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Written question asked by Rebecca Smith (Conservative) on Thursday, 14 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 20 May 2026 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. A substantive answer was provided by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.


Universal Credit: Earnings Rules

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 125945 on Universal Credit, what data his Department holds on the relationship between hours worked and reductions in Universal Credit awards through the earnings taper.

Answer

The department does not hold information about Universal Credit awards reduced by the earnings taper at claimant level.

UC awards are affected by the amount that households earn, rather than the number of hours that they work. The department holds information on the earnings levels of individuals on UC, but information on the number of hours worked for those in employment is not collated.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
1545
Session
2026-27
Related items
Universal Credit
Monday, 20 April 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Earnings rules Universal credit
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk