Oliver last Friday visited Borehamwood JobCentre for a meeting with the area’s senior managers ahead of the roll-out of Universal Credit in December.

Oliver toured the centre’s main facilities, before meeting with Mr Alan Burton, the Operations Manager for Hertfordshire, Mr Graham Gillett, Manager of the Borehamwood and Watford JobCentres, Ms Concetta Kyriacou (Partnership Manager for Borehamwood and Watford), and Mr Laurence Brown (Customer Service Manager for Borehamwood).

Speaking after the meeting Oliver said: ‘It was very useful meeting directly with the managers of our local JobCentre to understand the issues they are facing on the ground, including Universal Credit.

‘It was good to hear that where Universal Credit has been rolled out elsewhere in Hertsmere and Hertfordshire it has really helped people get off benefits and into work.

‘This is vital in helping me better represent our area in Parliament and to my colleagues in the Government.

‘Meeting face to face with the public servants responsible for running this system is therefore incredibly helpful in making sure that Hertsmere’s residents get the guidance and support they need.’

Universal Credit is replacing six other benefits with a single monthly payment if someone is out of work or on a low income, ensuring that it always pays to work. It has already been rolled out in Potters Bar and Bushey. Once it is rolled out in Borehamwood (which covers Radlett) on 5th December the system will be live across the whole of Hertsmere.

For more information about Universal Credit, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit