Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Will Quince and Mike Hill

Monday 30th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mike Hill (Hartlepool) (Lab)]

Some sources predict that 2.6 million people could be unemployed by next year. Five years on from universal credit being piloted in my constituency of Hartlepool, it still has teething problems. Can the Minister assure the House that the system will cope, should claimant numbers rise significantly?

[Will Quince]

The universal credit system has risen to the challenge, going up from 2.2 million to 5.8 million claimants. That is why we have this modern, agile, dynamic system. It has performed incredibly well and I have no doubt that it will continue to do so.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Will Quince and Mike Hill

Monday 27th January 2020 Commons Chamber

[Will Quince]

I thank my hon. Friend for that question, and I welcome her to her place. Compared with the system it replaces, universal credit will, in total, give claimants an extra £2.1 billion a year once fully rolled out. Around 1 million disabled households will receive, on average, around £100 more per month, and 700,000 families will get the extra money to which they are entitled. In short, the answer is yes.

[Mike Hill (Hartlepool) (Lab)]

11. What assessment she has made of trends in the level of administrative errors made in the processing of applications during the roll-out of (a) universal credit and (b) personal independence payment in Hartlepool constituency.