Committee presses for Universal Credit business case
8 November 2017
The Work and Pensions Committee publishes two further letters to the Department of Work and Pensions, pressing it on the lack of published data or a current business case for its flagship welfare reform.
- Letter from the Chair to Secretary of State (DWP) relating to Universal Credit business case, 27 October 2017
- Letter from the Chair to Secretary of State (DWP) relating to Universal Credit data, 1 November 2017
- Inquiry: Universal Credit rollout
- Work and Pensions Committee
Lack of data being published is 'troubling'
Rt Hon Frank Field MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said:
"The lack of data being collected and published on Universal Credit is troubling, to put it mildly.
It gives the impression that this mega reform is driven by blind faith rather than evidence of the impact it is having on the lives of the poor.
We hear about the DWP's "test and learn" approach to improving Universal Credit, but how can it hope to learn if it is not testing its most basic effects?"
The Committee is also publishing a graphic (below) illustrating some of the information the Department has been unable to provide in response to repeated requests.
Further information
Image: iStockphoto