Found: Official Official Baroness Sherlock OBE Minister of State in the DWP Caxton House Tothill

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 4 February (HL14073), what is the average duration from initial contact to claim completion for claimants with a learning disability using (1) the digital service, and (2) the telephone or home-visit alternative service.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Claims are not awarded/paid until the end of the monthly assessment period, in order that an accurate assessment can be made, including any income/earnings received during that period. Therefore, there is no measure of claim completion prior to the end of the assessment period.

‘Payment Timeliness’ data, shows those claimants who are paid on time at the end of the first assessment period; however, this is not segregated by claimant characteristics or channel.

The latest published statistics for ‘Payment Timeliness’ are from October 2025, showing 93% received their payment on time and 88% their payment on time and in full.

Universal Credit is primarily a digital service, but there is a continued focus on accessibility and support, allowing claimants to transact via a variety of channels according to their needs, offering non‑digital routes. This includes making a claim by telephone or face-to-face and where appropriate, home visits may also be considered.

Independent support is also available through the Help to Claim service, delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland. For customers identified as vulnerable, including some customers with learning difficulties, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) also has an Enhanced Support Journey for those migrating from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) who may need additional help to make and complete their claim.

Where a customer is unable to manage their own affairs, DWP can appoint a suitable individual, third party, or organisation to act on the customer’s behalf and manage their Universal Credit claim. This arrangement can be short or long‑term, depending on the customer’s circumstances.

The Department is committed to ensuring customers are supported in a way that meets their individual needs and DWP staff are required to discuss and review accessibility needs at every interaction, as reasonable adjustment needs can change over time.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 4 February (HL14073), what assessment they have made of the technical requirements to make the requested statistics on identity verification and work capability failure rates for claimants with learning disabilities "readily available" for future parliamentary scrutiny and improving service provision.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department holds Universal Credit data to support the safe and accurate delivery of benefit; primarily supporting the effective administration of claims, rather than detailed analytical reporting by disability type. Therefore, data does not currently show identity verification or work capability related outcomes segregated by claimant characteristics, such as learning disabilities. The latest published statistics for ‘Payment Timeliness’ are from October 2025, showing 93% received their payment on time and 88% their payment on time and in full.

Identity verification can be completed through a range of digital and non‑digital routes; with the majority of customers successfully verifying their identity. A proportion of customers disengage from the process before completion; however, this can occur for many reasons (including finding work/earning more) and does not necessarily indicate an inability to verify identity. Where customers have health conditions or learning disabilities, support is provided operationally through tailored help and reasonable adjustments. Any agreed adjustments are recorded on the customer’s account and reviewed regularly, ensuring support can be delivered consistently throughout the Universal Credit journey.

There is continued focus on accessibility and support, allowing claimants to transact via a variety of channels according to their needs, including offering non‑digital routes, reasonable adjustments and tailored help for customers who may struggle with the claims process. These measures are intended to support successful engagement and completion of claims with 88% paid on time at the end of the first assessment period.

Found: Letter Baroness Sherlock to Peers who spoke at committee stage debates regarding issues raised: value