Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 8
8
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The Committee are pleased to hear about the work the Ministry has done with the...
Recommendation
The Committee are pleased to hear about the work the Ministry has done with the DWP to make Universal Credit more accessible to those leaving prisons. We also welcome the increase in the Subsistence Grant for those who are leaving prison early under the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme, however, we also consider those leaving prison through the ordinary course of events to be in need of additional provision during this unprecedented time. We recommend that the Ministry review 24 Coronavirus (COVID-19): The impact on probation systems the Discharge Grant, and reconsider increasing it during the period of coronavirus, particularly considering that all those released from prison will face challenges adapting to the current environment, and vulnerability may be heightened by the fact that many support services have reduced in capacity and changed delivery models.The Committee are pleased to hear about the work the Ministry has done with the DWP to make Universal Credit more accessible to those leaving prisons. We also welcome the increase in the Subsistence Grant for those who are leaving prison early under the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme, however, we also consider those leaving prison through the ordinary course of events to be in need of additional provision during this unprecedented time. We recommend that the Ministry review the Discharge Grant, and reconsider increasing it during the period of coronavirus, particularly considering that all those released from prison will face challenges adapting to the current environment, and vulnerability may be heightened by the fact that many support services have reduced in capacity and changed delivery models.
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50
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The purpose of both the Discharge Grant and the Subsistence Grant is to assist prison leavers on release, so that they are supported while accessing other legal sources of income, such as applying for benefits. The higher rate of the Subsistence Grant is set at £80 to reflect the more limited amount of time prisoners have had to prepare for their release under the ECTR scheme and therefore the possibility that they would not have received the full amount of time and resources they would usually have had to prepare for release. While there are no decisions to increase the Discharge Grant during this period, options are being considered for its future. We will keep the Justice Select Committee updated on the progress of this work.