Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation in the report by the British Red Cross Still an Ordeal: the move on period for refugees, published on 6 December 2018, to allow refugees who do not have a bank account to use the existing asylum support payment (ASPEN) card for their first Universal Credit payment.

Those who do not have a bank account, including refugees, can have their Universal Credit award paid through a Post Office Card Account, or alternatively payments can be made into someone else’s bank account. Payments can also be made using the Government Payment Exception Service.