In Parliament this week I pressed the Government to bring forward legislative changes to compensate severely disabled people who have lost out on payments as a result of moving on to Universal Credit.

Speaking in Business Questions, I said “In January, the Department for Work and Pensions announced draft regulations for compensation payments for those who have moved to Universal Credit and lost their severe disability premium payments. Three months on, there is no movement from the Government and in the meantime vulnerable constituents are suffering. When can we approve this much-needed support for severely disabled people?”

The Leader of the House responded by saying that the Government had “sought at all times to put people with disabilities at the heart of our policy”.

In January the Government laid draft regulations before Parliament draft regulations to provide for top-up, transitional payments for people who have moved to Universal Credit and lost the Severe Disability Premium. The regulations will have to be agreed by both the Commons and the Lords before they can come into force.  The draft regulations were laid before Parliament in January, but the Government has still not confirmed when the changes will be debated and voted on. The Government is aiming to make SDP transitional payments within six months of the regulations coming into force – whenever that is.

Constituents have contacted me asking to know when they will receive the payments they are owed as they have no other way of getting recompense. We now need the Government to act quickly on this, and ministers should ensure that the vulnerable people affected receive the backdated payments they are owed.