Universal Credit move to go ahead

THE GOVERNMENT looks set to press ahead with the controversial introduction of its flagship welfare reform despite growing concerns about vulnerable claimants being left without money for as long as six weeks while applications are processed.

The former head of the Government’s Troubled Families team, Dame Louise Casey, has said the extension of Universal Credit should be put on hold because of the delayed payments issue, while 12 Conservative MPs have written to Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke urging him to pause the move.

Mr Gauke, who has been reviewing the implementation of Universal Credit with Prime Minister Theresa May, is expected to announce some tweaks to the system in his keynote speech to the Conservative conference in Manchester today, but is thought unlikely to unveil fundamental reforms to the benefit

Speaking to a meeting hosted by the Huffington Post on the fringe of the conference, he stressed the importance of ensuring that claimants were aware of the cash advances which are available upfront for those who fear they will find it difficult to make ends meet while their applications are processed.

Already, more than 50 per cent of claimants were receiving advances, he said.

“We need to make sure that people are properly aware of advances,” he said. “We don’t want people saying, ‘I can’t get access to any money, what am I going to do?’.”