Work and Pensions Secretary under fire after failing to answer MPs' questions on Universal Credit

John Ashmore

Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke has been condemned after he failed to answer four letters from a powerful Commons committee about the rollout of Universal Credit.



Veteran Labour MP Frank Field, who chairs the Work and Pensions Select Committee, said Mr Gauke's department was either "deliberately concealing" information or was so "incompetent" it had failed to answer basic questions about the troubled scheme.

The committee's letters sought further clarification and information on the new benefit, which has been beset by delays and cost over-runs since it was launched by Iain Duncan Smith.

Dozens of Tory MPs have indicated they may rebel against the Government in order to halt the nationwide rollout of the programme, with concerns that many vulnerable claimants are facing weeks of delay in receiving their benefit payments.

“For claimants not to receive money from Universal Credit is usually a disaster. For the Secretary of State not to answer letters shows either a huge discourtesy to Parliament or a sign that the Government knows the game is nearly up in trying to present this mega-reform as a success," Mr Field said.



“I don’t know if the DWP is deliberately concealing information about Universal Credit or is simply incompetent. Either way, it is not good enough. This has obvious echoes in the far greater failure of not paying hungry claimants on time."

'VERY BAD NEWS'

Mr Field suggested that the failure to provide the MPs with information indicated serious problems with the programme.

“Given everything we have heard, I was surprised that David Gauke opted to proceed with the accelerated rollout. I strongly suspect his decision, together with the failure to tell us anything, reflects a culture at the DWP of those most invested in Universal Credit not telling anyone, including their Ministers, bad news.

"The overwhelming picture we are getting is that Universal Credit as currently configured is very bad news. We have heard nothing, to the contrary or otherwise, from those running it.”

PoliticsHome has asked for a response from the DWP to Mr Field's comments.