Oral Answers to Questions

Hywel Williams Excerpts

Monday 9th October 2017 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Hywel Williams (Arfon) (PC)]

1. What progress he is making on the roll-out of universal credit.

[Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)]

5. What progress he is making on the roll-out of universal credit.

[The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr David Gauke)]

The roll-out of universal credit is proceeding to plan, gradually and sensibly. People are moving into work faster and staying in work for longer. The most recent phase of expansion will only take the proportion of the forecast claimant population receiving universal credit from 8% currently to 10% by the end of January.

[Hywel Williams]

There is a great deal of support for the principles of universal credit. However, the roll-out has been characterised as

“operationally messy, socially unfair and unforgiving”.

These are not my words, but those of Sir John Major. If the Secretary of State will not postpone the roll-out—along with many other right hon. and hon. Members, I would like him to consider that again—will he consider two other remedies: to drop the waiting period, and to allow the benefit to be paid fortnightly?

[Mr Gauke]

Let me be clear: as I touched on earlier, the evidence so far shows that those who go on to universal credit are more likely to be working six months later than they would be had they been on the legacy benefits, and they are also more likely to be progressing in work. That is really important, and it is not something that I want to deny people. I believe that we should roll out something like this gradually and sensibly, and make changes as and when necessary, but that is exactly what we are doing.