Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether posting a decision notice to close a claim for universal credit on an online journal to which the claimant no longer has access is consistent with the requirements of Regulations 7 and 51 of the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 2013 on notifying claimants about decisions.

Claimants do have access to their journal after their Universal Credit award is terminated. It is read-access only but that does mean they can read the decision notice which explains that their award has been terminated and how the decision can be disputed under regulation 7. Posting the notice to the journal does comply with regulation 51 as in law it is still a “written notice of the decision”.