Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will extend the start-up period under universal credit for entertainers and other groups whose chosen profession has a large lead-in time before they have an established business.
The DWP recognises the need for claimants who wish to establish themselves as self-employed within their chosen vocation to be given time to establish themselves and develop their business. This is why we have put in place the start-up period, which is a one year period that enables new enterprises to develop and provides them with the financial room to grow.
Within this period claimants will receive their full entitlement to Universal Credit support.
The Department believes that setting the start-up period at one year strikes the right balance between enabling enterprise to grow whilst protecting the taxpayer from supporting unviable businesses.