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6 week wait to be cut in bid to see off Conservative rebellion
From Sky News: Govt to cut controversial six-week wait for UniversalCredit payments in the comings days in bid to see off Conservative rebellion
A Government source familiar with the plans told Sky News there would be “some movement [on the wait time] in the early part of next week” after intensive behind-the-scenes discussions with a group of up to two dozen rebel MPs.
The source said ministers were working on plans to cut the wait to five weeks or less in a significant concession to backbench MPs.
And Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke is also said to be looking to do more on advance payments for claimants as the roll-out of Universal Credit is expanded from five to 50 job centres a month.
https://news.sky.com/story/government-backs-down-on-universal-credit-wait-11127313
Sky political correspondent tweeting that:
“Wait time going from 6 weeks to 5 at worst, a month at best”
By what mechanism? They said last week that they would not remove the 7 waiting days ....
Making a non-repayable advance worth 2 weeks benefit to ‘bridge the gap’ between legacy benefits and UC?
By calculating and making the first UC payment in a period of less than 7 days after the end of the first assessment period?
Guardian report its planned to cut the 7 waiting days.
the government is expected to reduce it, most likely by eliminating the seven-day mandatory waiting time at the start of any new claim.
Good. That would reduce the wait to 5 and half weeks ....
And that’s all it takes to head off a rebellion!!!
Something which is unlikely to have any impact on claimants whatsoever.
Sigh.
It’s good news, but highlights the absolute cynicism and hypocrisy of the government in that they are not doing this for the benefit of claimants, but to save their own necks.
An excellent contribution to the debate from all concerned.