Ministers have reportedly made plans to “slowly” move the first of 1.7million benefit claimants onto Universal Credit – and it may happen within weeks.
Charities and the government’s welfare watchdog are worried about plans to start such a “managed migration” of old-style benefits recipients.
The Mirror reports that ministers plan to move the plan forward this spring after putting it on hold due to Covid.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will possibly start with a number of Tax Credit claimants – up to a cap of 10,000 households.
Then the cap may be removed and the plan will move into disability and other benefit claimants until everyone is on Universal Credit in 2024.
However, the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) stated that the change may create “risk” for claimants who often have “complex lives”.
Chair Dr Stephen Brien warned there must be “independent oversight and scrutiny”.
Ministers claims that Universal Credit is often more generous than other benefits after a series of reforms.
Six week waits were cut to five and allowances for people in work were raised.
The amount given to debt repayments was also cut.
However, Anela Anwar, chief executive of anti-poverty charity Z2K, said lifting the 10,000 cap must get fresh approval in Parliament.
She added: “It ensures DWP avoids a repeat of the shambolic early stages of Universal Credit, when many people were left without anything to live on for weeks or sometimes even months on end.
“That resulted in MPs getting hundreds of complaints from desperate and angry constituents.”
Dr Stephen Brian – who was one of the thinkers behind UC – told ministers“I can provide assurance that we do not wish to unduly delay the process.
“We will not be undertaking a large-scale public consultation on this occasion but intend to seek the advice of a small number of experts, including those with significant experience or expertise of agile processes and their governance.”
But he added: “For the public to have confidence in this process and to minimise risk further consideration needs to be given to establishing appropriate independent oversight and scrutiny of the programme as it moves forward.”
Get all the biggest Lifestyle news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free Daily Star Hot Topics newsletter
A DWP spokesperson said: “Universal Credit is a modern dynamic benefit which supports people in and out of work.
“We have always been clear about our ambition to move people over from the legacy systems, which are complex, inefficient and based on ageing, inflexible IT.
“The Department will continue its regular engagement with the committee and our ambition remains to see the rollout of Universal Credit delivered safely and on time by 2024.”
Benefit’s director general Neil Couling suggested the transfer would be a “slow, slow, slow experience.”
Source: Read Full Article
