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DWP staff can’t wait for roll out of UC to come to them apparently
Reminiscent of his claim that he was inundated with thank you cards Neil Couling now claims in a letter to the Public Account Committee (second last paragraph) =
[ Edited: 7 Nov 2017 at 12:21 pm by Daphne ]The criticism I receive from our people is that the roll out isn’t coming to them soon enough. They have heard how good the system is and ‘feels’. They know that it has lower fraud and error and better work outcomes, relative to JSA, and they want that.
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Social inclusion unit - Swansea Council
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Can the people who want it have it instead of us on 13th December then?
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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“The only criticism I am prepared to listen to is…”
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Benefits adviser - Isle of Wight CAB
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“The people who like the system are largely those who haven’t experienced it yet.”
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Locum adviser - CPAG in Scotland
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Ha! But this is having real effects. Had a client told she couldn’t claim IS because full service starting the following week. She would have lost over £60 a week. Luckily, we challenged it & claim has gone in. But it’s a real issue, & not everyone affected will seek advice….
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Information and advice resources - Age UK
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Mr Finch - 07 November 2017 12:59 PM“The people who like the system are largely those who haven’t experienced it yet.”
That made me laugh. Which isn’t somehting that happens often when speaking about UC….
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Nestor Financial Group Ltd
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Nearly fell off my chair. And this just follows “Foodbank referrals increase by 30 per cent in full service universal credit areas”. Everyone appears to be benefiting from the success.
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Welfare rights adviser - Sefton CAB
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I wonder if those part time DWP staff currently receiving Tax Credits are equally enthusiastic about speeding up the roll out? Will their job search and claimant commitment be monitored in the JC+ in which they work (if applicable) or what?
Anyone fancy doing an FOI request asking for specific details as to the"can’t wait” feedback being received ?
I think Esther McVey has been talking to Neil Couling - she also says work coaches thing universal credit is ‘the best thing they have ever delivered’
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Citizens Advice Bridport & District
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Couple of FOI responses from the DWP regarding DWP staff claiming UC.
File Attachments
- FOI_575_reply.pdf (File Size: 13KB - Downloads: 2193)
- IR101_Response_0.3_.pdf (File Size: 28KB - Downloads: 2288)
Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District - 06 February 2018 12:17 PM.... regarding DWP staff claiming UC.
from the PCS union website -
We have also raised concerns about how claims to UC from people who are employed by DWP will be handled. The current number of staff claiming UC is likely to be very small, but, as there is no requirement on DWP staff to inform their employer that they are claiming UC, DWP have no idea of the act number. However, once conversion of existing Tax Credit claims to UC begins (date and timeframe as yet unknown) a significant number of our members will be in the position of both working for DWP and being in receipt of the main benefit that it administers. This will also bring into focus the issue of how In-Work Conditionality will apply to DWP’s own staff. We have asked for DWP to consider setting up a specific unit for handling the UC claims of its staff members, which is what currently exists with HMRC for staff who are in receipt of Tax Credits, but so far DWP have been reluctant to this. We are also trying to negotiate protections for our members, both those claiming UC and those who have to deal with claims from their colleagues.