THE government has refused to let the work and pensions committee scrutinise its draft Bill on universal credit (UC) by rejecting the MPs’ request for copies, it announced today.

The plan to transfer millions of people onto UC in the roll-out of the controversial benefit reform scheme could be defeated in Parliament if recent changes designed to protect the most vulnerable claimants are not implemented, the committee warned ministers.

In a hearing on October 18, the committee asked Employment Minister Alok Sharma to pledge to sharing the new version of the Bill with the MPs before it was formally given to Parliament.

The committee argued that this would allow them to determine whether the “very serious concerns” already raised about the controversial plans, including in evidence to the social security advisory committee, have been addressed by government.

In Mr Sharma’s response published by the committee yesterday, he refuses the committee’s request.

He wrote: “I do not think it would be appropriate to diverge from the standard process for the scrutiny of draft regulations and delay their introduction.”

Committee chair and independent MP Frank Field said that MPs may have “no option but to vote [the Bill] down” in a Commons vote.

He added: “Having got it so disastrously wrong with its first attempt, you’d think that the government would want to make sure its plans to move vulnerable people on to universal credit stand up to scrutiny.

“Instead, it is choosing to push these regulations through Parliament with no chance for MPs to make amendments.

“That hardly inspires confidence that it has really made the changes needed to ensure that its actions won't simply plunge people deeper into poverty.

“If its new plans don’t have enough safeguards to protect the vulnerable, then MPs will be left with no option but to vote them down.”

A Department of Work and Pensions spokesman said that the committee has “ample opportunity” to give feedback on the roll-out plan during a consultation period but “chose not to.”

Mr Field claimed in his letter to Mr Sharma that the committee only had an opportunity to scrutinise and give feedback on the “version published in draft earlier this year.”

He added: “There has, however, been no opportunity at all for anyone to scrutinise the version of the regulations that the Department now plans to lay.”

He also urged Mr Sharma to reconsider the request.