Universal Credit

(asked on 27th November 2014) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 2.12 of the National Audit Office report, Universal credit: progress update, published on 26 November 2014, by what date his Department plans to develop the contingency plans for the possibility that the digital service for universal credit is delayed or fails.


Answered by
Mark Harper Portrait
Mark Harper
Secretary of State for Transport
This question was answered on 2nd December 2014

As the NAO report makes clear, the £2.8bn figure is not a realistic assessment of the costs of running Universal Credit on a completely rolled out basis. Contingency plans are developed on an ongoing basis as part of the programme’s approach to integrated planning and risk management. The plans which cover all key areas of programme development and delivery are regularly assessed and refreshed as part of our ongoing governance of the Programme.

Reticulating Splines