On Tuesday 5 May 2020 the House of Lords
Economic Affairs Committee will be taking evidence on Universal
Credit from two panels of witnesses.
This public evidence session will have remote
participation by witnesses and Committee members. The session
will be streamed on Parliament
TV.
The first session will begin at 10am. Giving
evidence will be:
-
Professor Mike Brewer, Deputy Chief Executive
and Chief Economist,
Resolution Foundation
-
Nicholas Timmins, Senior Fellow, Institute
for Government and the King’s Fund.
Questions the Committee is likely to ask
include:
-
Does Universal Credit just need more money,
or a complete redesign?
-
What reforms should the Government make to
help the most vulnerable groups?
-
Is Universal Credit flexible enough to cope
with dramatic changes in the labour
market?
-
Are the capital rules for Universal Credit
fair?
The second session will begin at 11am. Giving
evidence will be:
-
Michael Royce, Senior Policy and Propositions
Manager, Money Advice and
Pensions Service
-
Minesh Patel, Principal Policy Manager,
Citizens Advice
-
Sharon Wright, Professor of Social Policy,
University of Glasgow.
Questions the Committee is likely to ask
include:
-
What challenges do claimants face in
accessing the Universal Credit system and maintaining their
claims, using digital means?
-
Does the design of Universal Credit entrench
debt amongst certain claimants?
-
Has the Department done enough to identify
and help vulnerable claimants?
-
Are work coaches able to tailor their support
and Claimant Commitments to meet the needs and circumstances of
vulnerable claimants?
Notes to
Editors
-
This inquiry, The economics of
Universal Credit, has its own web
page.
