Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 54
54
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The coronavirus pandemic has put the Universal Credit system under unprecedented strain.
Conclusion
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.
Paragraph Reference:
233
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The Committee has repeatedly pointed out how well Universal Credit (UC) has performed across the pandemic. We have adapted our processes and practices in an agile way, enabling us to support an unprecedented increase in claimants whilst responding to the specific challenge of working in a world of social distancing. Payment timeliness has remained high at above 90% for the duration of the pandemic despite there now being 5.7m individual claims.