Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 55
55
The five week wait for a first payment of Universal Credit is an inevitable consequence...
Conclusion
The five week wait for a first payment of Universal Credit is an inevitable consequence of the fixed monthly assessment period. It is very difficult to remove the wait for 88 Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment all claimants without a complete dismantling of the UC system. But there is much more that the Government could and should do to mitigate its effects. The measures we have proposed would, taken together, provide vital support for those claimants who need it most. (Paragraph 234) Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment 89
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
No one has to wait five weeks for a payment. Advances – which allow thirteen UC payments to be spread over twelve months - are available for those claimants who require funds urgently, with most people receiving funds within 72 hours of requesting one. We have paid out over a million new claim advances since mid-March and this has been a crucial pillar of the Government’s response, ensuring financial supports gets to those who need it.