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<p><del class="ministerial">As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear,
the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and
we have been clear in our intention that no one should be penalised for doing the
right thing. These are rapidly developing circumstances, we continue to keep the situation
under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">New
Claims Advances are available to support those in immediate financial need until their
first Universal Credit payment is made and the Department is committed to delivering
advances as soon as possible to people who have requested them.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The
Universal Credit assessment period and payment structure are fundamental parts of
the design and the current advance system works, and works quickly.</ins></p><p><ins
class="ministerial">It is not possible to award a Universal Credit payment as soon
as a claim is made, as the assessment period must run its course before the award
of Universal Credit can be calculated. In order to allow the Universal Credit system
to cope with the unprecedented demand, we must limit the changes made to its framework.</ins></p>
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