HMRC ICT doubts put question mark over Universal Credit timing

From publictechnology.net

The Coalition’s plans to introduce a Universal Credit system might be delayed because HM Revenues & Customs doubts it can produce the necessary real-time ICT systems.

HMRC got a £100 million extra boost in the CSR to build a new real-time system to better track people’s job changes, with the system also providing the foundation for government plans for a universal credit benefits programme. But the Public Accounts committee heard this week that there may be delays in delivering that after HMRC said that it might not be able to get the necessary systems in place in time.

“The universal credit programme, in its infancy or pre-programme state, will require DWP to extract that information from HMRC,” said Dame Lesley Strathie, Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive HMRC. “So the speed at which we have to build the technology and start this process is, to a large extent, determined by the welfare reform needs. We would want to do this anyway. We would want to move to real time to make it better, but there is an imperative. We have a big job to do and DWP has a big, hard dependency on HMRC.”

When asked where this mean that HMRC will not be able to deliver ICT systems in a time frame to enable DWP to introduce the Universal Credit within two years. Dame Lesley said: “I think it is important that I don’t answer for DWP any longer.”

When pressed further, she added; “We are planning to deliver to support universal credit. Let me reassure you. ...But she added: “I can’t answer what DWP would do if HMRC failed to deliver.”