A Bill to equalise the amount of the standard allowance included in an award of universal credit to which a claimant who has left care is entitled with the amount of that allowance to which a claimant aged 25 or over is entitled; and for connected purposes.
House of Lords
6 May 2026
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
This bill would ensure care leavers get the same basic monthly universal credit allowance as people aged 25 or over. It does this by inserting “or a care leaver” into the age rules and by defining a care leaver as someone aged 16–24 who has been looked after by a local authority for at least 13 weeks (including some time at ages 14–15) and is not currently looked after. It also includes transitional provisions and would take effect three months after passage, applying to England, Wales and Scotland.
The Bill originated in the Lords and set out the care-leaver entitlement. It has moved through the Lords (2nd reading, committee stage, 3rd reading) and is now in the Commons at 1st reading, with further Commons stages expected.
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The 2024-2026 session of Parliament has come to an end so the House of Commons is now prorogued until the next session begins on 13 May 2026. Prorogation is the formal end to the parliamentary year.
This Bill will therefore make no further progress.
The Committee’s Second Report scrutinises several Bills but focuses on two with substantial delegated powers: the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill and the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill. It criticises the former for relying on “skeleton legislation” that would let Ministers shape most of the regulatory regime through regulations, with little justification or parliamentary scrutiny, and calls for those powers to be removed or reined in (affirmative scrutiny where appropriate). For the latter, it flags a Henry VIII-style power to repeal sections 30A and 30B and seeks clarification on its intended use, recommending that any retained repeal power be subject to proper parliamentary procedure. The other listed Bills were noted as not containing delegations requiring scrutiny.
The Bill amends the Universal Credit Regulations so care leavers are treated as eligible for the standard monthly allowance at the same level as those aged 25 or over, by inserting “or a care leaver” into the age-based rules. It defines a “care leaver” as someone aged 16–24 who has been looked after by a local authority for at least 13 weeks (including some time at ages 14–15) and who is not currently looked after. The Act includes transitional provisions, is subject to parliamentary procedure, comes into force three months after passage, and applies to England, Wales and Scotland.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
