Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Universal Credit: Assessment

Monday 11 November 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department has adopted an iterative approach to updating the universal credit system.
  • The Minister will look at details of a constituent's case described as odd by the hon member.
  • The Minister is willing to meet the hon member to discuss the case and identify what went wrong.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mike Martin Lib Dem Tunbridge Wells
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question arises from concerns about the effectiveness of the universal credit assessment process, particularly in cases involving individuals with significant health issues.

Question

What assessment has she made of the effectiveness of the universal credit assessment system?

Answer from Stephen Timms

The Department has adopted an iterative approach, updating the universal credit system to reflect user needs as they develop. The new Government are committed to reviewing universal credit to make sure that it is doing the job we need it to.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assessment of effectiveness not provided

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Mike Martin Lib Dem Tunbridge Wells
Benefits & Welfare
Context

A constituent experienced significant health issues following an operation and was deemed unfit for work by medical professionals but failed a universal credit health check.

Question

Does the Minister think that it sounds right that my constituent who spent six hours awake during an operation and was deemed unfit for work by her GP and a clinical psychologist went through a half-hour telephone assessment which deemed her fit to work, so she does not get universal credit and it was not backdated?

Answer from Stephen Timms

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for drawing my attention to that. What he has described sounds very odd indeed, and I will be happy to look at the details if he will let me see them. We are absolutely committed to making sure that universal credit does the job that we need it to, including for people in the situation that his constituent has found herself in.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment to review case not provided

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q3 Graeme Downie Lab Dunfermline and Dollar
Benefits & Welfare
Context

A constituent, a veteran and carer, was awarded carer's allowance in 2017 but later faced demands to return more than £51,000 in universal credit overpayments taken from his state pension.

Question

Will the Minister meet me to discuss this case so that I can help my constituent?

Answer from Stephen Timms

As my hon. Friend will know, there have been some very troubling cases of carer's allowance overpayment. I am not sure whether carer's allowance is part of the overpayment he describes, but I will be very happy to meet him to discuss what has gone wrong in this case.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific confirmation that carer's allowance is involved not provided

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email