Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will remove the five-week wait time for universal credit in the context of the increases in the cost of living.

There are no plans to change the payment structure of Universal Credit.

The Universal Credit payment structure is a fundamental part of its design. Universal Credit reflects payment patterns in the world of work, where the majority of people are paid monthly or four-weekly. Ensuring similarities between paid employment and being on benefits eliminates an important barrier which could prevent claimants from adjusting to paid employment.

When joining Universal Credit, no new claimant has to wait 5 weeks before receiving financial support from DWP. This is because, if new claimants need support before their first award payment is made, all new claimants can request an advance of their entitlement to support them. This advance means that new claimants can receive a payment of up to the expected amount of their UC award during their first assessment period, which can then be repaid over a period of 24 months.