Petitions/Review Universal Credit rules for self-employed parents and fair reform
StatusOngoing
Opened14 Apr 2026
Closes
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

Launch a review into Universal Credit for self-employed people, focusing on fair reforms. This includes making the Minimum Income Floor more flexible and aligned with real earnings, extending the start-up period, and recognising essential unpaid work, especially for single parents.

Many self-employed parents are disadvantaged under current rules. The Minimum Income Floor often fails to reflect fluctuating income or the true hours worked, while vital unpaid tasks like administration, marketing, and client development are overlooked. The 12-month start-up period can be too short, particularly for those balancing childcare. A full review should identify practical improvements to create a fairer, more realistic system that supports sustainable self-employment.

10,000
100,000

Constituency engagement ranking

Josh Newbury
1Josh Newbury MP
Cannock Chase
6
Warinder Juss
2Warinder Juss MP
Wolverhampton West
6
Sureena Brackenridge
3Sureena Brackenridge MP
Wolverhampton North East
5
Sonia Kumar
4Sonia Kumar MP
Dudley
3
Mike Wood
5Mike Wood MP
Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
3
Sarah Coombes
6Sarah Coombes MP
West Bromwich
3
Alex Ballinger
7Alex Ballinger MP
Halesowen
2
Alan Strickland
8Alan Strickland MP
Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor
2
Dr Allison Gardner
9Dr Allison Gardner MP
Stoke-on-Trent South
2
Shaun Davies
10Shaun Davies MP
Telford
2