A written parliamentary question from Rachel Reeves to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has uncovered that £612 million has been spent on introducing Universal Credit since 2010, a figure that amounts to £225,000 for each of the 2,720 people so far on the benefit.
A spokesperson for Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has argued in response to the figures that “if Labour think Universal Credit can be brought in without spending any money up front it’s no wonder they cost taxpayers so much by botching the introduction of tax credits so badly”. The DWP has continued to claim that the phased roll out of Universal Credit will be completed by 2017, when 6 million claimants will be on the benefit.
