Oral Answers to Questions

Martyn Day Excerpts
Monday 7th October 2019

(4 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Patrick Grady Portrait Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP)
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4. What assessment she has made of the effect of transferring to universal credit on households’ levels of financial resilience.

Martyn Day Portrait Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)
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14. What assessment she has made of the effect of transferring to universal credit on households’ levels of financial resilience.

Guy Opperman Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Guy Opperman)
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Universal credit ensures that support goes to those who need it, allowing 700,000 more people to receive benefits than did previously—this is worth approximately an extra £2.4 billion. Those who move to UC from legacy benefits and whose circumstances remain the same will be eligible for protection of their entitlement at the point of transition.

Guy Opperman Portrait Guy Opperman
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The situation is that this is an assessment period and no one has to wait to receive a UC payment; an advance of up to 100% is available to those in need, and significant funding has gone to Citizens Advice Scotland.

Martyn Day Portrait Martyn Day
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Some 700,000 households yet to move to UC have insufficient savings to cover that five-week wait, which clearly proves that UC is not working. Will the Minister consider making that advance payment to claimants a non-refundable first UC payment?

Guy Opperman Portrait Guy Opperman
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As the hon. Gentleman is aware, there is a managed migration pilot in Harrogate, where we are learning lessons, and I take on board the points he makes. That completes at the end of 2020 and, obviously, everyone not in the pilot stays on the legacy system as it currently runs.