Universal credit plans could be defeated in Parliament, says senior MP

The government's flagship universal credit policy will be defeated in Parliament unless ministers make further changes to protect vulnerable people, a senior MP has warned.

Frank Field, who chairs the Commons work and pensions committee, said ministers risked a humiliating defeat unless they made further concessions.

The government has faced sustained pressure over fears about the impact the policy will have on millions of low-paid people.

Mr Field, who sits as an independent MP after resigning the Labour whip over antisemitism, condemned the government for refusing to allow his committee to scrutinise draft changes before they were introduced in Parliament.

He had requested that ministers give the committee a copy of a plan for moving claimants over to the new system, which sees six existing benefits merged into one.

But in correspondence published by the committee, Alok Sharma, the employment minister, said it would not be appropriate to "diverge from the standard process for the scrutiny of draft regulations" and delay their introduction.

Mr Field said: "Having got it so disastrously wrong with its first attempt, you'd think that the government would want to make sure its plans to move vulnerable people on to universal credit stand up to scrutiny.

"Instead, it is choosing to push these regulations through Parliament with no chance for MPs to make amendments.

"That hardly inspires confidence that it has really made the changes needed to ensure that its actions won't simply plunge people deeper into poverty.

"If its new plans don't have enough safeguards to protect the vulnerable, then MPs will be left with no option but to vote them down."

Ministers have already made a series of changes to the implementation of universal credit, amid reports that delays to payments were driving people into destitution. Mr Field has previously said that he knew of people forced into prostitution as a result of the problems.

The work and pensions committee warned last week that the support given to people moving to universal credit was woefully inadequate.

Philip Hammond, the chancellor, announced a further £1bn of funding for the scheme in last week's Budget but critics said it would not be enough to provide sufficient support to those who need it.

The national rollout of universal credit has been repeatedly delayed after MPs and charities issued dire warnings about the impact it was having on vulnerable people.

The scheme is now due to begin being rolled out nationally in July 2019 and is expected to take four years to fully implement.

Labour, along with the Church of England and hundreds of charities, has called for the rollout to be halted completely, but ministers have vowed to push ahead with the policy and make sure they get it right.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: “We have consulted on these regulations for several months, receiving feedback from over 400 stakeholders. During this time the work and pensions select committee had ample opportunity to provide comment but chose not to submit any evidence or offer feedback.

“These regulations, due before the House shortly, are designed to support people on to universal credit. They protect 500,000 severely disabled claimants and provide transitional protection for all those moving to universal credit, meaning that no one loses a penny at the point of transfer.

“Delaying these regulations would leave people on a punitive legacy benefits system that disincentives work and fails to pay people the benefits they are due - costing 700,000 families an average of £285 each and every month.”