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Roll-out of universal credit - new House of Commons library briefing

Stuart
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Published ahead of a debate in Westminster Hall on the roll-out of Universal Credit on 22 March 2017 at 2:30 led by Catherine McKinnell MP.

http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CDP-2017-0093#fullreport

SarahJBatty
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It is madness to continue with the roll out of UC - both versions Live and Full have major faults and the DWP know full well.  They should halt the roll out before anyone else suffers.  I am not even talking about the famous ‘6 week wait for benefit’ which seems to be the only thing that everyone is obsessed with (rightly concerned of course).

Today, have heard reports of Live Service claims just ‘dropping off the system’ ie closing for no reason, some glitch that the Live Service helpline have come across before and so are nonplussed, but the poor tenant ..... causes CTS to stop, full CTax bill, Notice served for rent arrears ....

Also heard from a rent officer, that Full Service claims are ‘closing’ also ‘disappearing’ off the system so UC helpline cannot see them even though claimant has email confirming claim made - anecdotally because of links of claimants to previous addresses.

shawn mach
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On the day that the Full Service reaches more part-postcodes in Scotland (EH18, EH19, EH20, EH22, EH23, EH24, EH25, EH26 and EH37) ..... the Scottish Communities and Social Security Secretary Angela Constance has written to the UK Government calling for a ‘complete halt’ to roll-out until problems are resolved:

The problems arising are impacting on individuals and families to an unacceptable extent threatening not only the tenancy of their home but of accruing longer term debt. The universal credit approach of ‘test and learn’ has kept volumes relatively low during the design stage … Your Department should now demonstrate its commitment to this approach, by deferring the plans for scaling up the roll out of the universal credit full service until such time as all the issues are fully resolved. Given the experience to date it is clear that further roll out cannot be undertaken without causing further hardship for claimants and as such can surely not be considered safe.’

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/scottish-government-calls-for-a-halt-to-full-service-roll-out-of-universal