The perils of Universal Credit's simplicity

One key rationale behind the design of Universal Credit is administrative simplicity. But that apparent simplicity ends up concealing the complexity of people’s different lives and circumstances, resulting in claimants of Universal Credit having to navigate and manage that complexity themselves. As the Labour Government embarks on reforms to welfare with their Back to Work Plan, it should acknowledge the complexity of people’s different situations and help the system manage it, argue Kate Summers and David Young.