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<p>The design of Universal Credit is fundamentally different to legacy benefits, so
any assessment would not reflect this adequately.</p><p> </p><p>The Department published
an assessment of legacy benefit and Universal Credit payment timeliness in its Annual
Report and Accounts 2018-19. This showed that the speed of Universal Credit payments
has continued to improve during its rollout and the Department continues to introduce
improvements. Between February 2018 to February 2019 Universal Credit payment timeliness
improved with 86% of new claims to Universal Credit receiving full payment on time
in February 2019, an increase from 78% in February 2018.</p><p> </p><p>Monthly assessment
periods align to the way the majority of employees are paid, and how utility companies
and other service providers collect payments. This allows Universal Credit to be adjusted
each month, which means that if a claimant’s income falls they will not have to wait
several months for a rise in their Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Overall, Universal
Credit provides more tailored support, and makes it more financially rewarding to
increase earnings when in employment compared to legacy benefits.</p>
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