To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of children, excluding existing applicants, whose premium entitlement in respect of disability will be reduced from £52 to £25.95 a week under the universal credit in each of the next five financial years.

Departmental modelling estimates that, once fully implemented, approximately 100,000 children would have a lower entitlement as a result of the reform of disability benefits under universal credit. However, these households will receive full cash protection against this change to ensure that there are no cash losers at the point of transition. Estimates on a year-by-year basis during the transition period are not available.