AQW 44625/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 23/04/2026
Answered On Date: 08/05/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any consideration his Department has given to the administrative burden placed on claimants with disabilities when required to repeatedly re-engage with Universal Credit processes.

Answer:

The Universal Credit service is tailored to the individual needs of claimants, with ongoing engagement necessary to ensure claimants continue to receive their full entitlement.

Universal Credit provides claimants with 24/7 access to manage their online account. This provides the opportunity to report changes to their circumstances when they happen, seek additional support, and engage with their case manager and work coach, if applicable, via their journal.

Should any claimant, including those with disabilities, require additional support to manage their claim, this will be considered based on the needs of the individual. Those claimants who cannot access services online, can make and maintain a non-digital application via telephone.