Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants of universal credit claimants with a rent liability receive their first payment of housing costs within two months of their date of claim.

For claims to UC that are entitled to support for housing costs and due a first payment in March 2018, which is the most recent month for which internal figures are available, more than 90% of claims (30,000 claims) receive their support for housing within 2 months of the date of claim.