Work and Pensions Committee to question Social Security Advisory Committee on moving people to Universal Credit

The Chair and members of the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) will face questions from MPs in a one-off session examining the “managed migration” process for moving people to Universal Credit. The SSAC is an independent body responsible for advising the Secretary of State on Social Security matters.  

MPs are likely to ask about the impact of DWP’s decision to scrap its commitment to ask Parliament for a vote to scale up the programme after 10,000 claimants had been moved during a test period. The Committee may ask whether this reduces accountability, especially considering SSAC’s own claim that DWP’s planned approach to oversight amounts to “marking its own homework”.

With the Help to Claim Service due to end in March 2023, despite managed migration accelerating later in the year, the Committee may ask whether there are sufficient safeguards to protect claimants who do not move themselves to Universal Credit as expected. 

The session is also expected to probe the DWP’s feedback process, the value of the findings from the initial Harrogate pilot, and the transparency and management of the UC programme. 

Witnesses

Wednesday 12 October, Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster 

At 9.15am 

• Sir Stephen Brien, Chair, Social Security Advisory Committee 
• Carl Emmerson, Committee member, Social Security Advisory Committee 
• Charlotte Pickles, Committee member, Social Security Advisory Committee