Oral Answers to Questions

Mohammad Yasin Excerpts

Monday 9th October 2017 Commons Chamber

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

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

[Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)]

9. 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.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mohammad Yasin]

A recently bereaved constituent of mine, a working single parent, has seen her income reduced by £300 a month since transferring to universal credit. For her, work does not pay. Will the Secretary of State urgently review the link between agreement to support payments and universal credit, and will he stop the roll-out until he has done so?

[Mr Gauke]

The hon. Gentleman says that work does not pay. Let us be clear: universal credit always means that it is worth working an extra hour and worth taking a pay rise. It is always worth working more under universal credit, which was not the case with the legacy benefits. That is why the evidence is suggesting that people do work more and do work more hours than they do under the legacy systems.