Select Committee · Work and Pensions Committee

DWP's response to the coronavirus outbreak

Status: Closed Opened: 5 Mar 2020 Closed: 2 Feb 2022 3 recommendations 1 conclusion 2 reports

This inquiry looked at how coronavirus is affecting people who rely on the benefits system. It examined the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) response to the Covid-19 pandemic and whether the Universal Credit system meets the needs of those claiming benefits during this time. It focused on: The experiences of people claiming benefits for …

Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth Report: The temporary increase in Universal Credit a… HC 1193 9 Feb 2021 4
First Report: DWP's response to the coronavirus outbreak HC 178 22 Jun 2020 0 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
1 Recommendation Fourth Report: The temporary increase i…

When the Chancellor announced the temporary increase in March 2020, few of us imagined that...

When the Chancellor announced the temporary increase in March 2020, few of us imagined that we would still be in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic nearly a year later. Since March, the number of people claiming Universal Credit has risen from 3 million to around 6 million. The numbers …

Department for Work and Pensions
3 Recommendation Fourth Report: The temporary increase i…

We were encouraged to hear from the Secretary of State that one-off payments are not...

We were encouraged to hear from the Secretary of State that one-off payments are not DWP’s preferred approach, but they nevertheless seem to be an option that the Government is actively considering. We urge the Government to abandon any plans for a one-off payment to claimants of Universal Credit and …

Department for Work and Pensions
4 Recommendation Fourth Report: The temporary increase i…

We stand by our recommendation—made in October 2020—that the increase in Universal Credit should be...

We stand by our recommendation—made in October 2020—that the increase in Universal Credit should be maintained, with annual inflation-based increases. But we recognise that, in the short term, the Chancellor faces some very difficult decisions about the public finances amid a great deal of uncertainty about the future. We have …

Department for Work and Pensions

Oral evidence sessions

12 sessions
Date Witnesses
16 Sep 2021 Mims Davies MP · Department for Work and Pensions, Neil Couling · Department for Work and Pensions, Will Quince · Department for Work & Pensions View ↗
8 Sep 2021 Amina Nagawa, Anthony Lynam, Caroline Rice, Gemma Widdowfield, Vikki Waterman View ↗
3 Feb 2021 Peter Schofield · Department for Work and Pensions, Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs View ↗
2 Feb 2021 Iain Porter · Joseph Rowntree Foundation, James Heywood · Centre for Policy Studies, Laura Peters · Rethink Mental Illness, Minesh Patel · Mind, Peter Tutton · StepChange, Professor Donald Hirsch · Loughborough University View ↗
16 Dec 2020 Elizabeth Taylor · Employment Related Services Association, Martin McTague · Federation of Small Businesses, Mat Ainsworth · Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Mat Ilic · Catch22, Professor Dan Finn · University of Portsmouth, Stephen Evans · Learning and Work Institute, Tony Wilson · Institute for Employment Studies View ↗
9 Dec 2020 Anne Longfield OBE · Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, Ben Levinson · Kensington Primary School, Dr Kathryn Hobbs · David Nieper Academy, Joanne Ormond · Maryport Church of England Primary School, Matt Dunkley CBE · Kent County Council, Nancy Meehan · Torbay Council, Paul Marshall · Manchester City Council View ↗
18 Nov 2020 Andrew Forsey · Feeding Britain, Baroness Philippa Stroud · Legatum Institute, Jason Strelitz · Newham Council, Mr Gary Vaux · Hertfordshire County Council, Paul Johnson · Institute for Fiscal Studies, Sam Carter · StepChange, Stella West-Harling · Dartmoor Community Kitchen Hub, Torsten Bell · Resolution Foundation, Zoe Charlesworth · Policy in Practice View ↗
30 Sep 2020 John Paul Marks · Department for Work and Pensions, Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey · Department for Work and Pensions View ↗
20 May 2020 Chris Luck · Shaw Trust, Jonathan Townsend · The Prince's Trust, Kate Bell · Trade Union Congress, Mat Ainsworth · Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Matthew Percival · Confederation of British Industry, Rebecca Keating · Salvation Army, Sam Windett · Impetus, Tony Wilson · Institute for Employment Studies View ↗
6 May 2020 Anna Stevenson · Turn2us, Azmina Siddique · The Children's Society, Dan Norris · Child Poverty Action Group, Emma Revie · Trussell Trust, Eve Byrne · Macmillan, Geoff Fimister · Inclusion Barnet, Jessie Seal · NACCOM, Minesh Patel · Mind, Stephanie Kleynhans · Shelter View ↗
23 Apr 2020 John Paul Marks · Department for Work and Pensions, Justin Tomlinson · Department for Work and Pensions, Mims Davies MP · Department for Work and Pensions, Neil Couling · Department for Work and Pensions, Will Quince MP · Department for Education View ↗
25 Mar 2020 Peter Schofield · Department for Work and Pensions, Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey · Department for Work and Pensions View ↗

Correspondence

12 letters
DateDirectionTitle
24 Nov 2021 Correspondence on forecasting income poverty with the Joseph Rowntree Foundatio…
16 Jul 2021 To cttee Letter from Minister for Welfare Delivery (Covid Local Support Grant – Extendin…
16 Dec 2020 Correspondence with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the bene…
13 Oct 2020 Correspondence with Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Government'…
4 Aug 2020 Correspondence from The Pensions Regulator on the committee's report into the C…
17 Jun 2020 Correspondence from Minsters at DWP about DWP's response to coronavirus, 15 May…
17 Jun 2020 Correspondence with Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about DWP's busine…
24 Apr 2020 To cttee Letter from Permanent Secretary to Chair
24 Apr 2020 Coronavirus survey response
8 Apr 2020 To cttee Letter from Peter Schofield, Permanent Secretary at DWP, about its response to …
26 Mar 2020 Correspondence with the Secretary of State about the DWP’s response to coronavi…
26 Mar 2020 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State about the DWP’s policy on benefits sanctions…