Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Will Universal Credit conform to the normal pattern of policy disasters?

How far is the government going to row back on Universal Credit? This afternoon an emergency debate has been granted on the matter in the Commons tomorrow. Two of the pilot councils in the roll-out of the new benefit have warned that the new system could be a catastrophe once implemented fully, predicting rent arrears in ‘many hundreds of millions of pounds’ and reporting a huge surge in referrals to food banks. Southwark and Croydon Councils warned of ‘major flaws’ in UC, and urged the government to fix the policy immediately.

The pressure, which grew last week with Labour’s Opposition Day debate on the roll-out, hasn’t diminished since ministers said they would make the helpline for claimants a free number, rather than one that charged 55p a minute. MPs have been pushing Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke to change the amount of time that people must wait for their first payment of the benefit, saying that they simply cannot argue in favour of the current six week period when pressed by their constituents.

I understand that at the meeting last week between Theresa May and concerned Tory backbenchers about the problem with the reform, the point was made that this was not the sort of thing that the ‘compassionate Conservative’ party should be doing. Not only did all the MPs present agree, but Gauke and May also appeared to concede the point, according to those present.

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