All 1 Debates between Lord Sharma and Paul Williams

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Sharma and Paul Williams
Monday 19th November 2018

(5 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Paul Williams Portrait Dr Paul Williams (Stockton South) (Lab)
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T10. I have received a letter from a constituent who is a universal credit caseworker. She describes overworked staff looking after so many cases that people receive payments only when they complain. Will the Minister respond to this whistleblower’s allegation of chaos?

Lord Sharma Portrait Alok Sharma
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If the hon. Gentleman has a particular case to raise, I am happy to discuss it, but I should say that I and my colleagues go up and down the country to jobcentres, and I am afraid that the characterisation that he described is not the one we find. We find work coaches who are really enthusiastic about delivering universal credit and supporting people on a one-to-one basis. When it comes to payments, 80% of people get their full payment on time for the first assessment period and 90% will be receiving at least part-payment, but of course we require information to be provided to us—for instance about childcare or other costs—before we can make those payments.