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Written Question
Universal Credit
Friday 21st February 2020

Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when the pilot project for Managed Migration from legacy benefits to Universal Credit, commenced in July 2019, will be completed; whether they intend to report the findings from that pilot to Parliament; and if so, when.

Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott

The Move to Universal Credit pilot commenced, as scheduled, in the area served by Harrogate Jobcentre in July 2019. The goal of the pilot is to learn as much as possible about how to safely move people from legacy benefits onto Universal Credit. As a result, we will increase numbers as slowly and gradually as necessary.

We are adapting the design of this service and its processes frequently to ensure we provide the best possible support to those claimants who move to Universal Credit from their legacy benefit claims.

The Department has already committed to updating Parliament and stakeholders on progress. We expect to provide our first update in the Spring.


Written Question
Universal Credit
Friday 21st February 2020

Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee's 59th report of Session 2017–19 (HL Paper 419) on the Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/1152), published on 6 September 2019; what steps they have taken in response; and whether they intend to report to Parliament on their progress.

Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott

The Department has noted the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee’s (SLSC) 59th report of Session 2017-19 (HL Paper 419) on the Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/1152), published on 6 September 2019.

As the Parliamentary website notes, the SLSC’s scrutiny role is advisory; it does not seek to recommend courses of action on these instruments, and its reports are published principally to provide information for members of the House. Ministers regularly update Parliament regarding progress on Universal Credit and will continue to do so.


Written Question
Universal Credit
Thursday 10th January 2019

Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people who begin to apply for Universal Credit do not complete the process; and what assessment they have made of the possible reasons why those people do not complete that process.

Answered by Baroness Buscombe

Based on our internal data for March 2018, in total 28 per cent of claims do not complete the process.

Of this figure around 8 per cent of claims were closed due to non-entitlement, for example because of capital or not passing the Habitual Residence Test. The remainder (around 19 per cent*) were closed due to non-compliance with the process, for example failure to sign a Claimant Commitment and failing to provide evidence to support their claim.

* percentages do not add up to 28 per cent due to rounding


Written Question
Universal Credit: Disability
Tuesday 8th January 2019

Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement they have undertaken with disabled people, their families and carers as to how the managed migration process for Universal Credit will work.

Answered by Baroness Buscombe

The Department is committed to delivering managed migration in a way which supports all claimants, including the most vulnerable. We are currently working with a large and diverse range of stakeholders, including those who focus on disability, to design our migration processes and in 2019 we will begin the pilot phase of managed migration to ensure that these processes work for everyone.

The revised draft regulations, laid on 5 November 2018, now provide that we must give claimants a minimum of three months in which to make a claim for Universal Credit and sets no maximum period in which a claim must be made. With unlimited flexibility to extend claim periods we will work with representative groups to produce guidance that will ensure adequate support for each individual claimant’s needs.

Some of these circumstances may include the following:

  • where a claimant is having trouble completing the Universal Credit claim;
  • the claimant cannot make a Universal Credit claim by the deadline day because they have to go or have gone into hospital;
  • the work coach or case manager has not got enough information from the claimant so needs to give the claimant more time to get the information to us;
  • the claimant has a mental-health condition; or
  • the claimant is disadvantaged because they are homeless, have a disability, have had a domestic emergency or have caring responsibilities.

This list is not exhaustive and each case will be considered on its individual circumstances and merits.


Written Question
Universal Credit
Tuesday 8th January 2019

Asked by: Baroness Donaghy (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that a claimant deemed to be vulnerable will not have their legacy benefits stopped before a Universal Credit claim is completed under the managed migration process.

Answered by Baroness Buscombe

The Department is committed to delivering managed migration in a way which supports all claimants, including the most vulnerable. We are currently working with a large and diverse range of stakeholders, including those who focus on disability, to design our migration processes and in 2019 we will begin the pilot phase of managed migration to ensure that these processes work for everyone.

The revised draft regulations, laid on 5 November 2018, now provide that we must give claimants a minimum of three months in which to make a claim for Universal Credit and sets no maximum period in which a claim must be made. With unlimited flexibility to extend claim periods we will work with representative groups to produce guidance that will ensure adequate support for each individual claimant’s needs.

Some of these circumstances may include the following:

  • where a claimant is having trouble completing the Universal Credit claim;
  • the claimant cannot make a Universal Credit claim by the deadline day because they have to go or have gone into hospital;
  • the work coach or case manager has not got enough information from the claimant so needs to give the claimant more time to get the information to us;
  • the claimant has a mental-health condition; or
  • the claimant is disadvantaged because they are homeless, have a disability, have had a domestic emergency or have caring responsibilities.

This list is not exhaustive and each case will be considered on its individual circumstances and merits.