Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what means are available to his Department to validate claimant earnings data used in Universal Credit calculations which do not require employees to contact their employer.

DWP uses earnings data received from HMRC’s PAYE Real Time Information system – much of which will have been received by HMRC in validated form from employers who use the Bacs payment system to corroborate their submissions against real payments.