One of Britain’s most senior civil servants has told
government officials he is prepared to “fall on his sword” over the Universal
Credit fiasco
Robert Devereux, the permanent secretary to the Department for Work and Pensions, will be criticised in a report by the Commons public accounts committee after a string of problems emerged in the development of the flagship universal credit programme.
It is understood that Mr Devereux has told senior government figures that he is prepared to resign if, as expected, he is personally criticised in the MPs’ report.
Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is thought to have repeatedly clashed with Mr Devereux over the rollout of the scheme.
Universal Credit, regarded as Mr Duncan Smith’s personal political mission, will merge several benefits into a single payment that will be adjusted to ensure that claimants are better off in work than on welfare.
A report by the National Audit Office in September said it suffered from “weak management, ineffective control and poor governance” and could miss its 2017 deadline for implementation.
Telegraph
Robert Devereux, the permanent secretary to the Department for Work and Pensions, will be criticised in a report by the Commons public accounts committee after a string of problems emerged in the development of the flagship universal credit programme.
It is understood that Mr Devereux has told senior government figures that he is prepared to resign if, as expected, he is personally criticised in the MPs’ report.
Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is thought to have repeatedly clashed with Mr Devereux over the rollout of the scheme.
Universal Credit, regarded as Mr Duncan Smith’s personal political mission, will merge several benefits into a single payment that will be adjusted to ensure that claimants are better off in work than on welfare.
A report by the National Audit Office in September said it suffered from “weak management, ineffective control and poor governance” and could miss its 2017 deadline for implementation.
Telegraph
