Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to fund the Citizens Advice help to claim scheme beyond April 2020; and if she will make a statement.

The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants, and wants the application process for Universal Credit to be as quick and easy as possible, ensuring that claimants receive money at the earliest opportunity.

Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have been delivering the ‘Help to Claim’ service on a pilot basis since April 2019, supporting claimants with making a new claim to Universal Credit. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time, and is available online, on the phone and face-to-face through local Citizen’s Advice services.

We are committed to ensuring that delivery of services, such as Help to Claim, are carefully monitored and evaluated to provide effective support to our most vulnerable claimants, whilst ensuring value to taxpayers. We have begun evaluation of the service and will use this to inform decisions about the future of the service beyond March 2020.