Malton MP voices his concerns over Universal Credit

He said: “In Thirsk and Malton, some of my constituents get paid on four-weekly cycles.

“This, of course, means that they can get paid twice in the same month and therefore can appear to be earning more than they actually do.”

Following an earlier letter to the Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd, Mr Hollinrake sought confirmation that steps are being taken to ensure that people receive the right level of support at the right time.

In response Mrs Rudd said: “We do need to ensure that Universal Credit delivers on what it intends to do, which is to give real time financial support based on an actual month’s assessment.

“We have recently updated the guidance for Universal Credit so that work coaches can adjust to ensure that where the situation he describes occurs, appropriate adjustments are made.”

This reassurance comes off the back of the Secretary of State’s announcement that the next stage of the rollout has been postponed along with a parliamentary vote on the issue.

MPs were to vote on whether to move three million benefit claimants onto Universal Credit in the next few weeks.

This vote has now been delayed and Parliament will instead be asked to vote on transferring just 10,000 people to the new benefits system.

This will give the Secretary of State an opportunity to pilot the scheme first.