Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the fitness for purpose of the universal credit IT system; and if she will make a statement.

The Universal Credit Full Service (UCFS) IT system is an end-to-end digital product designed by DWP, developed using leading Agile and DevOps methodologies. It is designed to meet user needs, avoiding the need to navigate multiple screens; it offers one integrated experience across on-line, telephony and face to face usage. In line with agile methodology the product is being incrementally developed in response to feedback.

The system achieved 99.99% availability for claimants in the last year, rivalling the performance of other leading digital services across sectors. The dashboard and notifications allow staff to easily access communication from claimants and vice versa and the recent independent scrutiny by the National Audit Office (NAO) stated the staff they spoke to were positive about the way the programme is being delivered and its response to feedback. The NAO summary states the staff asked felt the system had improved significantly since its initial introduction.