PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Universal Credit: Payments (18 May 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the five-week wait for universal credit payments; and what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the time taken to receive such payments and the level of household debt.

Asked by:
Feryal Clark (Labour)

Nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit (UC). Urgent payments are available which allows claimants to receive up to 100% of their estimated UC payment upfront. These payments are designed to ensure that the most vulnerable claimants receive the money they need to live on during their transition to UC. Claimants have the option to spread twenty-five UC payments over twenty-four months, giving them more flexibility over the payments of their UC award.

Answered by:
Will Quince (Conservative)
24 May 2021