CHC responds to latest Universal Credit announcement at today's Conservative Conference

David Gauke, Work and Pensions Secretary, has announced at today’s Conservative Conference that the government will press ahead with its rollout of Universal Credit and will continue with the planned timetable. Gauke also confirmed that the government would be “refreshing the guidance” to staff at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over the possibility of giving advance payments to claimants in difficulty, noting that some claimants could receive the advance within five working days.

Responding to the announcement, Stuart Ropke, Chief Executive of Community Housing Cymru said:

“Although the UK Government has taken note of some of the issues caused by the roll-out of Universal Credit, this latest announcement adds complexity into an already complex system. If the government is serious about removing unintended hardship on those accessing benefits, it would reduce significantly the amount of time that people have to wait before receiving their first payment.”

Read more about the latest update here.