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The Report

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Original insights into major news stories and topical investigations

The current affairs series combining original insights into major news stories with topical investigations

The Report: Universal Credit

Universal Credit

10/10/2013

BBC Radio 4 - The Report, Universal Credit

IT problems have scuppered an overhaul of the benefits system. What went wrong?

Combining original insights into major news stories with topical investigations. IT problems have scuppered an overhaul of the benefits system. What went wrong?

In The Report this week Simon Cox finds out why the Department for Work and Pensions has struggled to create an IT system that can deliver Universal Credit.

The government announced in 2010 that it planned to create a single payment - combining six of the current benefits available for those struggling financially. The plan for Universal Credit was developed in Opposition by Iain Duncan Smith, now Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

It was envisioned that there would be a pilot in April 2013, with the system rolled out to all new out-of-work claimants by October 2013. By 2017 all those in receipt of benefits should be claiming Universal Credit.

However, it was announced earlier this year that the pilot would only include a very small number of new claimants - the most simple to process. The national roll-out has now been scaled back. And in September this year the National Audit Office produced a damning report, saying the project had been beset with problems.

But was the plan too ambitious in the first place? Or could better management have delivered the project to the timescales originally set out? Simon Cox travels to the areas of Greater Manchester where the new benefit is being trialled to see how Universal Credit is being welcomed.

Producer: Charlotte McDonald.

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