Frank Field responds to Budget UC announcement

Commenting on today’s Budget announcement that the Government will cut out the initial 7 days from the current standard 6 week wait for a first payment of Universal Credit, Rt Hon Frank Field MP, Chair of the Committee, said:

“These are the beginnings of a rescue package for Universal Credit. But by God does it need a rescue package.”

The Committee’s work on Universal Credit continues, starting with a post-Budget evidence session next Wednesday 29 November 2017. Full details Universal Credit rollout 

In addition to the measures announced today, paragraph 6.15 of the Red Book (the detail of the Budget statement)  indicates that the troubled rollout has not been paused, but has been slowed again Link to the Red Book page. Paragraph 6.14 indicates that some of the measures announced today will not be in place until the New Year, April 2018 in the case of the Housing Benefit step.