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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

Clear

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

2 items
25 Recommendation Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai… Deferred

We welcome the announcement of the Breathing Space scheme, which is scheduled to be introduced...

We welcome the announcement of the Breathing Space scheme, which is scheduled to be introduced next year, and the Government’s confirmation that Advances in Universal Credit will be covered by the scheme. We find it disappointing, however, that debts in Universal Credit will be “phased in” over time rather than … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government commits to implementing the Breathing Space scheme for benefit overpayments and legacy benefit advances from May 2021. However, UC Advances and Third Party Deductions in UC will only be included once the full implementation of UC is complete due to system complexities.
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Department for Work and Pensions
36 Recommendation Third Report: Universal Credit: the wai… Deferred

We acknowledge that most disabled people and people with health conditions receive the core elements...

We acknowledge that most disabled people and people with health conditions receive the core elements of their claim on time. However, we find it troubling that, because of the time taken to complete the Work Capability Assessment process, people must wait much longer than five weeks to receive their full … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government defends the current WCA assessment period for thoroughness and fairness, not committing to speeding it up directly. However, they commit to collecting and publishing WCA data and will explore assessment reform options in a forthcoming Health and Disability Green Paper.
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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…