× Search rightsnet
Search options

Where

Benefit

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

From

to

Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Universal credit migration  →  Thread

NAO report and managed migration dates

Andrew Dutton
forum member

Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council

Send message

Total Posts: 1955

Joined: 12 October 2012

Following on from these -
https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/welfare-rights/news/item/dwp-claims-about-the-positive-effects-of-universal-credit-programme-are-bas
https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Rolling-out-Universal-Credit.pdf

I’ve had a quick look at the report and a section concerning the timings of ‘managed migration’ worries me. Page 21of the NAO report:

1.22 The Department currently plans to migrate claimants onto Universal Credit from July 2019 through to March 2023. This timetable depends on: • Parliament passing enabling regulations, the timing of which is uncertain, before testing can begin; • the Department successfully testing the service, which it expects will take
12 months; and • the number of claimants remaining on legacy benefits and the speed with which the Department migrates them.

So how can managed migration begin in July 2019 unless there is going to be an unprecedented flurry of activity in the next couple of weeks, with Regs passed and testing begun?

As for ‘the speed with which….’ – remember the move from IS to CTC? Or from Incapacity Benefit to ESA? The precedents are not inspiring.

Also – if, as hinted above, managed migration is delayed, then more and more people will go on to UC via ‘natural’ migration, often losing money, sometimes a lot of money, through perhaps a mere change of address or a duff WCA, and unless the promised new regulations cover more than just the SDP, claimants will still be hit with considerable losses and no transitional protection.

Thoughts?