Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support benefit claimants in managing their money on a (a) monthly and (b) fortnightly basis.

Jobcentres often provide budgeting support and can also signpost people to locally available support services. Within Universal Credit, the Personal Budgeting Support process provides a conversation with all claimants at their initial Interview to gauge their potential support needs – this could include money advice with a mix of online, telephone and face to face support. Alternative Payment Arrangements can be made for the minority of claimants that may struggle to manage monthly payments initially.