Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which initiatives and programmes have been implemented to assist people experiencing personal debt and household poverty since the introduction of the provisions of the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

Work is the most effective route out of poverty and Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for claimants to move into and progress in work. And it is working, Universal Credit claimants move into work faster and spend more time looking for work than legacy benefit claimants.

Universal Support also provides Universal Credit claimants with additional help to manage their monthly Universal Credit payment and possible advice on their finances through Personal Budgeting Support. In addition, we refer claimants to Citizens Advice and the Money Advice Service for more specialist debt advice and have also worked with the Money Advice Service to develop a Money Manager Tool.