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Universal Credit: Northern Ireland

Asked by Carla LockhartDemocratic Unionist PartyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 11 July 2025UIN 64797

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of freezing the health element of Universal Credit for new claimants from April 2026 on (a) poverty rates, (b) the cost of living and (c) workforce participation in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) Upper Bann constituency.

Answered by Sir Stephen Timms

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) are administered in Northern Ireland by the Department for Communities (DfC). DfC is responsible for producing analysis on how proposed reforms would impact claimants in Northern Ireland.

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