Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants of universal credit with an existing advance that have successfully applied for a budgeting advance have (a) received the maximum available budgeting advance, (b) chosen to repay the budgeting advance over the maximum time period allowed and (c) repaid the budgeting advance within the pre-agreed time period.

Universal Credit new claim and benefit transfer advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due, ensuring no one has to be left without means of financial support.

A budgeting advance is available for one-off unexpected financial events for Universal Credit claimants and is repayable over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. Claimants might be able to get help for things such as: emergency household costs, getting a job or staying in work or funeral costs.

Of the Universal Credit claims repaying an existing advance:

a) 8% of these claims received a budgeting advance which was the maximum amount available to them

b) 13% of these claims received a budgeting advance to be paid over the maximum time period allowed

c) Information regarding those budgeting advances repaid within the pre-agreed time period is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Notes:

1. Figures relate to Universal Credit full service only
2. Figures relate to claims repaying an advance between March 2018 and February 2019
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest %
4. Budgeting advances with a value of £348, £464 and £812 have been used for proportion of claimants receiving the maximum available advance, as the values relate to the maximum entitlement dependent on the claimant's circumstances