Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will place copies of Departmental documents which assess the impact of fortnightly payments of universal credit on claimants in Northern Ireland in the Library.

Social security matters are the responsibility of the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.

A number of Universal Credit flexibilities, including twice monthly payments, were agreed as part of the Fresh Start Agreement to allow the Department for Communities to deliver Universal Credit differently from the way it is delivered in GB, and responsibility for evaluating the effectiveness of those flexibilities rests with them.

The Department for Communities plan to complete a composite evaluation of Welfare Reform in Northern Ireland. Once complete this will be placed in the House of Commons Library.