments for auto-enrolment in free school meals for those children currently eligible are conclusive. In the interests of alleviating hunger in schools and improving health and educational outcomes for the poorest children, auto-enrolment must be brought …

Gov response: Government response to Conclusion eight: We recognise the vital role played by free school meals and encourage all eligible families to take up their entitlement. We currently facilitate the process of claiming free meals through …

Partially Accepted

#29 — Exorbitant building insurance costs continue to impose severe financial hardship and debt risk

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Home Builders Federation (HBF) raised concerns that insurance companies were seeking to profit from the building safety crisis. The Shared Owners Network similarly wrote that many shared owners were struggling to pay housing-related costs such as insurance. End Our …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2025 4.2 The government agrees with the Committee that it is important to build evidence on the cost of buildings insurance. MHCLG therefore …

Not Addressed

#19 — Domestic energy debt has significantly increased, becoming the fastest growing type of consumer debt

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Alongside a rise in energy prices, Ofgem statistics from June 2024 show the total owed by domestic consumers for both electricity and gas was over £3.7 billion compared with £1.8 billion at the end of 2021.51 A report by Clear …

Gov response: 4.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 4.2 To address the Committee’s concerns, the department proposes an alternative approach, recommending that Ofgem, as the market regulator, is better suited than DESNZ to collect pertinent …

Not Addressed

#15 — Energy support schemes partially mitigated, but did not prevent, overall increase in fuel poverty.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department reported that from mid–2022 to mid–2023, the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) and Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) prevented around 289,000 households in England from going into fuel poverty.39 However, this was not enough to offset the wider impact …

Not Addressed

#41 — Appoint a Freelancers’ Commissioner to develop framework addressing industry pay and working conditions.

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: We repeat our predecessor Committee’s call for the Government to appoint a Freelancers’ Commissioner, with appropriate powers and cross- departmental oversight. The Freelancers’ Commissioner should work with the film and HETV industry to develop a framework for addressing pay precarity, …

Gov response: The government is committed to strengthening rights and protections to deliver good quality self-employment. DCMS will appoint a creative freelance champion to advocate for the sector’s freelancers within government. This is different to a commissioner …

Partially Accepted

#39 — Set out specific measures to address pay precarity for creative industry freelancers.

Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: In its forthcoming industrial strategy, the Government should set out specific measures to address pay precarity among freelancers working across the creative industries, such as a guaranteed basic income or minimum hourly wage. (Recommendation, Paragraph 136)

Gov response: The government is committed to strengthening rights and protections to deliver good quality self-employment. DCMS will appoint a creative freelance champion to advocate for the sector’s freelancers within government. This is different to a commissioner …

Partially Accepted

#12 — Clarify how environmental land schemes complement nature restoration and ensure food security

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the consultation on a Land Use Framework and look forward to its publication. We recommend that in the Framework Ministers clarify how environmental land management schemes and other nature funding for farmers ought to complement wider nature restoration …

Gov response: We want to work with the sector to develop a long-term sustainable plan for incentivising and funding for nature recovery. To achieve the right incentives and conditions, we will work in partnership with farmers to …

Not Addressed

#11 — Land use framework implementation requires scrutiny for food security alongside nature recovery

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government’s projections for changes in land use in England by 2050, contained in its current consultation on a Land Use Framework, indicate a potentially substantial increase in the land area allocated to nature recovery, either alongside or instead of …

Gov response: We want to work with the sector to develop a long-term sustainable plan for incentivising and funding for nature recovery. To achieve the right incentives and conditions, we will work in partnership with farmers to …

Not Addressed

#28 — Mandate the Water Commission to propose a single social tariff and monitor water poverty progress.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Independent Water Commission’s proposals should contain provisions for establishing a single social tariff, or other protections for low-income households, to protect customers from the worst impacts of anticipated bill increases. The Commission’s proposals should also establish how effectively water …

Response Pending

#27 — Government has not set a timetable for developing a social tariff for low-income households.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government has not yet set out a timetable for developing a single and comprehensive social tariff to prevent protect low-income households from bill increases, despite the widespread view that it will be necessary in the context of much higher …

Response Pending

#66 — Integrate neglect reduction measures and parental support into Child Poverty Strategy with a broader approach.

Education Committee

Recommendation: The Department should ensure that measures to reduce neglect and support parents with poor mental health and drug and alcohol addictions are considered as part of its Child Poverty Strategy and recognise that poverty is not the only circumstance in …

Gov response: We recognise that deprivation is a contributory causal factor in child abuse and neglect, and a growing body of research is strengthening the evidence of this relationship, including poverty being closely interconnected with wider factors …

Under Consideration

#13 — Require Government to implement bold Child Poverty Strategy to significantly reduce children's financial hardship.

Education Committee

Recommendation: We urge the Government to be bold in its upcoming Child Poverty Strategy and take wide-ranging action to reverse this trend and significantly reduce the number of children growing up in financial hardship. (Recommendation, Paragraph 29)

Gov response: Secretary of State for Education. This strategy, to be published in the autumn, will address the structural and root causes of child poverty. In the meantime, we are already taking substantive action across the key …

Accepted

#11 — Social security reforms risk increasing child poverty; delayed strategy hinders scrutiny.

Education Committee

Recommendation: We are deeply concerned about the Government’s planned reforms to social security set out in the Green Paper Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, which are set to drive up child poverty and will further …

Gov response: Tackling child poverty is central to this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We share the Committee’s ambition and are committed to bold, wide- ranging action through our upcoming Child Poverty Strategy, currently …

Not Addressed

#22 — Limit smart meter back-billing period to six months and publish supplier penalty data for breaches.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Ofgem should limit the back billing period to six months for customers with a smart meter. It should also publish annual data on the penalties it gives energy suppliers for breaching its back billing rules. (Recommendation, Paragraph 79)

Gov response: This is a matter for Ofgem as the independent regulator, but the Government agrees that customers should receive accurate bills, and where that is not the case the issue should be rectified as quickly as …

Not Addressed

#21 — High energy costs exacerbate severe impacts of billing issues, leading to overdue back bills.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Energy bills are generally becoming more accurate, but the high cost of energy means that when billing issues do occur, the impacts are felt far more severely. In an era of smart metering, it is unacceptable that back bills are …

Gov response: This is a matter for Ofgem as the independent regulator, but the Government agrees that customers should receive accurate bills, and where that is not the case the issue should be rectified as quickly as …

Not Addressed

#20 — Reassess Targeted Charging Review outcomes and consult on broader allocation of increased network infrastructure costs.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Ofgem should reassess the outcomes of its Targeted Charging Review and consult on how increased network costs resulting from a sharp increase in investment in electricity infrastructure could be allocated more broadly, including across wider parts of the energy system. …

Gov response: As the Committee notes, Ofgem are conducting a Cost Allocation and Recovery Review (CARR) to look at how fixed energy system costs are allocated and recovered and consider whether this can be done in a …

Accepted

#19 — Reform standing charges to exempt electric converters and limit prepayment meter burden.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Ofgem should exempt customers from having to pay the gas standing charge if they convert their home to electrical heating and no longer otherwise need a gas service. They should also work with retailers so that the accumulation of standing …

Gov response: The Government agrees that consumers should be given choice in how to pay for their energy bills, and believes that options such as tariffs with lower or zero standing charges could deliver benefits for a …

Not Addressed

#18 — Ofgem's standing charge proposals risk unfairness and consumer detriment without safeguards.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: We welcome Ofgem’s ambition to reassess how costs are allocated across consumer energy bills, but we are unconvinced that its proposals for a mandatory zero or low standing charge tariff option will go far enough to address the inherent unfairness …

Gov response: The Government agrees that consumers should be given choice in how to pay for their energy bills, and believes that options such as tariffs with lower or zero standing charges could deliver benefits for a …

Partially Accepted

#17 — Set Energy Price Cap equally for all customers, regardless of chosen payment method.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Ofgem should set the Energy Price Cap at an equal level for all customers, regardless of their chosen payment method, taking effect from the price cap period January to March 2026. It must also ensure that customers who are in …

Gov response: The Government believes that all consumers should pay a fair price for their energy. The Energy Price Cap was introduced in January 2019 to protect households on standard variable (default) tariffs from excessive prices. This …

Not Addressed

#16 — Time-of-use energy tariffs risk deepening inequalities without vulnerable consumer protections.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Time-of-use tariffs that allow customers to optimise the benefits of low carbon technologies such as heat pumps, electric vehicles and solar panels are welcome additions to the retail market, rewarding customers with low energy prices and supporting flexibility of the …

Gov response: The Government believes that all consumers should pay a fair price for their energy. The Energy Price Cap was introduced in January 2019 to protect households on standard variable (default) tariffs from excessive prices. This …

Not Addressed

#15 — Financially vulnerable customers incur unjustifiable "poverty premium" due to chosen energy payment method.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: It is unjustifiable that financially vulnerable customers are expected to pay more for their energy under the Energy Price Cap because of their chosen payment method. This constitutes a poverty premium. (Conclusion, Paragraph 57)

Gov response: The Government believes that all consumers should pay a fair price for their energy. The Energy Price Cap was introduced in January 2019 to protect households on standard variable (default) tariffs from excessive prices. This …

Not Addressed

#14 — Introduce ambitious Energy Debt Relief Scheme funded by energy network windfall profits.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Ofgem should introduce an ambitious Energy Debt Relief Scheme, funded by windfall profits made by energy network companies, that has broad eligibility and provides support automatically, without consumers having to apply or agree a repayment plan. The regulator should consult, …

Gov response: The Government recognises the need to tackle the problem of energy consumer debt, which remains at a record level. Too many families paid the price for our dependence on fossil fuels during the energy price …

Not Addressed

#13 — Energy networks accrued £4bn windfall profits while consumers face severe energy debt crisis.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: While millions of consumers struggle with energy debt and the fallout of the recent energy price crisis, there is no shortage of money in the wider energy system. It is completely inexcusable that while households are forced to ration energy …

Gov response: The Government recognises the need to tackle the problem of energy consumer debt, which remains at a record level. Too many families paid the price for our dependence on fossil fuels during the energy price …

Not Addressed

#12 — UK experiencing a severe and escalating energy debt crisis impacting millions of customers.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The UK is experiencing a severe energy debt crisis that shows little sign of abating. Millions of customers currently owe more than £4bn in debt and arrears, a record figure that has more than tripled in just five years. This …

Gov response: The Government recognises the need to tackle the problem of energy consumer debt, which remains at a record level. Too many families paid the price for our dependence on fossil fuels during the energy price …

Not Addressed

#8 — Critical need exists for targeted bill support and social tariff for vulnerable consumers.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: There is a critical need to provide greater, targeted bill support for low income and vulnerable consumers throughout the year in the form of a social tariff. We are concerned by the lack of progress to date. (Conclusion, Paragraph 34)

Gov response: Reducing energy costs for all consumers is a top priority for the Government. The Autumn Budget focused on addressing the cost-of-living pressures facing this country and DESNZ played a key role in delivering a package …

Not Addressed

#3 — Millions in fuel poverty or with disabilities remain ineligible for Warm Home Discount scheme.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The Warm Home Discount is a crucial mechanism to tackle fuel poverty and we welcome the Government’s plans to broaden eligibility for the scheme for winter 2025–26. However, it is deeply troubling that millions of households in fuel poverty and …

Gov response: The Warm Home Discount is a key policy in the Government’s approach to tackling fuel poverty and reducing the energy costs of low-income and vulnerable households in Great Britain. On 19 June 2025, the Government …

Not Addressed

#2 — Establish an Energy Data Sharing Taskforce to improve support schemes and tackle fuel poverty.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The Government should immediately establish an Energy Data Sharing Taskforce involving energy suppliers, government departments, HMRC, local authorities, the National Health Service and relevant third parties. This should establish clear and effective mechanisms for data sharing with the specific ambition …

Gov response: Improving data accuracy and data sharing is being treated as a priority by this Government, owing to its potential to revolutionise the way in which support is delivered. The primary barrier to improving the targeting …

Not Addressed

#23 — Declining trends in Welsh farming threaten UK food security and require urgent focus

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The UK’s food security is dependent upon sustainable domestic production, and by that measure the trends in Wales should be cause for concern. The number of people employed in the industry in Wales has declined, trade with key European markets …

Not Addressed

#19 — Disparity in production standards threatens competitiveness of Welsh farming

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We are concerned about the perceived disparity in production standards and the levels of financial support received by farmers in countries that the UK Government is negotiating trade agreements with. We are also concerned that lower-cost imports produced to less …

Gov response: Defra carefully monitors trade data, including the usage of the quotas under the trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand. There is no evidence that the Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand have had …

Accepted

#17 — Ensure Free Trade Agreements do not undermine the viability of farming in Wales

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We are concerned that Free Trade Agreements have been entered into in the full knowledge that Wales’ agricultural industry may be negatively impacted. The Government must ensure that FTAs do not act as a ‘Trojan Horse’ that, overtime, will undermine …

Gov response: Defra carefully monitors trade data, including the usage of the quotas under the trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand. There is no evidence that the Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand have had …

Accepted

#16 — Australia and New Zealand FTAs disproportionately disadvantage Welsh agricultural sector

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The UK’s Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Australia and New Zealand will disproportionately disadvantage the agricultural sector in Wales. Beef and sheep meat make up a significantly larger share of the agricultural sector in Wales compared to England. As a …

Gov response: Defra carefully monitors trade data, including the usage of the quotas under the trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand. There is no evidence that the Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand have had …

Not Accepted

#1 — Welsh farming remains a vital but low-income and demanding profession.

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: In Wales, farming is a vital profession, central to the preservation of the Welsh language and rural culture. Despite its significance, it remains a physically demanding, low-income sector, largely made up of small, family- run livestock farms with an average …

Gov response: The farming sector in Wales plays an essential role in supporting the Government’s Growth Mission and in delivering our Plan for Change. In addition to being an important contributor to the Welsh economy, farming continues …

Not Addressed

#1 — Scotland's deindustrialisation created lasting legacies of worklessness and health inequalities in unsupported communities.

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Scotland’s experience of deindustrialisation over the past four decades demonstrates the profound and lasting consequences of industrial transition when communities are not properly supported. The loss of major industries has left a legacy of worklessness and health inequalities. Despite Scotland’s …

No Published Response

#9 — High energy costs drive fuel poverty despite energy efficiency improvements

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: High energy costs mean that even tenants living in homes that have undergone energy efficiency improvements can struggle to afford to heat their homes sufficiently. The higher the standard of works, the greater the benefit. While we support the Government’s …

Gov response: 33. The government remains committed to implementing a statutory New Homes Ombudsman scheme, which will enable individuals buying new-build homes to benefit from clearer means of redress. Social housing tenants can already access support from …

Under Consideration

#13 — Low pay for social care workers does not recognise skills and pushes some into poverty.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: Low pay does not adequately recognise the level of skill adult social care workers need to do very difficult physical and emotional work. It is both morally unacceptable, and economically shortsighted, that the current pay regime is pushing some into …

Gov response: Baroness Casey has full autonomy to determine the commission’s priorities, within its remit as set out in the terms of reference. However, the government agrees that a sustainable care market is essential to delivering high-quality, …

Accepted

#3 —

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We know that during lockdown food insecurity is particularly likely amongst those eligible for free school meals. Therefore, in the event of another lockdown, Government should ensure that families of children who would normally receive free school meals continue to …

Gov response: Response: Now that schools have fully reopened, children are able to access their meals, free to those eligible, at school. Although the National Voucher Scheme is no longer in operation following the re-opening of schools …

Not Addressed

#97 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We heard evidence from various stakeholders that this amount of money was not adequate to ensure that claimants remain out of poverty and pay their essential bills. The Trussell Trust told us that ‘benefit issues and low benefit income are …

Gov response: Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the UK Government announced the temporary uplift as part of a £400 billion package of measures put in place …

Not Addressed

#11 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Without the uplift, benefits for the unemployed are at their lowest real-terms level since the early 1990s. Had they grown in line with GDP per capita since 1990, they would be £40 a week higher. The future value of benefits …

Gov response: The Department for Work and Pensions is undertaking a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit and encourage eligible pensioners to claim, as part of a new national communications campaign, launched on 4 …

Accepted

#5 —

Welsh Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The UK Government must urgently review the level at which Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is set. At only £96.35 per week, it is equivalent to only 20 per cent of the average wage—compared to 100 per cent in Germany and …

Gov response: The UK Government rejects this recommendation. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of benefits and pensions. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) in the year …

Not Accepted

#10 —

Work and Pensions Committee

Recommendation: Most of those who gave evidence were keen to see an end to the no recourse to public funds condition. But we think the Government is unlikely to change this policy and such a change could result in fewer people …

Gov response: British children, by which we mean a child born in the UK, where at least one parent is a British citizen or settled in the UK (such as holding indefinite leave to remain) at the …

Not Accepted

#1 —

Work and Pensions Committee

Recommendation: We are very pleased that the Government has now permanently extended free school meal eligibility to children from all families with NRPF. We heard repeatedly from parents and organisations about the positive impact this would have on children in poverty, …

Gov response: We would like to thank the Committee for the time and effort invested in conducting an inquiry into child poverty and publishing the ‘Children in poverty: No recourse to public funds report’. We welcomed the …

Under Consideration

#17 —

International Development Committee

Recommendation: Food insecurity remains a development challenge in Pakistan. As adequate nutrition is central to maintaining progress in key areas for development such as health, education, and economic growth, failing to have a joined-up strategy towards nutrition undermines the UK Government’s …

Gov response: The UK are convenors of the Health, Population, and Nutrition Development Partners Group in Pakistan, and in this role we facilitate health sector policy coordination between donors, multilateral agencies and NGOs, including on nutrition and …

Not Addressed

#18 —

International Development Committee

Recommendation: empower the Global Alliance for Food Security to develop international solutions to regional food security challenges. That should include a) securing the provision, delivery and distribution of food assistance to countries in need in order to avert famine. Such initiatives …

Gov response: Partially Accept The Global Alliance for Food security (GAFS) was set up with the aim to ensure that the support reaches those in most urgent need and coordinates aid measures relating to food security. It …

Partially Accepted