Universal Credit: Telephone Services – Parliamentary Written Answer

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls have been made to the Universal Credit 03456000723 number to date; what the average duration is of such calls; what the average cost is of each call; and how much revenue in total has been generated by these calls.

Priti Patel: To date, 2.2million calls have been answered by Universal Credit agents. The average call duration is 07:29 minutes. This information includes calls to the 0345 number and to the 0845 number it replaced. Calls to 0345 numbers are charged to the customer at the same rate as a call to a standard local or national geographic number. The cost is dependent on the customer’s tariff and will be taken from inclusive bundled call minutes where applicable. Information about call charges are available at the following link https://www.gov.uk/call-charges. The Department generates no revenue from these calls and is unable to comment on revenue generated by other parties.

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provision there is for ICT training for recipients of universal credit.

Priti Patel: People without digital skills will be offered support to make and manage their Universal Credit (UC) claim online, to acquire and to improve their digital skills. This help will be provided by work coaches in Jobcentres and by Local Authorities and other partner organisations via the ‘Universal Support delivered locally’ programme.

Universal Credit - Parliamentary Written Answer

Stephen Timms:  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how long it takes for the average claimant to receive a first payment of universal credit from the time they became unemployed in those areas where universal credit has been introduced.

Priti Patel: Universal Credit entitlement is assessed and paid in arrears. Payment is made on a fixed date 7 days after the end of the monthly assessment period. Where a claimant’s earnings or income is insufficient to meet their living costs and in order to safeguard against financial hardship before the first UC payment, an advance payment of up to 50% of their UC award may be made. Personal Budgeting Support advice is also available to all claimants.

Universal Credit: Payments – Parliamentary Written Answer

Stephen Timms:  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the ability of employees paid weekly to meet their living costs in the period between becoming unemployed and receiving their first payment of universal credit.

Priti Patel: Where a claimant’s earnings or income is insufficient to meet their living costs and in order to safeguard against financial hardship before the first Universal Credit (UC) payment, an advance payment of up to 50% of their UC award may be made. Personal Budgeting Support advice is also available to all claimants.

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Stephen Timms:  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of savings to the public purse in each of the next five years arising from the implementation of the Universal Credit (Waiting Days)(Amendment) Regulations 2015.

Priti Patel: The principle behind the waiting days is that benefits are not designed to provide cover for brief spells of unemployment. We expect savings of around £150m per annum which will be used to fund measures to get people off benefit and into work and will particularly help those who are likely to be long­ term benefit recipients.