Benefit levels in the UK: Work and Pensions Committee to question Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP
Former Work and Pensions Secretary Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP will face questions on the Coalition Government’s approach to welfare reform, as the Work and Pensions Committee’s inquiry into benefit levels in the UK examines how benefits have been set in the past and how they might be set in the future.
As Secretary of State during the introduction of Universal Credit, Sir Iain will likely be asked for his views on the impact that UC has had on benefit levels, the policy objectives behind the Coalition Government’s approach and benefit uprating. He will be joined on the first panel by Deven Ghelani, Director and Founder of Policy and Practice, who has worked on UC since its inception.
Meeting details
The Committee will also question Dr Stephen Brien, Chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee.
The third and final panel, featuring academic Professor Peter Whiteford from the Australian National University and Matthew Oakley from the Social Metrics Commission, will explore how an independent body might have a role in setting benefit levels, in a similar way to which the Low Pay Commission advises the Government on the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage.