Universal Credit: Coronavirus

(asked on 15th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the minimum five week wait before universal credit claimants receive their first payment for the duration of the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Will Quince Portrait
Will Quince
This question was answered on 20th May 2020

The Universal Credit Assessment period and payment structure are fundamental parts of the Universal Credit design. The assessment period runs for a full calendar month from the date of entitlement, and the subsequent Universal Credit pay date will be within seven calendar days after the end of the initial assessment period. It is not possible to award a Universal Credit payment as soon as a claim is made, as the assessment period must run its course before the award of Universal Credit can be calculated. This monthly calculation has been hard-wired throughout the system, and cannot now be changed without significant re-build. At present, all resources are rightly focused on processing new claims.

New Claim Advances are available urgently if a claimant needs support during their first assessment period, and budgeting support is available for anyone who needs extra help.

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