Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of claimants who are in receipt of Severe Disability Premium making a claim for universal in error despite the existence of the Severe Disability Premium gateway.

The Department is not aware of any increase in claims to Universal Credit from those entitled to the Severe Disability Premium, nor do we hold information on the number of people who have made a claim to Universal Credit within the last 3 months despite the Severe Disability Premium gateway being in place. This information could not be provided without disproportionate cost.