Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy that people on benefits who undertake temporary work placements can have their benefits reinstated immediately and do not wait six weeks.

We aim to ensure all claimants receive their first benefit payment as quickly as possible and have no plans to change our policy.

Under Universal Credit (UC), claimants have a six month re-award period making it easier for them to take on temporary work placements and restart their UC award by simply reporting their change of circumstances and attending an interview. We are in the process of extending UC to more and more claimants with national roll-out beginning next month.