Universal Credit
Work and Pensions
Stephen Timms (East Ham, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his answer of 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1320W, whether it remains his policy that, from October 2013, all new applications for out-of-work support will be treated as claims to universal credit; and if he will make a statement.
Chris Grayling (Minister of State (Employment), Work and Pensions; Epsom and Ewell, Conservative)
I can confirm that new claims to universal credit will be taken from October 2013 with new claims to the current benefits and credits being gradually phased out by the end of April 2014.
From April 2013 we will be accepting claims for universal credit from a small number of claimants in the Greater Manchester and Cheshire area. This will be an early controlled implementation and will ensure that we can learn from our experiences in advance of the formal October 2013 go live.