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| Teething troubles on day one of universal credit pilot scheme | Teething troubles on day one of universal credit pilot scheme |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| If the quality of the spelling on the first page of the universal credit online application offers any insight into the overall readiness for the launch, then it is tempting to speculate that preparations were somewhat rushed. | If the quality of the spelling on the first page of the universal credit online application offers any insight into the overall readiness for the launch, then it is tempting to speculate that preparations were somewhat rushed. |
| The first step of the claim form for the government's flagship welfare reform initiative, billed as the biggest change to the benefits system for 60 years, invites people to input a security code, "seperating" each word with a space. | The first step of the claim form for the government's flagship welfare reform initiative, billed as the biggest change to the benefits system for 60 years, invites people to input a security code, "seperating" each word with a space. |
| It was impossible to gauge whether things improved on later pages, because at the town hall in Tameside, Greater Manchester, the first place to pilot the scheme, no claimants turned up in person on day one. | It was impossible to gauge whether things improved on later pages, because at the town hall in Tameside, Greater Manchester, the first place to pilot the scheme, no claimants turned up in person on day one. |
| Staff at the Citizens Advice Bureau, recruited to help new claimants with any difficulties, were unable to say what the rest of the form was like because they had not seen the live version, and no one came in to ask for their help. | Staff at the Citizens Advice Bureau, recruited to help new claimants with any difficulties, were unable to say what the rest of the form was like because they had not seen the live version, and no one came in to ask for their help. |
| This was probably a good thing because council staff and CAB advisers initially had some difficulty navigating beyond the welcome page as they tried to familiarise themselves with the system and found the password entry stage was temporarily stuck. | This was probably a good thing because council staff and CAB advisers initially had some difficulty navigating beyond the welcome page as they tried to familiarise themselves with the system and found the password entry stage was temporarily stuck. |
| "I'm not saying it's not working," a council staff member said, flustered as she tried to demonstrate the system. "But we have a display error." The issue resolved itself half an hour later, and staff concluded that it was probably a local problem rather than an issue with the DWP computer system. | "I'm not saying it's not working," a council staff member said, flustered as she tried to demonstrate the system. "But we have a display error." The issue resolved itself half an hour later, and staff concluded that it was probably a local problem rather than an issue with the DWP computer system. |
| Advisers were worried about the absence of a save function on the process (which takes up to 45 minutes to complete), meaning that if a claimant paused to get extra information and was logged off, they would need to start again. Staff said they hoped this would be resolved before the programme was rolled out nationwide for new claimants from October. | Advisers were worried about the absence of a save function on the process (which takes up to 45 minutes to complete), meaning that if a claimant paused to get extra information and was logged off, they would need to start again. Staff said they hoped this would be resolved before the programme was rolled out nationwide for new claimants from October. |
| The scale of the pilot is deliberately small, and has been restricted to the most simple cases. Charities and opposition politicians have questioned the value of such a test, but in interviews on Monday morning the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, said he had been determined to ensure that the rollout was done slowly. | The scale of the pilot is deliberately small, and has been restricted to the most simple cases. Charities and opposition politicians have questioned the value of such a test, but in interviews on Monday morning the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, said he had been determined to ensure that the rollout was done slowly. |
| "I've insisted in the department that we do everything through a pathfinder, we do small numbers to begin with. We learn in detail the problems, we slowly build the volumes up. It is a perpetual process of rolling out and checking," he said. | "I've insisted in the department that we do everything through a pathfinder, we do small numbers to begin with. We learn in detail the problems, we slowly build the volumes up. It is a perpetual process of rolling out and checking," he said. |
| Only a few dozen people are expected to submit claims this week, and although a television screen in the town hall showed a short clip on a loop about claiming the benefit (starring expressionless simulated mini-figures grappling with enormous gold coins) few people had heard of it. | Only a few dozen people are expected to submit claims this week, and although a television screen in the town hall showed a short clip on a loop about claiming the benefit (starring expressionless simulated mini-figures grappling with enormous gold coins) few people had heard of it. |
| A poster advertising the arrival of universal credit had been hastily sellotaped up in the window of the jobcentre near Tameside town hall, but claimants coming out of the building knew nothing about it. | A poster advertising the arrival of universal credit had been hastily sellotaped up in the window of the jobcentre near Tameside town hall, but claimants coming out of the building knew nothing about it. |
| Steven Pleasant, chief executive of Tameside borough council, said the council was happy to be running the pilot, "because this is such a significant change in the welfare system we want to be at the forefront of making sure that it is delivered in the best possible way for residents". | Steven Pleasant, chief executive of Tameside borough council, said the council was happy to be running the pilot, "because this is such a significant change in the welfare system we want to be at the forefront of making sure that it is delivered in the best possible way for residents". |
| Anticipating some problems, the council has helped put in place debt advice and budgeting advisers to assist those claimants who are troubled by the switch from weekly and fortnightly to monthly payments. | Anticipating some problems, the council has helped put in place debt advice and budgeting advisers to assist those claimants who are troubled by the switch from weekly and fortnightly to monthly payments. |
| Staff have been recruited to help people improve their computer skills so they can claim online rather than over the counter at the jobcentre, and 130 computer terminals have been made available in libraries and elsewhere in the borough for claimants who have no internet access at home. | Staff have been recruited to help people improve their computer skills so they can claim online rather than over the counter at the jobcentre, and 130 computer terminals have been made available in libraries and elsewhere in the borough for claimants who have no internet access at home. |
| Some councils have warned that the lack of clarity over the timetable for implementation of the benefit is causing staff great problems, but Pleasant said it was inevitable that the dates might not be very clear. | Some councils have warned that the lack of clarity over the timetable for implementation of the benefit is causing staff great problems, but Pleasant said it was inevitable that the dates might not be very clear. |
| "The more clarity we have over the timeline and planning, the better it is for staff. We have had a good and open discussion with the DWP about this," he said. | "The more clarity we have over the timeline and planning, the better it is for staff. We have had a good and open discussion with the DWP about this," he said. |
| Outside the town hall, a small protest by the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents staff in jobcentres, highlighted concerns about how many job losses might eventually arise from the switch to online processing of the benefit. | Outside the town hall, a small protest by the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents staff in jobcentres, highlighted concerns about how many job losses might eventually arise from the switch to online processing of the benefit. |
| Fran Heathcote, PCS representative for staff who work for the DWP, said 20,000 jobs had been lost in the deparment since 2010 and another round of job cuts was expected next week. | Fran Heathcote, PCS representative for staff who work for the DWP, said 20,000 jobs had been lost in the deparment since 2010 and another round of job cuts was expected next week. |
| Protesters said that because such large numbers of claimants were without home internet access, local libraries would be overwhelmed with demand for computer time. | Protesters said that because such large numbers of claimants were without home internet access, local libraries would be overwhelmed with demand for computer time. |
| Stephen Timms, the shadow employment minister, said: "In principle universal credit is a good idea. The problem is with the delivery. The computer system is nowhere near ready. We worry that there will be a great deal of uncertainty and confusion as a result." | |
| • This article was amended on Tuesday 30 April 2013 to correct a spelling mistake in the last paragraph. "In principal" should of course have been "in principle". This has been corrected. |