Oral QuestionDepartment for Work and Pensions

“If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.”

Tabled: 5 November 2024Answered: 11 November 2024

Asked by

Ben Goldsborough

Labour — South Norfolk

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Answer from Hansard

The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. If a person is paid four-weekly, they receive 13 payments a year, so in one of the 12 monthly assessment periods each year, they are paid twice. That means that they probably get no universal credit that month, which completely messes up budgeting. I would be delighted to meet USDAW, and perhaps my hon. Friend, to discuss what we can do through our review of universal credit.