To receive and consider the recommendations of the Cabinet (Minute 226(f)) as an amendment to the following Notice of Motion submitted previously to the Council by Councillor Atkinson and referred thereto in accordance with Standing Order 8(2), namely;
Universal Credit is due to be rolled out in Devon in September. The National Audit Office has concluded in its recent report that Universal Credit has not delivered value for money and it is uncertain if it ever will.
The NAO has “significant doubts” about the DWP’s expected savings. Universal Credit currently costs £699 per claim, which is four times as much as the DWP intends for it to cost when the systems are fully developed, the report said.
Local and national bodies, as well as claimants, showed the NAO evidence of people suffering hardship during the rollout of the full UC service. The report said: “These have resulted from a combination of issues with the design of Universal Credit and its implementation. The department has found it difficult to identify and track those who it deems vulnerable. It has not measured how many Universal Credit claimants are having difficulties because it does not have systematic means of gathering intelligence from delivery partners.”
Its survey of full service claimants, published in June 2018, the department found that four in ten claimants that were surveyed were experiencing financial difficulties.”
The report said that while it recognises the “determination and single-mindedness” with which the DWP has “driven the programme forward to date, through many problems” local and national organisations have raised issues and the department does not accept that UC causes hardship among claimants “because it makes advances available and believes that if claimants take up these opportunities hardship should not occur”.
There are serious problems with the system’s design and implementation. People need better support to make claims and should not be left without enough money to live on. It is unhelpful that the government reduces 40% from people’s benefits to pay back a loan given to them to survive the month long gap before they receive their first payment."
The Council is urged to write to the DWP to ask what its plans are for making sure that the claimants in Devon do not suffer hardship in the changeover and to ensure that claimants can get the advice and support from the DWP and independent agencies.
Having had regard to the aforementioned, any factual briefing/position statement on the matter set out in Report CSO/18/25 and other suggestions or alternatives considered at that meeting the Cabinet subsequently resolved:
(a) that the Council supports the overall aims of Universal Credit as described in the briefing note circulated to the Cabinet (CSO/18/25);
(b) that the Council recognise that Universal Credit is a very complex programme and that the Department of Work & Pensions is working to address the problems highlighted in the National Audit Office’s report; and
(c) that the Council continues to support the DWP, JobCentrePlus, Devon’s District Councils, Devon Citizens Advice and many other organisations in providing advice and support to claimants as Universal Credit in rolled out in Devon.
Minutes:
Pursuant to County Council Minute 129 of 19th July 2018 relating to the Notice of Motion set out below as previously submitted and formally moved and seconded by Councillor Atkinson:
Universal Credit is due to be rolled out in Devon in September. The National Audit Office has concluded in its recent report that Universal Credit has not delivered value for money and it is uncertain if it ever will.
The NAO has “significant doubts” about the DWP’s expected savings. Universal Credit currently costs £699 per claim, which is four times as much as the DWP intends for it to cost when the systems are fully developed, the report said.
Local and national bodies, as well as claimants, showed the NAO evidence of people suffering hardship during the rollout of the full UC service. The report said: “These have resulted from a combination of issues with the design of Universal Credit and its implementation. The department has found it difficult to identify and track those who it deems vulnerable. It has not measured how many Universal Credit claimants are having difficulties because it does not have systematic means of gathering intelligence from delivery partners.”
Its survey of full service claimants, published in June 2018, the department found that four in ten claimants that were surveyed were experiencing financial difficulties.”
The report said that while it recognises the “determination and single-mindedness” with which the DWP has “driven the programme forward to date, through many problems” local and national organisations have raised issues and the department does not accept that UC causes hardship among claimants “because it makes advances available and believes that if claimants take up these opportunities hardship should not occur”.
There are serious problems with the system’s design and implementation. People need better support to make claims and should not be left without enough money to live on. It is unhelpful that the government reduces 40% from people’s benefits to pay back a loan given to them to survive the month long gap before they receive their first payment."
The Council is urged to write to the DWP to ask what its plans are for making sure that the claimants in Devon do not suffer hardship in the changeover and to ensure that claimants can get the advice and support from the DWP and independent agencies.
and having had regard to the advice of the Cabinet set out in Minute 226(f) of 12 September 2018:
Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the Cabinet’s amendment be accepted and that the spirit of the Notice of Motion be welcomed and that the Council supports the overall aims of Universal Credit as described in the briefing note circulated to the Cabinet (CSO/18/25). The Council recognise that Universal Credit is a very complex programme and that the Department of Work & Pensions is working to address the problems highlighted in the National Audit Office’s report; and will continue to support the DWP, JobCentrePlus, Devon’s District Councils, Devon Citizens Advice and many other organisations in providing advice and support to claimants as Universal Credit in rolled out in Devon.
The amendment in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and subsequently thereafter also CARRIED as the substantive motion.