Ministers ignoring 'unacceptable hardship' suffered by Universal Credit claimants, MPs declare
3 min read
MPs on a powerful committee have accused the Government of ignoring the "unacceptable hardship" suffered by benefit claimants switching to the controversial Universal Credit system.
A new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the Department for Work and Pensions had adopted a "fortress mentality" against critics of the flagship benefits regime.
Chair Meg Hillier said the "apparent determination to turn a deaf ear to the concerns of claimants, frontline organisations and Parliament is of real concern".
It comes after the Government was once again forced to delay the next phase of the frequently troubled Universal Credit rollout.
Universal Credit rolls six benefits into one and is designed to ensure claimants always earn more from working than on welfare.
But Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has admitted some claimants will lose out when they switch from the old benefits regime to the new system - amid reports millions of households could be thousands of pounds worse off.
In June, the National Audit Office issued a serious warning that the new regime fails to deliver on its promises and will leave thousands of vulnerable claimants in hardship.
The PAC said it was “seriously concerned” that the DWP would not be able to transfer the remaining four million benefit claimants over to Universal Credit without causing further hardship.
But it argued the department had taken a "defensive approach" to the criticisms and must "learn to listen" in order to make a sucess of the new regime.
Labour MP Ms Hillier said: “This report provides further damning evidence of a culture of indifference at DWP – a department disturbingly adrift from the real-world problems of the people it is there to support.
“Its apparent determination to turn a deaf ear to the concerns of claimants, frontline organisations and Parliament is of real concern. The culture needs to change.”
The report added: "The Committee has regularly commented on the Department’s blinkered approach to risks and problems with Universal Credit’s implementation.
"We are disappointed that this culture of denial remains firmly in place. Local organisations have found the Department unresponsive to issues they have raised, and told us that the Department is not learning lessons and applying them to the programme."
The MPs added that some current claimants were being unfairly sanctioned due to DWP’s reliance on “overwhelmed” job coaches who were expected to create tailored plans for people with complex health challenges.
DELAY 'NO GUARANTEE' OF HELP
The controversial programme should have been fully operational in April last year but has been paused several times and is now set for completion by December 2023.
The PAC argued the latest delay offered "no guarantee that the problems facing claimants will be resolved and will address the hardship so many have experienced".
The report follows calls from dozens of Tory MPs for Chancellor Philip Hammond to provide an extra £2-3bn in funding for the scheme in his Budget next week.
Conservative MP Heidi Allen, who sits on the Commons work and pensions committee said the cash boost would ensure that groups of claimants would not be left “significantly out of pocket”.
'CULTURE OF DENIAL'
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Margaret Greenwood said: “This report reveals yet again the Government’s culture of denial about the failings of Universal Credit.
“It is shocking that the Conservatives are still refusing to accept the hardship it is causing and are determined to go ahead with the next phase of Universal Credit.
"The Government is choosing to ignore clear evidence that it is pushing people into debt and rent arrears and even forcing some to turn to food banks to survive.
“The Government must stop the roll out now. Labour will ensure that our social security system supports all of us in our time of need and genuinely lifts people out of poverty.”
The Department for Work and Pensions has been approached for comment.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
