IRRV Alert - week ending 1st May 2020
Information Letters
News
Design of Universal Credit and support for claimants examined by Lords (1 May 2020)
Design of Universal Credit and support for claimants examined by Lords
01 May 2020
The Economic Affairs Committee holds its fifth evidence session on the economics of Universal Credit inquiry.
- Parliament TV: The economics of Universal Credit
- Inquiry: The economics of Universal Credit
- Economic Affairs Committee
Witnesses
Tuesday 5 May, virtual meeting
At 10.00
- Mike Brewer, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Economist, Resolution Foundation
- Nicholas Timmins, Senior Fellow, Institute for Government and the King's Fund
At 11:00 am
- Michael Royce, Senior Policy Manager, Money and Pensions Service
- Minesh Patel, Principal Policy Manager, Citizens Advice
- Sharon Wright, Professor of Social Policy, University of Glasgow
Likely questions
- To what extent is improving Universal Credit a question of increasing funding, or making fundamental changes to its design?
- What reforms would you like to see the Government make that would help the most vulnerable groups?
- Should the temporary changes to Universal Credit in response to Covid-19 be made permanent?
- What is the justification for a general debt amnesty? Should public sector debts be treated differently to private sector debts?
- What challenges do claimants face in accessing the Universal Credit system and maintaining their claims, using digital means?
- Is the support network available to claimants – charities, local authorities, etc. – too decentralised? What could be done to make it clearer to claimants where they should go to access different types of support?
- How well are work coaches able to tailor their support and Claimant Commitments to meet the needs and circumstances of claimants, and particularly vulnerable claimants?