UC to continue- Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb has said he is "absolutely committed" to the government's fagship Universal Credit reform.
'Stephen Crabb should restate and reclaim the role of UC in supporting more people into work and then boosting earnings, rather than being a source of savings for the Treasury to meet fiscal targets.' argues
Resolution Foundation Their 3 recommendations are-
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● 'Ensure that the incentives UC creates are focused on those most likely to respond and in most need of support.
With the employment picture vastly improved over recent years and levels of worklessness in households dropping dramatically, UC must be refocused to meet the living standards challenge of the future rather than the past.
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● Embrace the challenge of tackling low pay and progression. Despite the welcome stride taken forward with the implementation of the National Living Wage, in-work poverty and low pay look set to remain key challenges in the coming years – UC must be ready to meet them.
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● Take the chance to reassess the way in which the UC system itself functions and the processes people must go through when making their claim. As currently designed, UC piles extra burdens on recipients, these could be eased. '
Claimants will get help in job centres- the government has said- 'DWP recognise that some people will need help with on-line claims and activity. Those people without digital skills will be offered support in our offices to make and manage their claims on-line, and also to acquire or improve core digital skills.'
'In work Progression' trialled- The government is trilling an extension of conditionality to those who earn more than £338 per month for a single person or £541 for a couple but less than 35 times the minimum wage. click here
Numbers of claimants on on UC- 225,002 as of 7/4/2016.
38% are in employment and around 30,000 new claims are being made each month. '...Since national roll-out in February 2015 the regional picture of starts has changed dramatically. Theproportionofoverallstarts in the North West has decreased as Universal Credit expands to other areas. It has fallen from 87 per cent in March 2015 to 20 per cent in March 2016.
Central England is now the largest region in terms of new starts to Universal Credit. In March, 21 per cent of all starts came from this region. London and the Home Counties and the North East have also seen a rise in starts, and are the third and fourth highest region respectively in March.'
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