Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the discussion at the Universal Credit Programme Board on 22 October 2019 and agreement that a report would be brought back in February 2020 to update on the progress of implementing the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Implementation Unit’s report on the experiences of vulnerable claimants on Universal Credit, which (a) official and (b) team held responsibility for that work following the decision to close the Complex Needs Steering Group.

The Universal Credit Complex Needs Steering group was stood down in 2019 and replaced by a new governance structure which was led by the newly formed Customer Experience Directorate to ensure greater coherence, support and more efficient decision making within the Programme and the Department.