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Select Committee · Work and Pensions Committee

Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment

Status: Closed Opened: 9 Mar 2020 Closed: 2 Feb 2022 40 recommendations 15 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry looked at the five week wait that faces new Universal Credit claimants before receiving their first benefits payment. It examined the options that the Department for Work and Pensions could consider for reducing or ending the wait and explore other possible solutions. Read the call for evidence to find out more about the … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment HC 204 19 Oct 2020 55 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
32 Recommendation Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai… Accepted in Part

DWP must immediately make improvements to the Universal Credit system to formalise how it identifies...

DWP must immediately make improvements to the Universal Credit system to formalise how it identifies and defines vulnerable claimants, as part of its overall approach to safeguarding vulnerable people. This will be a substantial piece of work, and DWP should set out when it expects to achieve this. The new … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it is working on collecting sensitive information to provide tailored support and monitor improvements for specific claimant cohorts, and that vulnerable accounts can already be flagged. However, it does not commit to a formalised system or timeline for defining and identifying vulnerable …
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Department for Work and Pensions
35 Recommendation Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai… Accepted in Part

We welcome the announcement of funding for the recruitment of over 13,500 new Work Coaches—double...

We welcome the announcement of funding for the recruitment of over 13,500 new Work Coaches—double the current number—over the next financial year. This is an ambitious programme of recruitment. The Committee would welcome a written update from the Department, by the end of the calendar year, on how the recruitment … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government provides an update on Work Coach recruitment and details plans to maximise estates capacity, including using local authority space. However, they reject the request for monthly updates, stating they will provide 'relevant updates to Parliament' instead.
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Department for Work and Pensions
46 Recommendation Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai… Accepted in Part

We recommend that the Department publishes the guidance given to Work Coaches when they advise...

We recommend that the Department publishes the guidance given to Work Coaches when they advise people on APAs, to improve transparency in the process. The Department should make clear when and how a claimant is made aware of APAs both during their Universal Credit application and once they start receiving … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it has published guidance on APAs and routinely publishes data, but rejects expanding current reporting on unsuccessful applications. It acknowledges providing tailored support for split payments where appropriate but does not agree a broader review is needed.
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Department for Work and Pensions
48 Conclusion Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai… Accepted in Part

While Scottish Government data shows a quarter of people revert from More Frequent Payments under...

While Scottish Government data shows a quarter of people revert from More Frequent Payments under Scottish Choices, DWP’s research does not provide a detailed understanding of how the Department monitors how more frequent payments work for people, and what it might to do improve the policy. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government commits to adding the recommendation to publish figures on claimants reverting from twice-monthly payments to its development programme. It also points to existing data on Alternative Payment Arrangements and data published by the Scottish Government.
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Department for Work and Pensions
49 Recommendation Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai… Accepted in Part

We recommend that the DWP improve the quality and detail of its published data on...

We recommend that the DWP improve the quality and detail of its published data on alternative payments, by publishing its figures on how many people revert to monthly payments from the twice monthly payment option in England and Wales. DWP should give detail to these figures by publishing analysis on … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government will add the recommendation to publish figures on how many people revert to monthly payments to its programme for development, and notes the Scottish Government already publishes management information on Scottish Choices.
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Department for Work and Pensions

Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions
Date Witnesses
2 Sep 2020 Gareth Davies · Department for Transport, Jonathan Davidson · Financial Conduct Authority, Joshua Reddaway · National Audit Office, Nisha Arora · Financial Conduct Authority View ↗
15 Jul 2020 Neil Couling · Department for Work and Pensions, Will Quince MP · Department for Education View ↗
1 Jul 2020 Gareth Morgan · Ferret Information Systems, Phil Booth · medConfidential, Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP · Department for Work and Pensions, Stephen Brien · Department for Work and Pensions, The Baroness Stroud · Department for Work and Pensions, Tom Loosemore · Public Digital View ↗
24 Jun 2020 Adam Smith · Kent County Council, Hugh Owen · Riverside Housing Group, Jacqueline Hickmore · Cornwall Housing, Jeremy Hewer · Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Laura Courtney · Community Housing Cymru, Muhammed Butt · London Councils, Noel Duke · Harrogate Borough Council, Sheila McKandie · Highland Council, Sue Ramsden · National Housing Federation View ↗
17 Jun 2020 Anvar Sarygulov · Bright Blue, Ben Fell · Policy in Practice, Dr Mandy Cheetham · Teesside University, Dr Sophie Wickham · Department of Public Health, Policy & Systems, University of Liverpool, Mike Brewer · Resolution Foundation, Nicholas Timmins · Institute for Government, Patrick Spencer · Centre for Social Justice View ↗
10 Jun 2020 Emma Revie · Trussell Trust, Gemma Hope · Leonard Cheshire, Iain Porter · Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Jennifer Harrison · Changing Lives, Mark Gale · Young Women's Trust, Minesh Patel · Mind, Peter Tutton · StepChange, Tom Lee · Child Poverty Action Group View ↗

Who gave evidence

36 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Adam Smith · Benefits Coordinator Kent County Council 1
Anvar Sarygulov · Senior Research Fellow Bright Blue 1
Ben Fell · Head of Analysis Policy in Practice 1
Dr Mandy Cheetham · Postdoctoral research associate Teesside University 1
Dr Sophie Wickham · Wellcome Trust Research Fellow Department of Public Health, Policy & Systems, University of Liverpool 1
Emma Revie · Chief Executive Trussell Trust 1
Gareth Davies · Second Permanent Secretary Department for Transport 1
Gareth Morgan · CEO Ferret Information Systems 1
Gemma Hope · Director of Policy Leonard Cheshire 1
Hugh Owen · Director of Strategy and Public Affairs Riverside Housing Group 1
Iain Porter · Senior Policy Adviser Joseph Rowntree Foundation 1
Jacqueline Hickmore · Inclusion Advisor Team Leader Cornwall Housing 1
Jennifer Harrison · Head of Policy and Public Affairs Changing Lives 1
Jeremy Hewer · Policy Lead Scottish Federation of Housing Associations 1
Jonathan Davidson · Executive Director of Supervision – Retail and Au… Financial Conduct Authority 1
Joshua Reddaway · Director National Audit Office 1
Laura Courtney · Policy and External Affairs Manager Community Housing Cymru 1
Mark Gale · Policy and Campaigns Manager Young Women's Trust 1
Mike Brewer · Deputy Chief Executive Resolution Foundation 1
Minesh Patel · Associate Director of Policy and Influencing Mind 1
Muhammed Butt · Executive Member for Welfare, Inclusion and Empow… London Councils 1
Neil Couling · Director General Change and Resilience, and Unive… Department for Work and Pensions 1
Nicholas Timmins · Senior Fellow Institute for Government 1
Nisha Arora · Director of Consumer and Retail Policy Financial Conduct Authority 1
Noel Duke · Neighbourhood Services Manager Harrogate Borough Council 1
Patrick Spencer · Head of Work and Welfare Centre for Social Justice 1
Peter Tutton · Head of Policy, Research and Public Affairs StepChange 1
Phil Booth · Coordinator medConfidential 1
Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP · Former Secretary of State Department for Work and Pensions 1
Sheila McKandie · Interim Head of Revenues and Customer Services Highland Council 1
Stephen Brien · former Expert Adviser Department for Work and Pensions 1
Sue Ramsden · Policy Leader National Housing Federation 1
The Baroness Stroud · former Special Adviser to the Secretary of State … Department for Work and Pensions 1
Tom Lee · Senior Policy Analyst Child Poverty Action Group 1
Tom Loosemore · Partner Public Digital 1
Will Quince MP · Minister for Children and Families Department for Education 1

Correspondence

7 letters
DateDirectionTitle
16 Jul 2021 — Correspondence with Minister for Welfare Delivery - joint meeting with House of…
24 Sep 2020 — Correspondence from NAO about net recovery rate of fraud and error on Universal…
11 Sep 2020 — Correspondence with Minister for Welfare Delivery on Universal Credit: the wait…
11 Sep 2020 — Correspondence with Financial Secretary to the Treasury on the impact of tax cr…
11 Sep 2020 — Correspondence with the National Audit Office (NAO) on analysis of rent arrears…
28 Aug 2020 — Correspondence with the Financial Conduct Authority about best practice in the …
27 Apr 2020 — Correspondence with the Minister for Welfare Delivery about first payments of U…