Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) universal credit were processed within five days during the most recent 12 months for which data is available.

The information requested is shown in the table below:

This information is not collected in relation to Universal Credit. The assessment period and payment structure of Universal Credit is fundamentally different to the legacy benefits it is replacing. The first payment is made 5 weeks after the initial application (6 weeks if waiting days are served). This mirrors the world of work and allows for a 1 month assessment period in which to gather information about a claimant’s earnings.