Oral Answers to Questions

Christian Matheson Excerpts

Monday 18th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)]

24. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the roll-out of universal credit.

[The Minister for Employment (Alok Sharma)]

Universal credit is now available in all jobcentres across the country and is helping people into work. The universal credit claimant survey published last year showed that, under universal credit, the likelihood of being in work almost doubles between the point of making a claim and nine months into the claim.

[Christian Matheson]

Of the claimants who have been transferred from legacy benefits on to universal credit, what proportion are now receiving more money than they were under legacy benefits, what proportion are receiving the same and what proportion are receiving less money than they were?

[Alok Sharma]

The hon. Gentleman is referring to where people have a change in circumstances. That is not anything new under universal credit: changes in circumstances exist within the legacy benefits system. People get a different calculation in terms of the amount of money, and that has not changed under universal credit.