UNISON welcomes call for clarity on Universal Credit delivery

22 Nov 2012


UNISON, the UK’s largest union, has welcomed a Select Committee report calling for clarity on the practicalities of Universal Credit delivery.

The Work and Pensions Select Committee report, ‘Universal Credit implementation: meeting the needs of vulnerable claimants’, calls for a ‘clear statement on service delivery arrangements […] that must be in place before anyone is required to start claiming universal credit.’

The report, published today, specifically cites evidence given to the Committee by UNISON, that integrated and ‘people based’ local delivery in addition to any ‘online’ arrangements should be implemented from the outset.

Commenting on the report, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:

“Universal Credit represents the biggest welfare shake-up since 1945, and will affect eight million households and 19 million people. UNISON has consistently argued the public’s right to expect a quality service, and that this would be best achieved by putting the skills, experience and knowledge of those already involved in delivering housing benefits to use in introducing this new system.

“This report from the Select Committee, and the call for a clear statement on service delivery arrangements presents an opportunity for the DWP to look again at this issue, and bring an end to the uncertainty of thousands of families. We are willing to work constructively with the Department to put in place the integrated service delivery model that we believe can deliver the quality of service the public deserves.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

In the Report, the Work and Pensions Select Committee says:

We request that, in response to this Report, DWP provides an explanation of its online targets and a clear statement of its proposed service delivery arrangements, setting out how people will be informed about where to go to make a claim, what support they will be able to get there, and what resources DWP is investing in that support. These arrangements need to be in place before anyone is required to start claiming Universal Credit. (paragraph 42)

UNISON UK news release http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2890 

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