House of Lords launches inquiry into economics of Universal Credit

The House of Lords' Economic Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into the economics of Universal Credit and is seeking submissions from anyone with experience of, or expertise on, the issues around Universal Credit. SFHA intends to make a submission and will host a roundtable discussion to gather members' views.

The focus of the inquiry is on whether Universal Credit is meeting its original objectives and whether the policy assumptions reflected in its design are appropriate for different groups of claimants. It will also examine the extent to which Universal Credit meets the needs of claimants in today’s labour market and changing world of work.

The committee is seeking answers to the following questions:

• How well has Universal Credit met its original objectives?
• Were the original objectives and assumptions the right ones? How should they change?
• What have been the positive and negative economic effects of Universal Credit?
• What effect has fiscal retrenchment had on the ability of Universal Credit to successfully deliver its objectives?
• Which claimants have benefited most from the Universal Credit reforms and which have lost out?
• How has the world of work changed since the introduction of Universal Credit? Does Universal Credit’s design adequately reflect the reality of low-paid work?
• If Universal Credit does not adequately reflect the lived experiences of low-paid workers, how should it be reformed?

The roundtable will be on Thursday 13 February from 10:30-12:00, in the SFHA office at 149 St. Vincent Street and you can book your place here

Jeremy Hewer, SFHA Policy Lead, said: "This is an opportunity to highlight the cost to social landlords to support their tenants and to protect rental income. From the impact surveys that we regularly send out, the returns consistently tell of the higher than average arrears that tenants on Universal Credit have and of the need to support tenancy sustainment."