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Universal Credit is a benefit for working-age people, which combines six existing benefits payments into one payment. Launched in 2013, there are now about 5 million households claiming Universal Credit in the UK. What was the thinking behind this new policy? Has it been successful? And how has COVID affected the trajectory of Universal Credit?
This week, Paul speaks with Charlotte Pickles, Director of Reform and a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee, and Tom Waters, Senior Research Economist at IFS and expert on benefits.
Host
Paul Johnson
Paul has been the Director of the IFS since 2011. He is also currently visiting professor in the Department of Economics at University College London.
Participants
Tom Waters
Tom is an Associate Director at the IFS and Head of the Income, Work and Welfare sector.
Charlotte Pickles
Charlotte took up the role of Director in April 2019, but previously spent three years as Reform’s Deputy Director. During her hiatus from Reform she was first Capitalism Editor and columnist, and then Managing Editor, of the media start up UnHerd.com.
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