Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of recent trends in the average levels of household debt for people in receipt of universal credit.
The Government has taken a number of steps to prevent problem debt, such as capping payday lending costs, and promoting savings especially for those on low incomes. We also have interest free advances within Universal Credit, and a system of priority deductions to help claimants who are in arrears.