Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the length of time required for new claimants to complete the online application form for universal credit.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

To help claimants using online services, Universal Support is available, which is advice, assistance or support to help Universal Credit claimants with managing their claim or award. From 1 April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland will deliver a new “Help to Claim” service to support vulnerable claimants through the process of making a claim to Universal Credit.

For those unable to access or use digital services, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. The Universal Credit Service Centre will establish the best means of support available, which could be signposting to Universal Support delivered locally, the local Jobcentre Plus office or telephony support. A home visit can also be arranged to support a claimant in making their initial claim and completing any other administrative tasks required to ensure the claimant receives the correct payment.