Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claims were issued with a negative decision on the grounds that the claimant failed the habitual residence test in each month from January 2015 to December 2021.

The table attached gives numbers of Universal Credit claims issued with a negative decision on the grounds that the claimant failed the Habitual Residence Test in each month from June 2015 to August 2021.

The Department currently holds information for Habitual Residence Tests failed by Universal Credit claimants from June 2015 to August 2021.

Notes:

1. Numbers failing the Habitual Residence Test are updated monthly and retrospectively as outcomes are resolved. Current numbers may therefore be different from those shared at an earlier time for the same period.
2. The rise in numbers failing the Habitual Residence Test since 2015 reflects the gradual roll out of Universal Credit and the rising caseload.
3. Only single-person claims were included on the early Universal Credit caseload until December 2018 when the Universal Credit full service began rollout.
4. Figures below 100 rounded to the nearest 10.
5. Figures above 100 rounded to the nearest 100.