Questions for select committee members

Problems with Universal Credit - the government's flagship welfare reform programme - have been highlighted in two reports late last year by the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office.

The Institute for Government (IfG) has previously identified Universal Credit as a classic example of 'muddled accountability' at the heart of government. A recent IfG report, Accountability at the Top, said the current system is opaque, out of date and creaking under the pressures of today's demands.

Speaking before the work and pensions select committee, where DWP Secretary of State Iain Duncan-Smith and Permanent Secretary Robert Devereux are due to appear, IfG Deputy Director Julian McCrae told Public Finance:

"There is an accountability muddle at the heart of government, which currently works in nobody’s interests. The Government is embarking on numerous major projects and reforms at substantial cost to the public purse. This is why it is of the utmost importance we learn from mistakes and improve the system."