Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her Department’s policy to allow claimants to re-open a tax credit claim following an application for universal credit.

The Department has prioritised ensuring people have the information they need to understand the benefits and employment support they may be eligible for, including launching a new microsite within the Understanding Universal Credit website to help people navigate the range of support available and apply for it.

Although neither HMRC nor DWP can advise tax credit claimants whether they should claim Universal Credit (UC), we have actively encouraged them to use benefit calculators to check their eligibility before applying and have explained that applying for UC will stop their tax credit claim. This includes adding information to HMRC’s Interactive Voice Response for people calling on the phone, as well as updating GOV.UK pages. We have used the DWP Twitter and Facebook channels to share messages for tax credit claimants, and used paid media to ensure we reach millions of people.