Sir John Major - Call For Universal Credit U-Turn Falls On Deaf Ears

There will be no u-turn over Universal Credit despite pleas from former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major, Ministers have made clear.

Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke told the House of Commons that the roll-out of the new benefits system is “proceeding to plan, gradually and sensibly”.

Universal Credit is a new benefit designed to replace a number of existing payments, including housing benefit, and has been introduced gradually in different parts of the country.

But there is growing concern that it is pushing people into debt, because initial payments are delayed for up to six weeks.

Newcastle was the first entire city to get Universal Credit, and the city council has warned that claimants are now £1.1 million in areas on their rent.

And Universal Credit is set to come to some parts of the West Midlands in the run-up to Christmas, when some families are already likely to be running up debts.

Sir John called for a review of Universal Credit in an article published on Sunday, saying the new benefit “is operationally messy, socially unfair and unforgiving.”

He wrote: “It is time for the Conservative Party to show its heart again, which is all too often concealed by its financial prudence.”

But questioned in the Commons, Mr Gauke insisted Universal Credit was helping people find work.

He said: “Those who go into Universal Credit are more likely to be working six months later than they would be had they been on the legacy benefits.”

Conservative MPs who expressed concern included Andrew Selous, who represents South West Derbyshire.

Image: Andrew Selous MP. 

He suggested volunteers could be placed in job centres, which deal with benefits, to help claimants fill in their application forms.

The number of Tory MPs prepared to rebel over the issue has grown to around 25, according to the Daily Telegraph, although it is unclear how they hope to influence the Government as key votes on the new system have already taken place.

Meanwhile: Almost half a million additional people are likely to be in poverty by 2020/21 as a result of the four year freeze on benefits combined with higher-than-forecast inflation, according to a new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).