Statement from Chris Grayling (Minister of State (Employment), Work and Pensions; Epsom and Ewell, Conservative) to House of Commons

Universal credit will provide a new single system of means-tested support for working-age people who are in or out of work. Support for housing costs will be integrated in the new benefit. Existing means-tested benefits including housing benefit will no longer be required.

Housing benefit for pensioners will be replaced by a component of pension credit and council tax benefit will be replaced by localised council tax support schemes.

The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that 20,000 local authority staff work on housing benefit and council tax benefit. The processing of these benefits is largely combined and therefore we do not have an estimate of the number of staff working on each benefit.

We expect that the existing housing benefit scheme will be phased out over a period of four years from 2013 but it is anticipated that local authorities will continue to have an important role in delivery of welfare benefits services. Local authorities in England will administer the discretionary elements of a reformed Social Fund. Local authorities may also deliver face to face support for claimants who need additional help.

Local authorities will deliver pilots to support claimants in preparation for the introduction of universal credit in October 2013. The pilots, which are expected to start this autumn and end by September 2013, will focus on delivering the face to face support people may need to make claims for universal credit.

While this work continues it is not possible to determine how many staff and what skills and experience will be required for universal credit.

Source : www.theyworkforyou.com

Up-to-date information can be found here www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/welfare-reform/universal-credit/

Please check this link regularly for updates.

BBC News Politics have more up-to-date information on Universal credit viz : Benefits change: What are the Universal Credit fears?

Seventy organisations, most of which will be involved in implementing the biggest overhaul of the benefits system since the creation of the welfare state, have told MPs of their concerns about the government's plans.

BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend has been shown the written evidence submitted to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee, which is examining the progress being made towards the implementation of the Universal Credit in the autumn of 2013.

In over 500 pages of testimony, organisations representing councils, charities, trades unions, business groups, housing organisations and the government set out their outlook on the changes.

Universal Credit attempts to address what Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith sees as the two principal failings of the current benefits system: complexity and failing to make it worthwhile to take up paid work.

Many of those who have submitted evidence to the select committee of MPs regard themselves as key to making sure this huge change works.

Deep-seated worries
Many too, in evidence amounting to more than 200,000 words, acknowledge the government's motivations for reform are sound.

But two key themes emerge which suggest deep seated and broad based worries about the practicalities of making the idea work.

Firstly, a wide range of potential implications are raised both for prospective recipients of Universal Credit and those responsible for delivering it.

Secondly, there are serious concerns about getting the system up and running successfully in a year from now, by October 2013.

So what impact could the change to Universal Credit have?

Full Details

More Details from Disability Rights UK/The Children's Society.

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