Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the five week wait for Universal Credit payments on prison leavers with limited or no support networks; and what steps his Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that people leaving custody do not face immediate financial insecurity or debt.

The Department has over 200 Work Coaches based in prisons across Great Britain providing benefit advice and support to individuals, including booking an appointment at their local jobcentre on or soon after their day of release.

When a claim is made for Universal Credit, the customer will receive their first award around five weeks after the claim is made, this period is known as the initial assessment period. This process ensures that customers are paid their correct entitlement, based on verified information, and reduces the risk of significant overpayments occurring.

If a customer needs support before their first payment is made, a New Claims Advance of up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit entitlement is available at any time during the initial assessment period. With such an advance, customers receive an additional Universal Credit payment, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period. Crucially for prison leavers, this means that financial support can be accessed from day one of the claim subject to verification.

I am currently undertaking a review of Universal Credit. The five week wait for Universal Credit is one of the topics being considered in the review.