Comparisons between entitlement in legacy benefits and Universal Credit fail to reflect that, until recently, people only claimed Universal Credit as a result of a change in their circumstances.<\/p>
It is important to remember that there are £2.4 billion of unclaimed benefits not going to the people who need them because they are unaware of how to claim, or that they may be entitled. Universal Credit makes sure that welfare payments reach those who need them most, and when we complete moving legacy benefit claimants over to Universal Credit, an estimated 700,000 more people will get paid their full entitlement because of Universal Credit.<\/p>
The Government have committed to spending in excess of £3 billion over 10 years on transitional protection for 1.1 million households. This will help fund assistance for those moving from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit including a two week \u2018transitional housing payment\u2019. We are also introducing a two-week run on for eligible claimants of Income Support, Jobseeker\u2019s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance from July 2020.<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4423", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Will Quince"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Will Quince"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-09-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-09-09T10:47:37.517Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-09-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of social security claimants who will receive less money once they have migrated to universal credit.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4425", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Stevens"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Cardiff Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jo Stevens"}
], "uin" : "286277"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1143275", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1143275/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The amount of Universal Credit paid to claimants reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period.<\/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\u2019s income falls they will not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit.<\/p> <\/p> The Department publishes a guide for claimants which tells them how Universal Credit works, including assessment periods.<\/p> https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/807855/uc-and-you-v16.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> The Department also publishes more specific guidance for claimants about how different earning patterns affect Universal Credit.<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles<\/a><\/p> <\/p> We continually review Universal Credit using feedback from claimants and stakeholders to inform further improvements to the service.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4423", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Will Quince"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Will Quince"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-09-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-09-06T10:10:50.973Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-09-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that universal credit claimants are aware of how assessment periods are calculated prior to application.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4488", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Martyn Day"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Linlithgow and East Falkirk"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Martyn Day"}
], "uin" : "284759"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1143504", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1143504/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The lower standard allowance rates for Universal Credit claimants who are under the age of 25 years reflects that they are more likely to live in someone else's household, have lower living costs, and have lower earnings expectations. It also reinforces the stronger work incentives that Universal Credit creates for this age group. Qualifying claimants can also receive separate elements to provide support for housing costs, children and childcare costs and support for disabled people and carers.<\/p> <\/p> People claiming Universal Credit move into work faster, stay in work longer and spend more time looking to increase their earnings. It provides more financial help with childcare costs (eligible claimants are able to claim up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, compared to 70% on the legacy system), a dedicated Work Coach, and removes the 16-hour \u2018cliff edge\u2019 for those who are working.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4423", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Will Quince"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Will Quince"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-09-05T14:53:59.09Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-09-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of reduced allowances for universal credit claimants who are under 25 years old on the financial wellbeing of those claimants.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4243", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Jarvis"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Barnsley Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Jarvis"}
], "uin" : "285284"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1143586", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1143586/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The latest available information as at July 2019 on the number of people on Universal Credit by Employment Indicator is published and can be found at:<\/p> https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/<\/a>.<\/p> Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:<\/p> https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4423", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Will Quince"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Will Quince"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-09-05T09:35:52.09Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-09-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of universal credit were (a) employed and (b) unemployed as at 15 August 2019.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4058", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Blomfield"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Blomfield"}
], "uin" : "285260"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1143587", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1143587/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Claimants may currently be entitled to a number of other benefits because they are in receipt of Universal Credit. These are known as passported benefits, which include free school meals and free prescriptions. The eligibility criteria for each passported benefit remain the responsibility of the Departments and Devolved Administrations that own them.<\/p> <\/p> Government Departments and Devolved Administrations continue to work closely together to look at how to reduce the complexity of the current passported benefits system and put in place arrangements for Universal Credit, as it expands, that will continue to target available support at those who need it most.<\/p> <\/p>