The five-week wait for Universal Credit payments is to be maintained despite almost half a million new people applying for the benefit since the coronavirus crisis began.Theresa Coffey, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said the Government would not ditch the delayed payment despite calls from the opposition and charities to scrap the wait.Coffey told MPs on the work and pensions select committee: “The underlying principles of Universal Credit would remain.
By that, I mean the design is meant to be based on your general income, we need a month to assess what your monthly income is likely to be.“But, as I keep reiterating, the advances can be made to people pretty quickly.