Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 37
37
The Universal Credit application process requires claimants to provide a great deal of information about...
Conclusion
The Universal Credit application process requires claimants to provide a great deal of information about their circumstances, to enable the Department to assess their claim. When they have done this, Universal Credit claimants rightly expect that they should be paid the full amount they are entitled to, on time. For too many people, however, this simply does not happen. There is a penalty for claimants who do not provide the necessary documents in time: their Universal Credit is paid late. But there is no equivalent penalty for the Department when it fails to keep its side of the bargain. Where a claimant provides all the information DWP has asked for on time, but DWP has not completed its own processes to verify the claim details and make a timely payment, the claimant should receive the full amount of benefit entitlement for which they are claiming. If the Department subsequently decides that a claimant is entitled to less than they have been receiving, claimants should not be expected to pay anything back to DWP except in clear cases of deliberate fraud. Similarly, where a claimant is expected to complete a Work Capability Assessment to assess how much money they are entitled to, the onus should be on the Department to schedule the assessment and make a decision within the usual initial waiting period for the benefit. If there are delays to the WCA process, through no fault of the claimant, claimants should be paid at the highest rate until their claim has been determined. (Paragraph 159) Tax credit debts
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
Payment timeliness in UC in ‘normal’ times is already well above the levels in legacy benefits. Where there are opportunities to improve timeliness further, without damaging efforts on verification, we will take them, but ultimately we must continue to take a holistic approach which ensures we balance objectives appropriately. For example, there is a need to balance pursuing higher rates of payment timeliness with other Departmental objectives such as supporting people back into work, and reducing fraud and error. There will continue to be reasons why payment timeliness will never be 100%, including the provision of necessary information by claimants required to complete and substantiate a claim. The policy is that the WCA process should be completed in a timescale such that any ensuing award of an additional amount of benefit can be applied when it is due. That is once the relevant period ends and from the start of the subsequent assessment period. The relevant period is three months from the start of the health related claim. The only additional amount of benefit that may be awarded in health-related claims is the amount for claimants who have been determined, following the outcome of a WCA, to have limited capability for work and work related activity. However, it is not the case that a WCA outcome will necessarily result in a determination of having Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity (LCWRA). Delays in making a decision are often a consequence of the claimant’s non-cooperation within the process. Surges in demand for WCAs – the incidence of health and disability conditions, and their geographical location - are by no means uniform and may present The Centre for Health and Disability Assessments with short-term capacity issues in particular assessment centres. However, should there be a delay for any reason, any award of the additional amount for having LCWRA is backdated to the date from which it should have been paid. It must also be borne in mind that the claimant is not without money whilst waiting for a decision following their WCA; like all UC claimants, the standard allowance, plus, where appropriate, additional amounts for, for example, children and housing costs, are paid from the beginning of a claim.