Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of training provided to staff in his Department to inform claimants of financial assistance available in the event that they experience financial difficulty while being transferred to universal credit.

We do not hold this data as we have not commenced managed migration.

Claimants are not being transferred from legacy benefits to Universal Credit until 2019 and this will be completed by March 2022. We have committed to pay transitional protection to all claimants who move to Universal Credit as part of this process and whose entitlement is less than their entitlement to existing benefits and tax credits.

Some claimants on existing benefits will experience a change of circumstance which means they will need to make a new claim to Universal Credit. As part of this Universal Support is help for those who need assistance to manage their claim online and/or help with budgeting in order to manage their monthly payments and prioritise essential bills such as rent and utilities.

We are making £200m available to deliver Universal Support (US). US is advice, assistance or support from Jobcentre Plus or local partners to help Universal Credit claimants with managing their claim or award of Universal Credit. This includes accessing and using online services or managing their financial affairs. Universal Credit has made US grant-funding available to local authorities to help deliver this.

There is no assessment of the effectiveness of training provided to staff in this Department informing claimants of financial assistance because this will not start until 2019.

There are no specific funds for the transfer of debt when claimants are moving from legacy benefits to Universal Credit. All claimants are now made aware they can claim an advance which should smooth the transition from old to new systems.

Personal Budgeting Support (PBS) is offered to Universal Credit claimants at the outset of their claim. PBS helps claimants as they transition to Universal Credit and adapt to the financial changes that Universal Credit brings. PBS can be online, telephone or face to face support. Face to face support is delivered through Local Authorities via Universal Support.