DWP calls in Citizens Advice to aid rollout of universal credit to claimants

The organisation has repeatedly raised alarming concerns over the rollout of universal credit, and last year said its expansion was a 'disaster waiting to happen'

Citizens Advice Bureau has been called in to aid the highly contentious rollout of the government’s flagship welfare programme, Esther McVey has revealed as she announced a £39m fund for the partnership.

Ms McVey, the work and pensions secretary, said the cash would fund advisers to help claimants get their first payment on time and be ready to manage it when it arrives.

Citizens Advice - a network of independent charities – has repeatedly raised alarming concerns over the rollout of universal credit, and last year said its expansion was a “disaster waiting to happen” with claimants being pushed into further debt.

Announcing the move at the Tories’ annual conference in Birmingham, Ms McVey said the decision to hand responsibility to Citizens Advice was taken after advice from claimants and charities.

“I have always said we will steer a new direction and work with partners to deliver vital services, and get universal credit right,” she told delegates gathered in the main conference hall.

“The state cannot, and should not work in isolation and must reach out to work with independent, trusted organisations to get the best support to vulnerable people.

“This brand new partnership with Citizens Advice will ensure everyone, and in particular the most vulnerable claimants, get the best possible support with their claim that is consistently administered throughout the country.

“Which is why today, I can announce a new, national partnership with Citizens Advice to deliver Universal Support across the UK, worth £39 million from 2019.”

Responding to the announcement, Gillian Guy, the chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “We offer independent and confidential advice to millions of people every year, and have already helped nearly 150,000 people with universal credit. We’ve seen first-hand what can happen when people struggle to make a claim and their payments delayed.

“We welcome the opportunity to provide even more people with the help they need with universal credit, and deliver consistent service through the Citizens Advice network across England and Wales.

“Delivering this service will give us even greater insight into the universal credit system. We’ll continue to share our evidence with the government to help make sure universal credit works for everyone.”

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said the £39m of funding will be made available from April next year and will be allocated from the £200m Universal Support fund – launched in 2015.

But Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, Margaret Greenwood, said the announcement at the Conservative conference “came with no new money and no new answers to the major flaws in universal credit”.

She continued: “Over four million children are growing up in poverty, and that figure is set to rise by another million by 2022.

“Her refusal to recognise the impact of her policies on some of the most vulnerable in our society is shameful.”

Stephen Lloyd, a Liberal Democrat MP and the party’s welfare spokesperson, added: “The announcement of a partnership with Citizens Advice to help claimants navigate the bureaucratic swamp of universal credit, but is mere tinkering around the edges compared to the huge funding cuts and flawed design that have made the rollout of the benefit such a disaster.”