Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential relationship between the rollout of Universal Credit and increasing trends in the level of crime.

No such assessment has been made.

Universal Credit is a modern benefit which mirrors the world of work, with monthly payments that can adjust to the amount claimants receive as people earn more or indeed less, and there are safeguards in place to help those who are unable to handle their own rent including direct payments to landlords.

Universal Credit provides a strong financial safety net: it is more generous overall than the old system and makes it easier for people to claim support they are entitled to.