Iain Duncan Smith condemns 'utterly negative' response to beleaguered Universal Credit scheme

Work and pensions secretary insists that Universal Credit benefits programme is on track

Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith has defended Universal Credit, the troubled benefit scheme that has been beset by issues caused by underlying IT problems.

The scheme, designed to merge six different types of benefit into a single monthly payment, has had problems since its inception, with various delays and at least £130m in taxpayer money being written off. Just last month a Job Centre employee described the Universal Credit scheme as "completely unworkable, badly designed and already out of date".

It's hardly the first time the Department for Work and Pensions project has been criticised, with a former DWP employee slamming the scheme in an exclusive interview with Computing in November 2013.

But despite all of the problems and condemnation levelled at the rollout of Universal Credit, Iain Duncan Smith has defended the scheme and criticised the "utterly negative" response to the stuttering project.

"The programme, I believe, is value for money," he told the BBC. "And the most important thing is there are no plans to spend any more money than we originally set out."

Duncan Smith, the Conservative MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, insisted that the project is still on track as it is rolled out for the first time across North West England.

"We had an independent review the other day by the Major Projects Authority and they said this is not only working, but it's the right way to roll out and all other government programmes would probably be best doing it this way," he said.

However, Labour shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves has labelled the handling of Universal Credit as "a complete shambles".

"Labour wants Universal Credit to succeed but the government's mishandling of the programme has led to huge waste and delays with over £130m of taxpayers' money wasted on failed IT. It's another example of Tory welfare waste," she said.

"A Labour government would pause Universal Credit for three months to examine whether the programme can be rescued from the shambles David Cameron's government has left it in," Reeves added.

However, Universal Credit has received support from some quarters. Helen Milner, CEO of Tinder Foundation, a charity that aims to teach people the digital skills they require to take advantage of an increasingly online world, believes the scheme could lead to people receiving more of the benefits they actually need.

"There's a lot of people who don't get all the benefits they could get now," she told Computing.

"If it's all online and all clearly explained to you for you to apply for, maybe people could get more benefits that they're entitled to that they're not claiming right now."