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, whether she plans to relax means testing for universal credit applications for the duration of the covid-19 outbreak.


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

There are no plans to relax means testing for Universal Credit.

The amount of Universal Credit paid to claimants reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period. Monthly assessment periods align to the way the majority of employees are paid and allows Universal Credit to be adjusted each month. This means that if a claimant’s income falls, they will not not have to wait several months for a rise in the Universal Credit. Equally, as people’s pay increases, their Universal Credit payments reduce gradually, and the taper rate ensures that people are always better off in a job.

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