Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the longest number of days is a universal credit claimant in Glasgow South West has had to wait before receiving their initial payment.

The Department’s data on Universal Credit payment timeliness is not currently available for publication by area or region.

The latest statistics on timeliness of payment for new claims to Universal Credit were published on 9 July 2018, and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/length-of-payment-delays-for-new-claims-to-universal-credit

Around 80 per cent of new claims are paid in full and on time. In many cases, where full payment is not made on time by the end of the first assessment period, this is as a result of unresolved issues such as: some claimants have not signed their Claimant Commitment or passed identity checks, and the others have outstanding verification issues, such as for housing and self-employed earnings. Whilst this verification is on-going, many of these claimants receive a part payment for those elements of the claim that have been resolved.