PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Universal Credit (13 May 2019)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit claimants have had money deducted as a result of (a) council tax arrears, (b) rent arrears and (c) historical tax credit debt.

Asked by:
Karin Smyth (Labour)

The latest available data is for eligible claims to Universal Credit Full Service that were eligible for payment in February 2019.

Of these claims:

- 2% (34,000 claims) had a deduction for council tax arrears

- 6% (83,000 claims) had a deduction for rent arrears

- 17% (255,000 claims) had a deduction for tax credit overpayments

Notes:

1. Figures include only those claims with a non-zero deduction for each deduction type.
2. Rent arrears deductions are defined as arrears of rent and/or service charges relating to a rented property.
3. Figures for tax credit overpayments include both fraud and normal overpayments.
4. Figures rounded to nearest 1,000.

Answered by:
Lord Sharma (Conservative)
20 May 2019