Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted
Paragraph: 43
DWP, entirely reasonably, wants to reduce the amount that it loses to fraud via childcare...
Conclusion
DWP, entirely reasonably, wants to reduce the amount that it loses to fraud via childcare payments in UC. However, we have heard that in doing so, by making payments in arrears, it has created an insurmountable barrier to work for some households. DWP’s recent efforts to encourage Work Coaches to make greater use of the Flexible Support Fund to address this problem do not seem to be having the desired effect.
Government response summary AI-generated
The Department will be making a change to the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 to exempt any FSF payment made to childcare providers from the UC childcare cost calculation, which will allow UC claimants to receive a FSF payment in the usual way. Claimants will then submit evidence of that payment (paid by DWP) to claim back that same set of childcare costs within that same assessment period where the childcare has been delivered.
Paragraph Reference:
43
Government Response
The government responded to this report on 31 March 2023. No passage in that response could be matched to this conclusion. Read the response document ↗