Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that claimants do not lose their financial support if they are unable to make a claim for Universal Credit in time during managed migration.

Our focus for the process of the managed migration of existing benefits claimants to Universal Credit will be on safeguarding claimants and ensuring a smooth transition with uninterrupted support. We plan to have a comprehensive and well-supported preparation period for claimants, the flexibility to extend that period if necessary; and a process to ensure that, before the existing benefits are stopped, agents will check for evidence of complex needs or vulnerability or disability.

We are working closely with stakeholders and other parties to design the best possible process for the migration of our customers to Universal Credit, and will continue to do so.