Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 31
31
Rejected
Department acknowledges claimant difficulty understanding transitional protection, developing guidance with stakeholders.
Conclusion
We asked the Department what it was doing to help vulnerable individuals understand the transitional protection arrangements. The Department told us that during its testing phase it had found that claimants struggled to understand how transitional protection worked – it was a simple concept but a complex policy to explain. It said that stakeholders had asked if it could produce a guide on complex cases and it had worked with them to do that. It was now trying to turn the guide into a publication that non-welfare advice experts could understand.64
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the implicit recommendation to improve vulnerable claimants' understanding of transitional protection, stating the Migration Notice is effective and claimants prefer it concise. It notes a technical guide for advisors exists and is considering what other general information might be provided.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
6.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 6.2 The Universal Credit Migration Notice has been rigorously tested by researchers and designers and has been proven to be effective in live running. 6.3 Feedback from claimants is that they want the Migration Notice to focus on what they need to do and not be used as a vehicle for conveying other messages. 6.4 The department has produced a detailed technical guide for Advisors and is currently considering what other information might be provided more generally.