Progress in implementing Universal Credit

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 10 Jan 2024 Closed: 28 May 2024 Parliament page
There are currently around six million people receiving Universal Credit (UC) benefit payments, launched in 2010 to replace six-means-tested benefits for working-age households. At the end of 2022, some 2.5m households remained on legacy benefits, with the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) starting to scale up moving people onto … Read more
5 Recommendations
31 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
3 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 6 events
11 Jul
2025
Report published
8 May
2024
Correspondence
26 Apr
2024
Report published
26 Apr
2024
Correspondence
15 Apr
2024
Correspondence
11 Mar
2024
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
11 Mar 2024
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Progress in implementing Universal Credit
Helga Swidenbank · Department for Work and Pensions Neil Couling CB CBE · DWP Services and Fraud Peter Schofield CB · Department for Work and Pensions
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Twenty-Ninth Report - Progress in implementing Universal Credit HC 458 26 Apr 2024 36 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
2 results
Clear
13 Conclusion Not Addressed
Twenty-Ninth Report - Progress in …
DWP unable to assess Universal Credit's fraud and error impact against legacy benefits
The Department’s objective is for UC to save around £1.3 billion every year when fully implemented, from reduced losses due to fraud and error. However, changes during and since the COVID-19 pandemic, including in the nature of UC cases and … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the difficulty in evaluating Universal Credit's impact on fraud and error but redirects to discuss its positive impact on the labour market for certain claimant groups, without addressing the specific issue of the counterfactual for fraud and error.
HM Treasury
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14 Conclusion
Twenty-Ninth Report - Progress in …
Universal Credit overpayments remain significantly high at 12.8%, exceeding pre-pandemic levels
The proportion of UC overpaid was 12.8% (£5.5 billion) in 2022–23, down from 14.7% (£5.9 billion) in 2021–22 but still significantly above pre-pandemic levels.23 We have previously reported on the increasing levels of fraud and error and made recommendations to … Read more
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 35 of 5 classified
Accepted 23
Deferred 1
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 10
Total 5 recs + 31 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
8 May 2024 Correspondence from Peter Schofield CB, Permanent Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions, re Acceleration of Universal Credit rollout, dated 1 May 2024
Parliament page
26 Apr 2024 Correspondence dated 26 April 2024 from the Chair to Peter Schofield CB Permanent Secretary Department for Work and Pensions relating to the inquiry Progress in implementing Universal Credit
Parliament page
15 Apr 2024 Correspondence from Peter Schofield CB, Permanent Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions, re Progress in implementing Universal Credit, dated 22 March 2024
Parliament page