Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people in receipt of universal credit will have access to short courses of between six weeks to a year in areas where there are skills gaps, starting from September 2022.

Universal Credit (UC) does not duplicate the financial support provided by the student loan system. This system of student loans and grants are designed to meet their needs.

Where learning meets the work-related requirements, as described in their claimant commitment, UC claimants can participate in learning opportunities designed to improve their prospects of securing work and progressing.

Using existing flexibilities within UC, DWP’s Train and Progress (TaP) initiative expands claimants’ access to training, including new offers under the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, for example, being able to undertake Skills Bootcamps, ensuring they gain new skills and access better employment opportunities. DWP TaP better aligns the employment and skills support offer and increases the amount of time UC claimants can take part in suitable full-time training. Claimants could take up to 12 weeks for work-related course and up to 16 weeks in areas where Skills Bootcamps exist.