Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on figures revealing the government have only achieved 0.3 per cent (3780) of their target of getting one million people on Universal Credit by April 2014, said:

“David Cameron promised one million people would be in Universal Credit by Tuesday but the latest government figures show just 3,780 people are.

“Ministers have repeatedly promised Universal Credit is, ‘on time and on budget’, but with only 3,780 people signed up it’s clear that the project is in big trouble.

“How many more millions of pounds of taxpayers money will be poured down the drain by ministers before they get a grip of this troubled programme?“

Ends

Editor’s Notes:

1. The government have only achieved 0.3% (3780) of their target of getting one million people on Universal Credit by April 2014.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-statistics-apr-2013-to-31-dec-2013

2. The total number of people on Universal Credit (3,780) is less than 4% of the total number of people (98,549) who work in the Department for Work and Pensions
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/264555/dwp-annual-report-accounts-2012-2013.pdf

3. Timeline;
July 2010: Government published Green Paper “21st Century Welfare” in which the IT changes that would be necessary would not “constitute a major IT project”.
Nov 2010: Stephen Timms writes to IDS stating there is “a serious risk that it will not be ready for new applicants by October 2013.
Nov 2011: IDS claims over one million people will be claiming Universal Credit by 2014.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/iain-duncan-smith-sets-out-next-steps-for-moving-claimants-onto-universal-credit
June 2012: DWP limits introduction for new benefits to just one Jobcentre per region
Dec 2012: DWP announces roll-out would only apply to the most straightforward claims
Aug 2013: Lord Freud confirms the 6 Jobcentres would only accept new claims from unemployed single claimants
Sept 2013: Iain Duncan Smith says Universal Creddit will be delivered, “on time and within budget”.
Sept 2013: National Audit Office publish scathing report which finds £34mn of IT write-offs and says the programme must” scale back its original delivery ambition”. It also found a culture of good news reporting and a fortress mentality.
Oct 2013: Iain Duncan Smith says, “Universal Credit will roll out very well and it will be on time and within budget”.
Nov 2013: Public Accounts Committee publish their scathing report identifying at least £140 million of write-offs.
Nov 2013: Iain Duncan Smith confirms Universal Credit will not meet his 2015 deadline. Autumn Statement reveals that instead of the 1.7 million people expected to be on Universal Credit by 2017 there will now just be a handful.
Jan 2014 – Francis Maude calls the roll out of Universal Credit, ‘lamentable’.
Feb 2014 – DWP admits Universal Credit claimants are not included in official unemployment figures