Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2018 to Question 182759 on Universal Credit: Wolverhampton North East, what estimate he has made of the cost of recording the postcode of applicants for universal credit advance payments (a) by telephone, (b) in person and (c) online.

Postcode information for Universal Credit claimants is collected as part of the process of making their Universal Credit claim. However, postcode information for advances requested in person or by telephone is not available as only advances which are paid are recorded. For these awarded advances the postcode information is available. For advances requested online, this information is recorded but is not yet available as the Department is currently quality assuring the data.