Universal Credit

(asked on 7th May 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to increase the (a) accuracy and (b) clarity of the universal credit payment statements provided to claimants.


Answered by
Alok Sharma Portrait
Alok Sharma
COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
This question was answered on 13th May 2019

Universal Credit (UC) has been designed with accessibility and accuracy in mind and we are committed to providing personalised support for all claimants. Most people claiming UC will be able to access and navigate the internet, to make and maintain their UC account.

The Department delivers UC in a way which responds to the needs of those who are supported by it. UC payment statements have been designed to give claimants a relevant breakdown of their award, including details of any outstanding debt and the reason for deductions. Every UC award is calculated based on the circumstances of individuals during each assessment period, taking into account savings, assets and income.

Further enhancements will be introduced in the future to make UC payment statements even easier to understand, with a particular focus on making it clearer when amounts are deducted and whether people are being paid as a single person or as part of a couple. Claimants will be able to access a ‘blank’ statement, available through their online account as soon as their claim is received, allowing them to view expected entitlements based on what information has been submitted.

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