UNIVERSAL CREDIT AND DISABLED CHILDREN

Early day motion 1741, tabled 23 October 2018 by Caroline Lucas (Green). Signed by 95 members.

That this House notes with concern that, under universal credit, at least 100,000 families with disabled children will be worse off by some £1,750 per year; notes that this is due to the lower rate of child disability addition being set at £29.10 per week, representing a 54 per cent cut to the equivalent additional payment of £62.86 per week under the existing benefits system; further notes that families with more than one disabled child will be even worse off, as the addition is paid for each disabled child; acknowledges that families with disabled children face a range of extra costs associated with disability and caring, as well as the challenge of combining complex care and work, and that as a result many such families are already struggling to afford basic essentials, such as food and heating, as evidenced by Contact's Counting the Costs 2018 research; believes that the reduction in the level of support under universal credit can only lead to increased hardship, debt, stress and ill-health; and calls on the Government to set the lower child disability addition at £62.86 per week so that families with disabled children receive at least the same level of support under universal credit as now.

Signatures by party: Labour 42, Scottish National Party 28, Liberal Democrat 11, Labour/Co-operative 5, Plaid Cymru 4, Independent 3, DUP 1, Green 1.