IDS tries to bury more bad news on Universal Credit

On the day of George Osborne's Autumn Statement, the Work and Pensions Secretary finally admits that he will miss his Universal Credit deadline of 2017.

Under the cover of George Osborne's Autumn Statement, Iain Duncan Smith has announced yet another retreat on Universal Credit. As recently as September, the Work and Pensions Secretary insisted that all benefit claimants would be transferred to the new system by 2017, but today he finally admitted that this deadline would be missed. At least 700,000 people receiving Employment and Support Allowance will not be moved until after this date.

For those familiar with the chaotic implementation of Universal Credit, this will come as no surprise. As I noted on Tuesday, DWP figures show that just 2,150 were claiming the payment at the end of September, 997,850 short of the original April 2014 target of one million (since downgraded to 184,000, a target that will also not be met). By trying to bury more bad news today, Duncan Smith has guaranteed terrible write-ups from the press (who, as Helen says, will feel it's "a point of professional pride" to cover the story extensively) and has provided Labour with an attack line on what could be a difficult day for the opposition. Here's Rachel Reeves's response: "Iain Duncan Smith has today admitted what everyone has known for months – that Universal Credit is massively behind schedule. But just a couple of weeks ago he was telling Parliament the Government would 'roll out Universal Credit on the plan and programme already set out'. "It’s clear that David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith have completely failed to get to grips with their flagship welfare reform and millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money have been written off as a result. Families facing a cost-of-living crisis deserve better than this."

New Statesman

Universal Credit: a good day for IDS to bury bad news

It’s extremely fortunate for Iain Duncan Smith that the Autumn Statement will be delivered by George Osborne today. I say fortunate because it’s resulted in a story which reflects extremely poorly on him being pushed down the news agenda.

 

It was reported today that Duncan Smith’s flagship Universal Credit programme may not be complete by 2017 as originally planned. According to the BBC, Mr Duncan Smith said in an interview that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that the Universal Credit roll out “may take a little longer” in delivering Universal Credit as it was dealing with a vulnerable group and the official in charge of the project may need more time. Oh dear. This is especially bad considering the Quiet Man had been insistent that the UC roll out was on schedule until as recently as last month. On 18 November Duncan Smith told Parliament that he had acted to “ensure that universal credit will roll out and deliver exactly as we said it would”. “We have been very clear that we would roll out universal credit on the plan and programme already set out.”

“As I said to the hon. Lady when I appeared in front of her Committee in July, we have been very clear that we would roll out universal credit on the plan and programme already set out…”

He added that:

“The reality is, as I have said quite categorically and publicly, the report could be written because of the actions I took over a year ago to ensure that universal credit will roll out and deliver exactly as we said it would.”

On 14 October he also told the House that it “will be on time and within budget”.

 “Universal credit will roll out very well and it will be on time and within budget,” he said.

And yet today he’s been forced to concede to the BBC that the new benefit system will “essentially” be complete by 2017. Presumably that means it won’t be complete by 2017, then. In hindsight, former Prime Minister John Major’s comments on Duncan Smith’s welfare reforms appear shrewd:

“Unless Iain Duncan Smith is very lucky, which he may not be, or a genius, which is unproven, he may get some of it wrong.” 

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