Chris Bryant MP, Labour’s Shadow Welfare Reform Minister, said:

“Iain Duncan Smith has repeatedly broken his promises on Universal Credit. He promised a million people would be claiming Universal Credit by April 2014, but the latest figures show fewer than 15,000 people are claiming the new benefit.

“Today Iain Duncan Smith promised 100,000 people will be on Universal Credit by May 2015. But that’s only around one per cent of the total number of people who are expected to claim the new benefit.

“£130 million has already been wasted by ministers on Universal Credit and today’s announcement confirming further delays to the government’s flagship welfare reform is extremely worrying.

“Labour wants Universal Credit to work and we would call in the National Audit Office to urgently review the delivery of this £12.8 billion programme. But there’s still no sign that David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith can actually deliver their flagship reform.”