The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) has this week launched a public consultation on proposals for moving all existing claimants of a working age income-related benefit to Universal Credit (UC).
From next year the DWP will begin moving 3 million claimants to UC from:
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
The move will happen in spite of warnings from many quarters, including the National Audit Office, that UC is not fit for purpose and is harming vulnerable claimants.
The DWP have submitted draft legislation for moving claimants to the SSAC who now wish to hear from individuals and organisations about the following aspects of the plans:
- the overall migration timetable
- arrangements for contacting claimants and inviting claims from them
- issues associated with making a claim, and ending legacy benefit claims
- the calculation of transitional protection (including the treatment of earnings and capital)
- the impact of proposed transitional protection (including how easily it will be delivered and the degree to which it will be understood by claimants)
- the impact on workers, including the self-employed
- equality impact (whether there will be particular effects for different groups and how these can best be addressed), for example are there any groups that will not be covered by transitional protection?
- monitoring and evaluation
Responses should be submitted to the Committee Secretary by no later than 10am on Monday 20 August:
The Committee Secretary
Social Security Advisory Committee
5th Floor
Caxton House
Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA
Alternatively responses can be emailed to – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
More details on the consultation and a copy of the draft regulations are available from this page.
