Universal Credit: Delayed Roll-Out Debate

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Department: Department for Work and Pensions

Meg Hillier

Main Page: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)

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Universal Credit: Delayed Roll-Out

Meg Hillier Excerpts

Lobby and Media Briefings: Journalists' Access
Tuesday 4th February 2020

(4 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Will Quince Portrait Will Quince
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I thank my hon. Friend for that question and for his work on the Select Committee. He is right: help to claim, commissioned via the Department and run by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, is working really well. We are now in detailed discussions in relation to a second year, but I want to go further and in April we will launch a £10 million transitional fund for UC, in particular to support disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. It will also help Members, because organisations in their constituencies will be able to bid for that funding.

Meg Hillier Portrait Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
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The Public Accounts Committee is not in the business of scaremongering, but from the very beginning we have raised concerns about the pace and the over-ambitious nature of this policy. Only today, the Minister listed so many changes that have taken place since it was rolled out that it shows there is a problem. In our last session on this issue, we heard from local authorities about the millions of pounds they are having to put aside to help people. With this extra time, will he look at what support he can give local authorities who are having to backfill mistakes by his Department?

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