Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to financially support universal credit claimants during the five-week waiting period for their first payment.

Nobody has to wait five weeks for a payment under Universal Credit. New Claims Advances of up to 100% of potential entitlement can be requested at any point in the first assessment period. Advances are a mechanism to provide support during the first assessment period, allowing claimants to receive 13 payments over 12 months with up to 12 months to repay the advance.