Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average time taken to make a decision on (1) all universal credit claims, and (2) UK claims relating to individuals who have been granted leave to remain as a refugee.

The Department does not track individual claims made by refugees. However, where people have problems getting a bank account, they are not prevented from making a claim for Universal Credit. Furthermore, DWP in conjunction with the Home Office, are currently piloting a new process to assist asylum seekers granted refugee status and needing support to make a claim to benefits.

Officials are currently assessing the data for Universal Credit and will only release information once the necessary quality assurance work has taken place. These statistics will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for official statistics. The Department does not track individual claims made by refugees and therefore this information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.