Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the timeframe for each category of recipients of (a) legacy benefits and (b) tax credits that will be migrated to universal credit.

Universal Credit is now available in every Jobcentre across the country, with a caseload of 2.7 million claimants, growing every month. This means more claimants than ever accessing the additional support and flexibilities it offers.

Currently, most people move to Universal Credit because they have had a significant change in their circumstances which would previously have led them to make a new claim to a legacy benefit. Claimant circumstances within the legacy benefit system are diverse and interact with a range of benefits in different ways. Eligibility for Universal Credit is dependent on individuals’ circumstances, the specific nature of the change and rules for access to legacy benefits.

The Move to Universal Credit pilot commenced, as scheduled, in the area served by Harrogate Jobcentre in July 2019.

The Department has already committed to updating Parliament and stakeholders on progress. We expect to provide our first update in the Spring. We will also set out an evaluation strategy, developed in consultation with stakeholders, before coming to Parliament in the Autumn with the findings and our proposals for the next phase of the delivery of Universal Credit.