Oral Answers to Questions

Martyn Day Excerpts

Monday 7th October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP)]

4. What assessment she has made of the effect of transferring to universal credit on households’ levels of financial resilience.

[Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)]

14. What assessment she has made of the effect of transferring to universal credit on households’ levels of financial resilience.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Guy Opperman)]

Universal credit ensures that support goes to those who need it, allowing 700,000 more people to receive benefits than did previously—this is worth approximately an extra £2.4 billion. Those who move to UC from legacy benefits and whose circumstances remain the same will be eligible for protection of their entitlement at the point of transition.

[Guy Opperman]

The situation is that this is an assessment period and no one has to wait to receive a UC payment; an advance of up to 100% is available to those in need, and significant funding has gone to Citizens Advice Scotland.

[Martyn Day]

Some 700,000 households yet to move to UC have insufficient savings to cover that five-week wait, which clearly proves that UC is not working. Will the Minister consider making that advance payment to claimants a non-refundable first UC payment?

[Guy Opperman]

As the hon. Gentleman is aware, there is a managed migration pilot in Harrogate, where we are learning lessons, and I take on board the points he makes. That completes at the end of 2020 and, obviously, everyone not in the pilot stays on the legacy system as it currently runs.