Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing linking rules to Universal Credit.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing linking rules to Universal Credit.

Linking rules were not carried over into Universal Credit. This is because Universal Credit is a separate, simplified benefit system. Instead, each Universal Credit claim is assessed in its own right. However, Universal Credit does have a reclaims process, which provides a simple route back onto Universal Credit for claimants who experience a short break in entitlement. This process also reduces the administrative burden on claimants and encourages them to increase their earnings and protects them in periods of reduced employment.