MPs’ report slams government’s key welfare reform programme
THE POWERFUL Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is today releasing a highly critical assesment of the government’s key welfare reform.
At the release of the report into universal credit, PAC chairman Margaret Hodge will say: “The Department for Work and Pensions has spent £700m on Universal Credit since the programme began in 2010. However, very little progress has been achieved on the front line.”
The Department for Work and Pensions rejected the criticism. A spokesman said: “Universal Credit is on track and we are making good progress – almost 64,000 people have made a claim and this time next year UC will be in every job centre in the country.”
However, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said: “We’ll call in the National Audit Office to do an immediate review of this failing programme to get a grip of the spiralling waste and delays.”