Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Lord Chancellor on court fine deductions applied to people in receipt of universal credit and the establishment of a payment plan at the court.

From October, we will reduce the Universal Credit standard deductions cap to 25% of a claimant’s Universal Credit standard allowance from 30%.

Court fine deductions fall within the cap which means, from October, the maximum deduction will be the lower of £108.35, set out in legislation, or 25% of a claimant’s standard allowance. The maximum deduction applies only where a claimant’s individual circumstances allow the maximum deduction within the standard deductions cap.

Deductions for court fines are only made from Universal Credit if a Court requests DWP to do so. The Court only makes such a request if it decides that a deduction from benefit is the most appropriate method of payment. It has always been the case that individuals can ask the Court to consider a private payment arrangement - both before a deduction from benefits is requested and at any time thereafter. Officials from DWP and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service have regular discussions about these arrangements.