Recommendations & Conclusions
8 items
8
Conclusion
Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai…
Acknowledged
People who are moving to Universal Credit through managed migration are doing so because of a decision by the Government. Nothing in their own circumstances has changed. Under the Government’s plans, however, they would have to wait at least five weeks for their first payment of Universal Credit. We see …
Read more
People who are moving to Universal Credit through managed migration are doing so because of a decision by the Government. Nothing in their own circumstances has changed. Under the Government’s plans, however, they would have to wait at least five weeks for their first payment of Universal Credit. We see no reason why their transition to a new benefits system should not be seamless.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the concern for a seamless transition but states that no one has to wait five weeks for money due to advances and run-ons. It maintains that suitable provision is in place and implicitly rejects the premise that their transition is not seamless.
Read full response →
Department for Work and Pensions
17
Conclusion
Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai…
Acknowledged
Advance payments can provide a valuable lifeline to people who might otherwise face going five weeks—or longer—without any income. The changes that DWP has introduced so far, especially allowing people to request Advances equivalent to their entire expected award and extending the repayment period, are welcome. However, there is clear …
Read more
Advance payments can provide a valuable lifeline to people who might otherwise face going five weeks—or longer—without any income. The changes that DWP has introduced so far, especially allowing people to request Advances equivalent to their entire expected award and extending the repayment period, are welcome. However, there is clear evidence that Advance repayment deductions still leave some people without enough to live on. This leaves claimants facing a difficult choice: five weeks with no income, or the risk of debt and hardship later.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government reiterates its view that advances are not loans and describes existing measures like limiting advance amounts, encouraging claimant consideration, Work Coach budgeting support, and the ability to defer repayments for up to three months. It is also considering automatic referral for budgeting support.
Read full response →
Department for Work and Pensions
29
Conclusion
Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai…
Acknowledged
Help to Claim is a hugely valuable service for people who are applying for Universal Credit. But its focus is on helping people to complete their initial claim. It does not provide support for people throughout their claim, to help them to manage debt, personal budgeting, and maintaining their claim …
Read more
Help to Claim is a hugely valuable service for people who are applying for Universal Credit. But its focus is on helping people to complete their initial claim. It does not provide support for people throughout their claim, to help them to manage debt, personal budgeting, and maintaining their claim through their online journal. In that respect, Help to Claim is still a long way from providing the support originally envisaged as integral to the successful rollout of Universal Credit. We cannot agree with the assertion made by Neil Couling, Senior Responsible Owner for Universal Credit, that the Department is currently providing a “de facto Universal Support”.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's observation about Help to Claim's focus, but defends the service's current scope and positive reception. It states that Help to Claim signposts users to other support services for debt advice, budgeting, and digital skills.
Read full response →
Department for Work and Pensions
31
Conclusion
Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai…
Acknowledged
DWP currently lacks a comprehensive system for recording and tracking claimants’ needs. The introduction of pinned notes is a step in the right direction but, as the National Audit Office said, pinned notes are the digital equivalent of a post-it note on a file: they do not enable staff to …
Read more
DWP currently lacks a comprehensive system for recording and tracking claimants’ needs. The introduction of pinned notes is a step in the right direction but, as the National Audit Office said, pinned notes are the digital equivalent of a post-it note on a file: they do not enable staff to collect consistent data on who needs additional support. We welcome the Minister’s ambition to improve the way the Department identifies people who may need additional support, and his recognition that more needs to be done. We would welcome timely action to address that recognition.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need for better tracking of claimants' needs and states that work is underway to collect sensitive information to provide more tailored support. It also notes that staff can already use pinned notes to flag ongoing easements.
Read full response →
Department for Work and Pensions
33
Recommendation
Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai…
Acknowledged
Support organisations have expressed concern that DWP’s approach to data sharing and consent has had a detrimental effect on their ability to support vulnerable claimants. The Department now says it is exploring options for improving its model Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment 83 of explicit consent. We …
Read more
Support organisations have expressed concern that DWP’s approach to data sharing and consent has had a detrimental effect on their ability to support vulnerable claimants. The Department now says it is exploring options for improving its model Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment 83 of explicit consent. We urge the Department to publish more detail about how this exploration is being progressed, including when the Department expects progress to be visible to observers and experienced by claimants. We echo the Social Security Advisory Committee’s recommendation that DWP should consider applying the implicit consent model to Universal Credit, or at least consider what improvements it can make to the model of explicit consent. More broadly, DWP should review its approach to how it works with people and organisations that support claimants, including support workers, housing associations and local authorities. (Paragraph 145) Payment timeliness
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government defends its explicit consent policy for data sharing, stating it is exploring options with SSAC and stakeholders to improve the process but does not commit to publishing details of progress or considering an implicit consent model.
Read full response →
Department for Work and Pensions
38
Conclusion
Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai…
Acknowledged
Repayments of tax credit overpayments can compound hardship for people who may already be struggling. The evidence that some people are left unaware of these debts, which can be several years old, until they make a claim for Universal Credit, is particularly concerning. Despite HMRC’s assurances that people are routinely …
Read more
Repayments of tax credit overpayments can compound hardship for people who may already be struggling. The evidence that some people are left unaware of these debts, which can be several years old, until they make a claim for Universal Credit, is particularly concerning. Despite HMRC’s assurances that people are routinely informed of overpayments, the evidence we have heard suggests that there are gaps in how this is being communicated.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the impact of debt and explains existing support from Work Coaches and the Money and Pensions Service for claimants. They state an obligation to recover public funds but will continue to encourage HMRC to reduce historic tax credit debt.
Read full response →
Department for Work and Pensions
50
Recommendation
Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai…
Acknowledged
Faster Payments offer the Department a quick and efficient way to pay claimants. They could, if more widely used, reduce the time that people have to wait for a first payment. The Department already has plans to increase its use of Faster Payments. That will have costs and will require …
Read more
Faster Payments offer the Department a quick and efficient way to pay claimants. They could, if more widely used, reduce the time that people have to wait for a first payment. The Department already has plans to increase its use of Faster Payments. That will have costs and will require work across multiple bodies, including the Treasury and the banks. We recommend that the Department maintain its target to increase its proportion of Payments permitted by banks, to shorten the fifth week of the Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment 87 Universal Credit process. We urge the Department to set out in more detail its proposed strategy for rolling out Faster Payments, including its expected timings and its plans for engagement with the banking sector, in response to this report. (Paragraph 208) Improving the assessment system
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the recommendation by stating it is already examining how to modernise payment services through its 'Future Payments' programme, targeted for completion by 2022/23. However, it does not provide the detailed strategy, timings, or engagement plans requested.
Read full response →
Department for Work and Pensions
54
Conclusion
Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai…
Acknowledged
The coronavirus pandemic has put the Universal Credit system under unprecedented strain. It has also highlighted the strengths of its digital, automated processes: a manual system could not have coped with millions of new claims in such a short time. But that strength can also be a weakness. An automated …
Read more
The coronavirus pandemic has put the Universal Credit system under unprecedented strain. It has also highlighted the strengths of its digital, automated processes: a manual system could not have coped with millions of new claims in such a short time. But that strength can also be a weakness. An automated process cannot be tailored to the specific circumstances of individuals, whose needs may be complex. In making recommendations in this report, we have aimed to balance the need for Universal Credit to be more flexible to meet the varying needs of new claimants while maintaining, as far as possible, the benefits that automation brings.
Show less
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's recognition of Universal Credit's strong performance during the pandemic, highlighting its agile adaptation to support increased claims and maintained high payment timeliness.
Read full response →
Department for Work and Pensions