Not really feeling the benefit 2013

2013 2013 2013 <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/sep/05/david-cameron-24bn-universal-credit-problems"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Guardian</span></b></a><b> </b>reports the ConDem flagship Universal Credit programme has been poorly managed and is riddled with major IT problems. The result is that costs could escalate by hundreds of millions of pounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">A highly critical report by the National Audit Office says that systems behind the £2.4bn project intended to consolidate six welfare payments into one, have been beset by "weak management, ineffective control and poor governance".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In March this year, Ian Duncan Smith told MPs that everything was going to plan. What he did not mention was that a major "reset" had been ordered by the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/policy-teams/major-projects-authority"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Major Projects Authority</span></b></a> and that ministers have already written off £34m spent on failed IT programmes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The business case put forward by the DWP in promoting Universal Credit were savings in the region of £38bn by 2023. The NAO however says that the government has yet to achieve value for money in relation to the £303m spent so far. There are also questions as to whether the projected savings are actually achievable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1d1d1d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The paper quotes Cabinet Office minister, </span><span lang="EN-US">Francis Maude<span style="color: #1d1d1d;"> as saying: "Universal credit is a brilliant policy designed to ensure that work always pays and that hardworking taxpayers see their money being spent judiciously."</span><span style="color: #262626;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #1d1d1d;"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><b style="color: #1d1d1d;">Update:</b><span style="color: #1d1d1d;"> Thanks go to </span><i style="color: #1d1d1d;">Artorious </i><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">for providing </span><b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22664672" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">this link</span></a></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">&nbsp;highlighting delayed government projects.</span></span></div><!--EndFragment--><!--EndFragment--><br> 2013 2013 2013 <br><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/sep/05/david-cameron-24bn-universal-credit-problems"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Guardian</span></b></a><b> </b>reports the ConDem flagship Universal Credit programme has been poorly managed and is riddled with major IT problems. The result is that costs could escalate by hundreds of millions of pounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">A highly critical report by the National Audit Office says that systems behind the £2.4bn project intended to consolidate six welfare payments into one, have been beset by "weak management, ineffective control and poor governance".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In March this year, Ian Duncan Smith told MPs that everything was going to plan. What he did not mention was that a major "reset" had been ordered by the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/policy-teams/major-projects-authority"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Major Projects Authority</span></b></a> and that ministers have already written off £34m spent on failed IT programmes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The business case put forward by the DWP in promoting Universal Credit were savings in the region of £38bn by 2023. The NAO however says that the government has yet to achieve value for money in relation to the £303m spent so far. There are also questions as to whether the projected savings are actually achievable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1d1d1d; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The paper quotes Cabinet Office minister, </span><span lang="EN-US">Francis Maude<span style="color: #1d1d1d;"> as saying: "Universal credit is a brilliant policy designed to ensure that work always pays and that hardworking taxpayers see their money being spent judiciously."</span><span style="color: #262626;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br /><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #1d1d1d;"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><b style="color: #1d1d1d;">Update:</b><span style="color: #1d1d1d;"> Thanks go to </span><i style="color: #1d1d1d;">Artorious </i><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">for providing </span><b><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22664672" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">this link</span></a></b><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">&nbsp;highlighting delayed government projects.</span></span></div><!--EndFragment--><!--EndFragment--><br>2013 2013 2013 <br> <a href="http://www.matrixar.com/" title="Matrix ">المصفوفة : أجمل الخلفيات والصور</a>