Universal Credit

(asked on 21st January 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of cases where claimants have been assessed as having no entitlement to the housing element of universal credit because they moved from rented accommodation to accommodation where no rent is payable during their assessment period in the latest period for which figures are available.


Answered by
Will Quince Portrait
Will Quince
This question was answered on 28th January 2020

The Universal Credit award is calculated to reflect the claimant’s circumstances at the end of their assessment period. To do this, we treat all changes as applying from the beginning of the assessment period in which they take place (if reported in the assessment period within which they occurred). The award for that month is therefore wholly at the new rate. This reflects the claimant’s circumstances at the point of payment, and will better anticipate their needs over the forthcoming month.

This principle applies to all elements of Universal Credit. For example, if a new child is born part way through an assessment period, we apply the change to the whole month, not from the date the child was born.

Claimants can easily notify the Department of any changes that might incur within an assessment period using their online account, telephone and speak to their Work Coach face to face in a Jobcentre.

Additionally, existing Universal Credit claimants who have told the Department about a change in their circumstances, which means more Universal Credit is owed, may also apply for an advance payment. There are also discretionary housing payments in place to support those who require support meeting their rent costs.

Statistics on the housing element of Universal Credit are published and can be found at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance for users is available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

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