Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the requirement within the universal credit system for people whose assessment period falls at the end of the month to reapply for that credit every three months.

Claimants will only need to reapply for Universal Credit if their Universal Credit award stops. If this is the case a claimant’s statement in their on-line account will show a zero payment and a written notification in their journal will also explain the reclaim process. The notification informs the claimant that they can reclaim and the service automatically offers a reclaim to claimants who are eligible.

The reclaim process (if nothing has changed in the claimant circumstances) is less than 10 minutes. Where there has been a change in the claimant circumstances they only have to update the change. Claimants whose claims are closed through earnings can reclaim within 6 months.