Universal credit: Amber Rudd insists transfer of three million benefit claimants still scheduled for 2020

Remarks from work and pensions secretary follow decision to delay imminent vote

Cabinet minister Amber Rudd has insisted the transfer of three million benefit claimants to universal credit will still go ahead, despite delaying a vote in the Commons in the face of a cross-party revolt.

The work and pensions secretary made the remarks as she reiterated a trial scheme of 10,000 individuals will be undertaken in the summer after serious concerns were raised over the new benefit pushing people into poverty.

MPs had been due to vote on whether to transfer claimants onto the new welfare scheme, which rolls six payments into one, in the coming weeks.

But the imminent vote has now be delayed and only after the experiment involving 10,000 individuals will MPs be asked to vote on the government's flagship welfare reform.

Speaking in the Commons, Ms Rudd said: "I still want to consider carefully when to bring the House the vote for the three million managed migration, which is scheduled for 2020. I'm still considering when to do that."

"The 10,000 pilot as always, which was announced some time ago, informs us how we do that," she added.

Ms Rudd, who described the welfare reform as a "tremendously ambitious" project, said the rolling out of universal credit would be a "test and learn" process.

It follows a report in the Observer, which said the work and pensions secretary is rethinking the rollout of the universal credit. A Whitehall source told the newspaper that Ms Rudd wanted "universal credit to receive a fresh parliamentary mandate and be personally sure the system is working in the interest of every claimant."

Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary, Margaret Greenwood, reiterated her party's call to halt the benefit rollout entirely, claiming: "Universal credit is being used as a vehicle for cuts to social security, pushing many people into poverty, rent arrears and to food banks so will the secretary of state now stop the rollout?"

But Ms Rudd responded saying Labour should "think again" about their attitude to the benefit, adding: "It is doing a good job".

Speaking on Sunday, Theresa May also claimed that universal credit would still be fully rolled out by the date set by the DWP of 2023.

The prime minister said: "Throughout the introduction of universal credit we've been clear that we would roll it out as a steady process, learn as we go along, make changes, we've done that.

"We'll be saying more about it in the coming weeks but it will still be fully rolled out by 2023 as was originally intended."

Elsewhere in the session, Ms Rudd confirmed that the DWP has been allocated £15m for 2019-20 for Brexit preparations, as she insisted her department was "100 per cent ready for any eventuality".