Universal Credit welfare reform to be tested in Harrogate

HARROGATE IS to pilot a new phase of the Government’s controversial Universal Credit (UC) welfare reforms, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has said.

Ms Rudd yesterday told MPs the North Yorkshire town was chosen for the major trial of “managed migration” as it has a diverse spread of claimants.

Managed migration sees a wider range of claimants on older benefits moved over to the UC system, not just people with changes to their circumstances, or those making new claims.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said that revised regulations concerning the pilot scheme would be brought before Parliament by July. Ms Rudd told the Commons Work and Pensions Committee: “There has been a lot of interest in what progress we are making with our managed migration pilot. And we have decided to go ahead and do that in Harrogate.

“And that is being set up for early piloting as soon as possible.

“We have chosen them because they have had Universal Credit for three years. They are an experienced job centre. And they are an area which have both urban and rural claimants. And we will be making sure we have the opportunity to test and move as many as possible in an effective way so that we can really learn and demonstrate the success of managed migration.”

Almost three million people are set to be transferred on to the flagship UC benefit scheme under managed migration.

Harrogate was chosen after “careful consideration” because of factors including the Jobcentre’s “significant experience” of UC, said the DWP.

And additional support will be put in place at Harrogate Jobcentre Plus, including bespoke support, such as home visits, for vulnerable claimants.

Ms Rudd previously confirmed that up to 10,000 claimants across the country who are on the old system would be moved to UC under a pilot scheme to start in July 2019 once regulations have been passed in Parliament. More than 1.6 million people currently claim UC but these are new benefits claimants or people who have had a change in circumstance. All new claimants in the United Kingdom now go straight on to Universal Credit. The pilot is ex-

pected to last at least a year, and those affected include claimants of Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Working Tax Credit

A DWP spokeswoman said: “In terms of numbers, we will initially select claimants for the pilot from those that currently attend the Harrogate Jobcentre Plus for meetings with their work coach.

“The work coaches will build on those existing relationships to personally agree a plan for switching over, then prepare claimants to move and to support them through the process.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones said: “The Harrogate District was one of the first areas in the country to roll out Universal Credit.

“Over the past few years I have met with users, employers and Job Centre staff and have heard how much Universal Credit has benefited many in our area and has helped many more to get back into work. It is important that work always pays so that is why I am pleased that all benefit claimants in our area will be moved on to Universal Credit.

“It is also reassuring to hear that the Department for Work and Pensions are taking a stepby-step approach with the rollout to ensure that claimants and Jobcentre Plus staff are well supported with the transition.”

As part of a week-long Yorkshire Post series about UC last year, campaigners urged the Government to review the benefit reforms ahead of further roll-outs.

Charities such as the Yorkbased Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Church Action on Poverty both called on Ministers to tackle existing problems with UC before huge numbers of families currently claiming tax credits are moved over to it under managed migration.