Recommendation 114

Universal Credit is paid once a month, usually into a claimant’s bank, building society or credit union account. After applying for Universal Credit, it usually takes around five weeks for a new claimant to get their first payment. Universal Credit is paid monthly and in arrears. This is a deliberate design choice intended to ‘mimic the world of work by paying people monthly, in arrears.’289 The wait before the first payment is made up of a one-month assessment period and up to seven days for the payment to reach the claimant’s account.290