National Audit Office Universal Credit Early Progress Hc 621

Author : Great Britain. National Audit Office
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 60 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2013-09-05
Category : Public welfare
ISBN : 0102986142

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National Audit Office: Universal Credit: Early Progress - HC 621 by Great Britain. National Audit Office Pdf

This report concludes that the Department for Work and Pensions has not achieved value for money in its early implementation of Universal Credit. The Department was overly ambitious in both the timetable and scope of the programme, took risks to try to meet the short timescale and used a new project management approach which it had never before used on a programme of this size and complexity. It was unable to explain how it originally decided on its ambitious plans or evaluated their feasibility. Nor did it have any adequate measures of progress. Over 70 per cent of the £425 million spent to date has been on IT systems, and £34 million of its new IT systems has been written off. The existing systems offer limited functionality - the current IT system lacks a component to identify potentially fraudulent claims so that the Department has to rely on multiple manual checks on claims and payments. Problems with the IT system have delayed national roll-out of the programme, which will reduce the expected benefits of reform and - if the 2017 completion date remains - increase risks by requiring the rapid migration of a large volume of claimants. The source of many problems has been the absence of a detailed view of how Universal Credit is meant to work. In addition, poor control and decision-making undermined confidence in the programme and contributed to a lack of progress. The Department has particularly lacked IT expertise and experienced frequent changes in senior management.

Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Work and Pensions Committee,Anne Dame Begg
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 40 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2014-04-09
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780215070760

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Universal Credit Implementation: Monitoring DWP's Performance in 1012-13 - HC 1209 by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Work and Pensions Committee,Anne Dame Begg Pdf

There remains worrying uncertainty about the new Universal Credit (UC) IT system. This includes how it will work, how much it will cost, and who will develop it. National roll-out of UC was due to begin in October 2013. But problems with IT systems meant that major changes to the implementation timetable were made in July and then again in December 2013. Currently, UC claims are still limited to 10 Pathfinder Jobcentres. New claims are not expected to be extended to the whole of Great Britain until 2016; and the bulk of existing claimants will not move over to UC until 2016-17. Only 4,280 people were claiming Universal Credit by December 2013 and the majority of these claims were of the simplest nature. By comparison, in the same month, 1.22 million people were claiming Jobseekers Allowance. The DWP is developing a new 'end-state solution' for UC IT which will eventually replace the IT system currently in use in the UC Pathfinders. This is costing £25-32 million to develop up to November 2014, with no indication of how much more it will cost in the long-term. The Government has hampered the Committee's scrutiny of UC implementation by not providing accurate, timely and detailed information. And there is a lack of detail on how support for vulnerable people being provided in partnership with local authorities, housing providers and the voluntary sector will operate. Delays to UC implementation mean that local authorities will now administer housing benefit for much longer than anticipated.

Author : Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 52 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2013-12-17
Category : Law
ISBN : 0102987416

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National Audit Office - Criminal Justice System: Confiscation Orders - HC 738 by Great Britain: National Audit Office Pdf

Government has no overall coherent strategy for confiscation orders and this fundamentally undermines the process for confiscating assets. In 2012-13, 673,000 offenders were convicted of a crime, many of which had a financial element, yet only 6,400 confiscation orders were set. The annual amount of fraud perpetrated by criminals in England and Wales has been estimated by the National Fraud Authority as some £52 billion. On this basis, it has been further estimated that, out of every £100 generated by the criminal economy, £99.65 was kept by the perpetrators. Without the government knowing what constitutes the overall success of its policy, the bodies involved have no way of knowing which criminals or court cases should be prioritized for confiscation activity. Action was not taken early enough in many cases and this, together with out-of-date ICT systems, data errors and poor joint working, hampers the efficiency and effectiveness of enforcing confiscation orders. Throughout the criminal justice system, there is insufficient awareness of the proceeds of crime and its potential impact. Confiscation orders have a low profile within law enforcement agencies, with low awareness of financial legislation outside specialist teams. This results in many cases not being considered for confiscation. Owing to a lack of data and agreed success criteria, it is impossible to make meaningful cost-benefit assessments of the enforcement of different orders. Where confiscation orders are made and not paid, the main sanctions do not work. The Courts and Tribunals Service found that in 2012, only two per cent of offenders paid in full once the sentence was imposed.

Author : Peter Sloman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2019-10-24
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780192542748

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Transfer State by Peter Sloman Pdf

The idea of a guaranteed minimum income has been central to British social policy debates for more than a century. Since the First World War, a variety of market economists, radical activists, and social reformers have emphasized the possibility of tackling poverty through direct cash transfers between the state and its citizens. As manufacturing employment has declined and wage inequality has grown since the 1970s, cash benefits and tax credits have become an important source of income for millions of working-age households, including many low-paid workers with children. The nature and purpose of these transfer payments, however, remain highly contested. Conservative and New Labour governments have used in-work benefits and conditionality requirements to 'activate' the unemployed and reinforce the incentives to take low-paid work - an approach which has reached its apogee in Universal Credit. By contrast, a growing number of campaigners have argued that the challenge of providing economic security in an age of automation would be better met by paying a Universal Basic Income to all citizens. Transfer State provides the first detailed history of guaranteed income proposals in modern Britain, which brings together intellectual history and archival research to show how the pursuit of an integrated tax and benefit system has shaped UK public policy since 1918. The result is a major new analysis of the role of cash transfers in the British welfare state which sets Universal Credit in a historical perspective and examines the cultural and political barriers to a Universal Basic Income.

Author : M. Beech,S. Lee
Publisher : Springer
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2015-04-08
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781137461377

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The Conservative-Liberal Coalition by M. Beech,S. Lee Pdf

This book offers a unique full term analysis of the Cameron-Clegg Government. From austerity to gay marriage, the Scottish referendum to combating IS, it brings together expert academic voices to provide rigorous yet readable insights on the key areas of government politics and the debates which will shape the 2015 general election.

Author : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Liaison Committee
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 24 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2013-12-12
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0215064909

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House of Commons - Liaison Committee: Civil Service: Lacking Capacity - HC 884 by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Liaison Committee Pdf

Public service contracts with the private sector need to deliver good quality services and value-for-money for the taxpayer. Select Committees scrutinising the work of departments across Government have found that, on too many occasions, the Civil Service has failed to design effective contracts or to monitor contracts adequately. This report has collated this evidence and demonstrated that there are systemic failings in Civil Service contract management. We have raised specific concerns about the paucity of commercial skills, and officials feeling unable to speak truth to power. The Committee therefore supports the establishment of a Parliamentary Commission on the Civil Service to examine the capacity, skills and operation of Government departments. The contracts issue demonstrates how significantly the role of the Civil Service has changed since the Northcote-Trevelyan Report set out the principles on which it should operate. A coherent analysis of the state of the Civil Service, and the requirements placed upon it, would help to improve governance across Whitehall, and help to eliminate the contract-management failures seen in recent years

Author : Chris Grover
Publisher : Springer
Page : 291 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2016-04-30
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781137293978

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Social Security and Wage Poverty by Chris Grover Pdf

This is the first book to examine debates about, and the practice of, state supplementing of wages. It charts the historical development of such policies from prohibition in the 1830s and how opposition to it was overcome in the 1970s, thereby allowing the increasing supplementation of the wages of poorly paid working people.

Author : Steffen Lehndorff
Publisher : ETUI
Page : 369 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2014-04-01
Category : Europe
ISBN : 9782874523328

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Divisive integration. The triumph of failed ideas in Europe — revisited by Steffen Lehndorff Pdf

This book is a follow-up to the ETUI 2012 volume 'The triumph of failed ideas'. The focus of the book is the weight attributed to the different economic and social development paths in ten individual EU countries, and their interaction with the austerity regime established at EU level which in fact is deepening the crisis rather than paving ways out of it. The most dangerous implication of this policy approach is, according to this study, that it is driving countries apart - misleadingly in the name of 'Europe', hence the title of the book 'divisive integration'. The main message of the book is that a gradual recovery is possible only if there is a change of course in individual countries that then triggers reactions in the policies of other countries and perturbations at the EU level. However, these changes in individual countries is no longer feasible without a green light or at least toleration from the level of the European institutions.

Author : Daly, Mary,Kelly, Grace
Publisher : Policy Press
Page : 242 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2015-02-25
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781447318828

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Families and Poverty by Daly, Mary,Kelly, Grace Pdf

The recent radical cutbacks of the welfare state in the United Kingdom have kept poverty and income management at the heart of intellectual, public, and policy discourse. This innovative book adds to that conversation, taking as its focus the role and significance of family in the context of poverty and low-income conditions. Based on a micro-level study carried out in 2011 and 2012 with fifty-one families in Northern Ireland, it draws from fresh empirical evidence to offer a new theorization of the relationship between family life and poverty. Different chapters explore such topics as parenting, the management of money, family support, and local engagement. Together, they detail the practices of constructing and managing family life and relationships in circumstances of poverty, making this book of interest to a wide readership including policy makers.

Author : Neville Harris
Publisher : A&C Black
Page : 388 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2014-07-18
Category : Law
ISBN : 9781782252757

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Law in a Complex State by Neville Harris Pdf

Approximately half of the total UK population are in receipt of one or more welfare benefits, giving rise to the largest single area of government expenditure. The law and structures of social security are highly complex, made more so by constant adjustments as government pursues its often conflicting economic, political and social policy objectives. This complexity is highly problematic. It contributes to errors in decision-making and to increased administrative costs and is seen as disempowering for citizens, thereby weakening enjoyment of a key social right. Current and previous administrations have committed to simplifying the benefits system. It is a specific objective of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, which provides for the introduction of Universal Credit in place of diverse benefits. However, it is unclear whether the reformed system will be either less complex legally or more accessible for citizens. This book seeks to explain how and why complexity in the modern welfare system has grown; to identify the different ways in which legal and associated administrative arrangements are classifiable as 'complex'; to discuss the effects of complexity on the system's administration and its wider implications for rights and the citizen-state relationship; and to consider the role that law can play in the simplification of schemes of welfare. While primarily focused on the UK welfare system it also provides analysis of relevant policies and experience in various other states.

Author : Page, Robert M.
Publisher : Policy Press
Page : 212 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2016-06-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781447334545

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Clear blue water? by Page, Robert M. Pdf

Has the modern Conservative Party developed a distinctive approach to the post-war welfare state? In exploring this question, this accessible book takes an authoritative look at Conservative Party policy and practice in the modern era. The book takes as its main starting point the progressive One Nation Conservative (1950-64) perspective, which endeavoured to embrace those features of the welfare state deemed compatible with the party’s underlying 'philosophy'. Attention then shifts to the neo-liberal Conservatives (1974-97), who sought to reverse the forward march of the welfare state on the grounds of its 'harmful’ economic and social effects. Finally, David Cameron’s (2005-present day) 'progressive’ neo-liberal Conservative welfare state strategy is put under the spotlight. The book’s time-defined content and broad historical thread make it a valuable resource for academics and students in social policy and politics as well as social history.

Author : Stationery Office (Great Britain)
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 574 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Government publications
ISBN : OSU:32435087610978

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The Stationery Office Annual Catalogue by Stationery Office (Great Britain) Pdf

Author : Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 484 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Great Britain
ISBN : UIUC:30112106451740

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Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons Pdf

Author : Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
Publisher : James Lorimer & Company
Page : 673 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2015-07-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9781459410695

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Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Volume One: Summary by Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Pdf

This is the Final Report of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its six-year investigation of the residential school system for Aboriginal youth and the legacy of these schools. This report, the summary volume, includes the history of residential schools, the legacy of that school system, and the full text of the Commission's 94 recommendations for action to address that legacy. This report lays bare a part of Canada's history that until recently was little-known to most non-Aboriginal Canadians. The Commission discusses the logic of the colonization of Canada's territories, and why and how policy and practice developed to end the existence of distinct societies of Aboriginal peoples. Using brief excerpts from the powerful testimony heard from Survivors, this report documents the residential school system which forced children into institutions where they were forbidden to speak their language, required to discard their clothing in favour of institutional wear, given inadequate food, housed in inferior and fire-prone buildings, required to work when they should have been studying, and subjected to emotional, psychological and often physical abuse. In this setting, cruel punishments were all too common, as was sexual abuse. More than 30,000 Survivors have been compensated financially by the Government of Canada for their experiences in residential schools, but the legacy of this experience is ongoing today. This report explains the links to high rates of Aboriginal children being taken from their families, abuse of drugs and alcohol, and high rates of suicide. The report documents the drastic decline in the presence of Aboriginal languages, even as Survivors and others work to maintain their distinctive cultures, traditions, and governance. The report offers 94 calls to action on the part of governments, churches, public institutions and non-Aboriginal Canadians as a path to meaningful reconciliation of Canada today with Aboriginal citizens. Even though the historical experience of residential schools constituted an act of cultural genocide by Canadian government authorities, the United Nation's declaration of the rights of aboriginal peoples and the specific recommendations of the Commission offer a path to move from apology for these events to true reconciliation that can be embraced by all Canadians.

Author : Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher : The Stationery Office
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2012-05-02
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 0102977089

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Assurance for major projects by Great Britain: National Audit Office Pdf

This National Audit Office report is on assurance for major government projects, such as the introduction of large IT systems, the construction of ships and helicopters and major changes to how services are delivered. There are 205 projects in the Government Major Project Portfolio, with a combined whole-life cost of £376 billion, and annual cost of £14.6 billion. Thirty nine of those projects have a delivery confidence rating of 'red' or 'amber/red'. The report supports the changes that government has made to the central assurance system for such projects - in particular, the launch of the Major Projects Authority - and finds that they have resulted in some significant impacts. However, the system is not yet 'built to last'. Processes need to be formalised, and the Authority, HM Treasury and departments need to co-operate more if these improvements are to continue. Transparent reporting of project data would also create a more effective and enduring system. An effective central system that gives assurance over project progress is critical for ensuring successful outcomes. Capacity constraints have had an impact on the effectiveness of the assurance system. The Authority is reporting on 160 more projects as part of the portfolio and carrying out more in-depth assurance work, but has 40 per cent fewer staff than the body it replaced. As a result, processes for sharing project lessons and for continuously improving the system remain informal, and there is overdependence on key individuals in the system.