Labour questions Matt Hancock claim he has received no Universal Credit complaints

Liz Bates

Labour has today contested a claim by Cabinet minister Matt Hancock that he has received no complaints from constituents about the Universal Credit welfare scheme.



The flagship programme has caused controversy as it has been rolled out across the country, with reports emerging of financial hardship experienced by claimants.

Former Prime Minister John Major last week warned that if the scheme wasn’t reformed it could be as damaging to the Tories as the Poll Tax was in the early 1990s.

And today 27 Conservative MPs wrote to the Chancellor calling for £2-3bn in extra funding to ensure that some groups were not left “significantly out of pocket”.

But the Health Secretary this morning defended the policy, telling the BBC’s Andrew Marr show: “I have seen Universal Credit in operation in my own constituency where I have had no letters on it at all - whereas you normally get a pretty good feel for how much of a problem it is.

“I have sat there with the work coaches meeting people who are on Universal Credit and seen how, the way that it works means that people can be helped into work much more easily.”

However, Labour’s Andrew Gwynne later questioned the claim on social media.

The shadow communities secretary tweeted: “It’s unbelievable that Matt Hancock hasn’t had a single constituent raise Universal Credit with him.

“UNBELIEVABLE. And you know what? Its so unbelievable I don’t believe him!”

Health & Social Care Secretary @MattHancock defends controversial universal credit policy #marr pic.twitter.com/OQkSesDxga — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) October 14, 2018