Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with the Ministry of Justice on the merits of awarding universal credit to prisoners who are nearing completion of their sentence before they leave prison.

We are currently working with the Ministry of Justice to look at ways of developing the service for prison leavers claiming Universal Credit on release.

In the month leading up to their release, Prisoner Work Coaches can support prisoners in preparation to make a claim to Universal Credit. Following recent improvements to Universal Credit advances, claimants, including prison leavers, can now apply to receive up to 100% of their expected monthly entitlement from day one of their claim. Ministry of Justice and DWP are working collaboratively to ensure that prison leavers receive financial support and gain stability to find work on their day of release.