More Universal Credit delays

Sun,27 October 2013
News

Instead of the expected six Jobcentre areas, selected for the much vaunted roll out of Universal Credit, the lot falls to humble Hammersmith to be the sole ‘flagship’ for the new benefit.

From today new jobseekers in Hammersmith will be able to make a claim for Universal Credit provided, that is, you are a single jobseeker. Anyone with more complex needs will have to wait.

Hammersmith Jobcentre Plus will also start trialling ‘intensive’ support for new jobseekers. Claimants will have 4 face-to-face interviews with their Work Coach within the first 2 weeks of their Universal Credit claim – with the first lasting 90 minutes.

Jobseekers will also be required to sign the new ‘Claimant Commitment’, which sets out what jobseekers must do in order to receive benefit.

It is intended that the Claimant Commitment is introduced in 100 jobcentres a month until it’s fully in place nationally in the spring.

Meanwhile the roll out of Universal Credit will proceed at a more sedate pace, expanding to the Rugby, Inverness, Harrogate, Bath and Shotton jobcentre areas by the spring.

You can view the DWP press release about this news at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/universal-credit-expands-to-london

For more about Universal Credit see our Factsheet F55 - universal credit.