Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2022 to Question 62963 on Childcare: Tax Allowances, what plans she has to (a) monitor and (b) implement a service standard for waiting time for reimbursement of childcare costs.

Where childcare is used and paid for during a Universal Credit assessment period, the cost will be reimbursed at the end of the assessment period in which it is used.

As the exact waiting time for reimbursement depends on when the claimant reports those costs to DWP, a standard wait time is not appropriate, as the reporting varies.

UC Claimants who need help with upfront childcare costs to enter employment or significantly increase their working hours can apply for help from the Flexible Support Fund (FSF). This is non-repayable and will pay their initial childcare costs directly to the provider up to the first salary received.