Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sarah Jones and Ian Byrne

Monday 11th May 2020 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Jones (Croydon Central) (Lab)]

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of ending the five-week wait for universal credit during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Ian Byrne (Liverpool, West Derby) (Lab)]

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of ending the five-week wait for universal credit during the covid-19 outbreak.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Will Quince) [V]]

In these uncertain times, we would like to be absolutely clear that no claimant has to wait five weeks for a payment. Advances are available, enabling claimants faster access to their entitlement. Since mid-March, we have issued more than 700,000 advances to claimants who felt that they could not wait for their first routine payment, with the majority receiving money within 72 hours.