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Poverty

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 10 March 2026UIN 117151

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of households with less than £50 per month in disposable income after essential expenditure.

Answered by Dame Diana Johnson

We do not hold information on the disposable income of households after essential expenditure including energy costs.

Working-age benefits covered by the Secretary of State’s statutory review will be increased by 3.8% from April, in line with the increase in the consumer prices index in the year to September 2025.

The Universal Credit Act 2025 means that the Universal Credit standard allowance will be up-rated by 3.8%, followed by a further 2.3% from April.

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