Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 93
93
We pay tribute to the DWP employees during this very difficult time in managing and...
Conclusion
We pay tribute to the DWP employees during this very difficult time in managing and handling the huge increase of people accessing welfare because of the covid-19 pandemic. The digital by default system has withstood the pressure placed on it during the pandemic, although, the DWP should look to offer other options of support for those who require it—especially with expected job losses set to increase as the year progresses and the anticipated conclusion of the furlough scheme at the end of September 2021—which will likely bring further demands on Universal Credit through natural migration (and managed migration if and when that process starts) of individuals still in receipt of legacy benefits.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Department considers the existing resource to be sufficient. There is already assistance available to help claimants to make and maintain their Universal Credit claim using the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. Throughout the pandemic, Jobcentres have remained open for anyone who needed face- to-face support and could not be helped in any other way. Jobcentres in Scotland resumed full face to face services, returning to normal opening hours from 9am to 5pm, on 26 April 2021. All Jobcentre Plus offices have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet. Work Coaches will continue to support those who need it to maintain their Universal Credit claim. To support DWP’s ongoing commitment in helping claimants, it has recruited an additional 1,152 Work Coaches in its Jobcentres in Scotland. DWP agreed to fund Citizens Advice Scotland to deliver Help to Claim for another year (up to 31 March 2022) to provide support to people to make a new claim to Universal Credit. If Citizens Advice Scotland Advisers identify that a Help to Claim client cannot make their Universal Credit claim on-line, then they will support the claimant to make a claim by phone. Through Help to Claim, DWP has also funded Citizens Advice Scotland to provide Public Access Terminals to enable people who don’t have access to a device to go on-line to claim Universal Credit.