Universal Credit to be rolled out to only 6 Job Centers in October

[ivykaty44]

and only to single people without children - as they can't seem to make it work...

blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/archives/34867

So I guess Tax Credits will continue for longer and people will be able to live a bit easier

[AuntieStella]

I think it is a good thing that they are prepared to slow down the roll out. They started small in the first place: I remember criticism then that they were making it small so it would be easy to present it as working, then they'd plunge on. This shows that was not the case: they are moving slowly to implementation, and troubleshooting all the way, and would rather lose time (which is costly, especially the nearer it gets to an election) than bring in a system that doesn't work.

[ivykaty44]

They know it isn't going to work and have done for the last 18mounths, DC tried to move IDS of this and loss it but IDS stood firm and they have wasted millions of pounds trying to save less

[niceguy2]

I don't think there has ever been a successful government run IT project which has arrived on time, under budget and delivered to specification.

In that context I wouldn't be overly optimistic that UC will be the same.

But that said.....longer term I think UC is a step forward to removing the benefits trap many are facing today.

Yes there of course will be teething problems. Many will not like the new system and many will be pointing out exceptions then using it to argue the entire system is flawed.

But I will wait and see with an open mind because the current system is hardly flawless either.

[flatpackhamster]

And if they'd rolled it out nationwide regardless of the problems and it had been a disaster, what would you have said then?

[AudrinaAdare]

If IDS was any one of us he'd have been sacked at his performance review.

[Leithlurker]

yea teething problems, self employed people, those on low wages, zero hour contract workers, all about to be sanctioned for not earning enough or working long enough hours. With teething problems like that you cannot hope for anything else than a swift end.

[niceguy2]

FPH, IF they'd have done that then of course it would be wrong. But it does appear that they are taking care.

Of course there will be problems which the press will no doubt report with glee and MN will be awash with complaints.

But for me the yardstick is that the project should be at least 100% smoother than the introduction of tax credits and the CSA system. If that's the case I'd give it a cautious welcome. Time will tell of course.

My point is that it's a large scale government project so it's never realistically going to be 100% bug free. Even if it were, the losers from UC will hate it with a passion and many will hate it just because it's change. We need to give it time to bed down before jumping to conclusions.

[morethanpotatoprints]

The trial was scrapped in my town, my friend is a cs and was working on the trial. There were three other towns in NW originally trialling, not sure what's happening with them. My friend told me it was always going to be single people without kids.
When you look at what will change from Tax credits it isn't much.
The unfortunate thing is that the real needy like carers and the disabled will lose the most. I really hope it all falls on its ass.

[NicknameIncomplete]

This governments idea may sound good - lets reform the welfare system, lets sort out the housing issue.

Both of these sound like good ideas but the way the government have gone about it is wrong.

There was a report not long ago sayin that rent arrears have massively increased and bigger houses are laying empty as no one wants them/or can afford them.

Universal credit isnt going to work.

[AudrinaAdare]

On phone and can't link but worth googling wrt self employment. Tax advisors ages ago saying a monthly net income figure is totally unworkable because of how business expenditure is calculated in practice. You would almost think that the government wanted to actively prevent the lower-orders, in a shrunken job market, from trying to create their own opportunities as a way to force them onto Workfare if you were cynical. The means testing of child benefit has already screwed with the principle of individual taxation so I doubt the tax issues will be listened to. So much wrong with this...

[Meglet]

Glad to hear it might take a long time for it to be implemented, hopefully it will fade away quietly.

[Darkesteyes]

So basically childless singles are getting the shitty end of the stick again. Im a married carer but that is bloody unfair. The whole system is fucked and that includes everything ....workfare zero hours contracts etc.