Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of instances where a Managed Payment to Landlord has been requested before a claimant's first Universal Credit payment but the housing element was nevertheless paid directly to the claimant; and what proportion of Managed Payment to Landlord requests are implemented before the claimant's next scheduled Universal Credit payment.

The Department does not collate numbers or produce statistics for this purpose.

A request for a Managed Payment to a Landlord (MPTL) is considered on a case-by-case basis and is not automatically granted. An MPTL may not be accepted where the claimant does not meet the criteria for an Alternative Payment Arrangement.

Where a MPTL has been requested because of rent arrears, the department contacts the claimant and provides an opportunity to provide any contrary evidence. Claimants are given seven days to respond before a decision is made. Decisions are made using all available evidence.