Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of universal credit and subject to deductions (a) with children and (b) without children had (i) up to five per cent, (ii) between six and 10 per cent, (iii) between 11 and 15 per cent, (iv) between 16 and 20 per cent, (v) between 21 and 25 per cent and (vi) more than 25 per cent of the Standard Allowance deducted in the most recent month for which data are available.

The information requested for Universal Credit Households with children with deductions is provided in the attached spreadsheet.

The UK Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Under Universal Credit there is a co-ordinated approach to deductions from benefit, which supports claimants to manage their financial obligations. We carefully balance our duty to the taxpayer to recover overpayments with our support for claimants.