Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to replace the provision of upfront childcare costs with Universal Credit with advance payments.

There are currently no plans to change the way upfront childcare costs are paid. Claimants of the Universal Credit childcare element can claim upfront childcare costs through the Flexible Support Fund, to help ease them into the Universal Credit childcare costs payment cycle.

There is also help with upfront childcare costs for eligible Universal Credit customers through Budgeting Advances.