Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that universal credit claimants are aware of how assessment periods are calculated prior to application.

The amount of Universal Credit paid to claimants reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period.

Monthly assessment periods align to the way the majority of employees are paid and how utility companies and other service providers collect payments. This allows Universal Credit to be adjusted each month, which means that if a claimant’s income falls they will not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit.

The Department publishes a guide for claimants which tells them how Universal Credit works, including assessment periods.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/807855/uc-and-you-v16.pdf

The Department also publishes more specific guidance for claimants about how different earning patterns affect Universal Credit.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles

We continually review Universal Credit using feedback from claimants and stakeholders to inform further improvements to the service.