The Universal Credit Conference 2025: Bridging the Gap for the Socially Vulnerable
Previous Supporters Include:
Overview
The Department of Work and Pensions is planning to replace all legacy benefits with Universal Credit by March 2026. Local authorities, housing associations and the voluntary sector must form robust partnerships to successfully support Universal Credit claimants. Through sharing and engaging with best practice across the public sector, practitioners can work to provide support to vulnerable households through financial support.
- There were 6.4 million people on Universal Credit in January 2024
- The proportion of people in the ‘no work requirements’ conditionality regime (37%) continues to increase
- There were, on average, 49,000 claims and 39,000 starts per week in January 2024
- Universal Credit households with children accounted for half of all households with a payment
- 163,000 households received the Universal Credit childcare element in November 2023
Join us at the 2025 Universal Credit Conference: Bridging the Gap for the Socially Vulnerable hear the latest policies and initiatives from experts across the public sector in universal credit provision and support. You will hear best practice case studies covering a range of key topics, including the latest updates from the new government on Universal Credit, supporting families with Universal Credit programmes, strategies for decreasing waiting times, techniques for supporting overpaid recipients with repayment plans and best-case practices for supporting claimants with disabilities and chronic illness. You will also have the opportunity to network with colleagues from a range of sectors to share common challenges in working in partnership to drive improvements in universal credit provision.
Why Attend:
✓ Hear high-level keynotes from leading organisations on the latest universal credit guidance and advice
✓ Case studies showcasing best practice in supporting low-income families
✓ A wide range of topics including improving financial advice, navigating the job market, and supporting financially vulnerable families
✓ Networking opportunities with speakers and senior colleagues
✓ 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota
Agenda
Registration
Chairs Opening Remarks
Keynote: Latest Government Updates on Universal Credit
- Summarising recent legislative changes, such as the Get Britain Working policy, and considering their impact on Universal Credit recipients
- Discussing Labour’s proposed universal credit increases starting in April 2025
- Outlining the progress of the transition from legacy benefits to Universal Credit
- Ensuring Universal Credit is always accessible for the most disadvantaged social groups
- Highlighting plans to increase employment levels of 16-25s claiming Universal Credit
Keynote: Navigating the Job Market with Universal Credit Recipients
- Tackling obstacles to employment for recipients, such as childcare accessibility, inaccessibility to technology, limited transport and lack of opportunity
- Offering training to Universal Credit claimants to develop relevant and transferable skills in line with their qualifications, strengths and interests
- Creating partnerships with local businesses to identify recruitment needs, supply diverse opportunities and create entry-level employment positions
- Providing claimants with personal support from a work coach to assist a move into work, find a better job or build a career
Key Supporter Session
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Case Study: Aiding Individuals Subjected to Benefit Repayments
- Highlighting the thousands of people who are seeking help with Universal Credit debt repayments
- Outlining the significant personal consequences that benefit debt can cause for individuals
- Offering flexible and affordable repayment schedules that do not exceed beyond a manageable percentage
- Ensuring there is regular and clear communication between the government and Universal Credit recipients
Case Study: Supporting Recipients on Sick Leave
- Providing additional allowances to help cover the cost of managing illness, for example transport, home equipment and childcare
- Considering the impact of Get Britain Working on long-term illness levels in the UK
- Highlighting the significance of NHS waiting lists in delaying the treatment needed for Universal Credit recipients
- Easing the burden on GPs by ensuring the majority of the NHS workforce is skilled enough to assess and treat recipients of fit notes and Universal Credit
- Taking a personalised approach that incorporates physical, medical and mental support into the issuing of fit notes
Case Study: Supporting Recipients with Disabilities and Chronic Illness
- Co-ordinating Universal Credit, health services and social care to ensure that people with disabilities and chronic illness have access to appropriate treatments and financial support
- Ensuring that the Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity assessments are being correctly and fairly enforced by the DWP
- Shifting attitudes to recognise the value and contributions of disabled people to society and the economy beyond stereotypes of dependency
- Enhancing the accessibility of Universal Credit for disabled people by improving digital accessibility, offering flexible or remote appointment and assessment times and speeding up the application process for those with disabilities
Questions and Answers
Lunch Break
Keynote: Preventing Child Poverty
- Reducing financial pressures on low-income families with Child Benefits
- Improving children’s opportunities to develop by financially supporting extracurricular activities
- Systematically addressing long-term economic inequalities by providing low-income families with consistent financial support
- Ensuring children have the same higher education and employment opportunities by increasing income equality between family households
Key Supporter Session
Questions and Answers
Breakout Networking: Overcoming Challenges and Sharing Successes
This session will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the main challenges you face in measuring the successes and failures of universal credit provision in your organisation. You will gain insights from colleagues across the sector and discuss solutions to challenges presented by Universal Credit delivery
Comfort Break
Keynote: Improving the Delivery of Universal Credit
- Outlining clearly what Universal Credit services are available for claimants and recipients
- Working with people on low incomes to develop personalised and realistic financial security plans
- Ensuring vulnerable people can access financial support: key tips and strategies for increasing accessibility
- Implementing lessons from the cost-of-living crisis to ensure the success of future crisis response strategies
Case Study: Tackling Increased Waiting Times
- Outlining the reasons behind the 5-week wait for Universal Credit
- Highlighting the social inequalities and personal financial difficulties that waiting times create
- Increasing staff during peak demand periods to accelerate processing and decision making
- Facilitating greater flexibility with backdating claims so claimants can receive their first payment sooner
- Increasing the prevalence of urgent grants and tax credits in Universal Credit for the most vulnerable in society
Questions and Answers
Chairs Closing Remarks
Previous Speakers
Alistair Cooper
Senior Policy Advisor on Child Poverty
Barnardos
James Steward
Programme Lead-Active Inclusion
Newcastle City Council
Tom Rahilly
Assistant Director for Communities and Social Policy
Greater London Authority
Stuart Ison
UC Programme, External Affairs, Strategic Design and Planning Director
Department of Work and Pensions
Testimonials
I really found this Conference very helpful and enlightening, with good speakers who have experienced and grown their agencies and obviously have a passion to help people. Most encouraging and inspiring. Very well done.
Great informative day from a wide range of sources.
Excellent day filled with useful information.
Great way to network and learn about other organisations.
A really enjoyable session with highly knowledgeable speakers.
Varied Speakers and interesting to hear case studies from varies regions around the UK.
Why you Should Attend?
✓ Hear high-level keynotes from leading organisations on the latest universal credit guidance and advice
✓ Case studies showcasing best practice in supporting low-income families
✓ A wide range of topics including improving financial advice, navigating the job market, and supporting financially vulnerable families
✓ Networking opportunities with speakers and senior colleagues
✓ 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota
Who Should Attend?
| Job Title Example | Organisation Examples |
| Policy Officer | Local Governments |
| Income Officer | National Housing Organisations |
| Money Advisors | Citizens Advice |
| Financial Inclusion Managers | Disability Rights Groups |
| Tenancy Sustainment Managers | Financial Security Organisations |
| Universal Credit Specialists | Employment Support Groups |
Pricing Options
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
PUBLIC SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Sponsorship
Raise your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact Chris Mott today at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here and we will contact you.
Benefits of partnering with us include:
- Brand awareness: Be seen by a highly targeted and engaged audience before, during, and after the conference.
- Lead generation: Meet the decision-makers and influencers responsible for making purchasing decisions on cyber security and data protection.
- Thought leadership: Position your organisation and experts as thought leaders and the ‘go to’ experts.
- Networking: Make valuable connections with potential new customers and partners across government and the wider public sector
- Grow your business: Reach decision makers in a single event on just one day and in one location (with no travel/accommodation required), saving you time and money.
- Gain valuable insights: Hear the latest from key stakeholders in government, and across the public and voluntary sectors.
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
For more information and discuss your specific objectives, please contact Chris Mott at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here
