Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to amend universal credit rules to allow deduction of unreimbursed work expenses as is the case in the tax credits system; and if he will make a statement.

The Universal Credit calculation uses earnings information received through Her Majesty’s Revenue and Custom’s automatic ‘Real Time Information’ (RTI) PAYE data transfer which does not include unreimbursed expenses.

Claimants can then challenge this RTI figure by providing necessary evidence, such as unreimbursed work expenses, which a Decision Maker will consider under Regulation 41 of the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 2013.