General Chat

how it is working now in the areas that already have it? I know there were a lot of reports on failures in the system when it was introduced ( not to mention the debacle with the software !)

Just asking because at the job centre '50 + group session' I attended today the advisors said it was being brought in here in January, and "things were going to get much tougher" all round.

For example I can see problems with people getting their benefits monthly instead of weekly and not paying their rent on time ( or maybe at all). I don't rent but I did notice a few people in the group who paled at the thought.

Maybe it would be a good idea if they trained some of the long term unemployed, or older unemployed to be 'money management advisors' for when that comes in countrywide?

It's very difficult to 'manage money' when you don't have any :-(
You pay the bills and, if you're lucky eat on what's left.
If bills are paid monthly and money is paid weekly, (or vice-versa) the two won't match.

I subscribe to various House of Commons reports and the general gist of all reports since the advent of the Universal Credit can be summed up as follows - a total debacle with millions wasted on failed IT systems, ministers have lost their way and have no idea how it will work in cases other that those cases that are straight forward, and the whole project is way behind schedule.

From Universal Credit: Early Progress Report\;-

The Department accepts that timescales have slipped and that value has not been secured from the £425 million invested so far. There has been a shocking absence of financial and other internal controls and we are not yet convinced that the Department has robust plans to overcome the problems that have impeded progress. Our recommendations are designed to help get the programme back on track. In particular the Department needs a robust plan on how to transform its business and what is required from the new IT systems it intends to use to support the transformation.

If the Department is to secure the benefits it seeks, the new IT capabilities must enable more online operations, must address fraud risks, and result in ***a system capable of handling the real-world complexities of claimants' circumstances***. The Department must be realistic and transparent about its expected costs and timescales, and the milestones against which we can hold it to account. We believe strongly that meeting any specific timetable from now on is less important than delivering the programme successfully.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpubacc/619/61903.htm