
The Department of work and Pensions (DWP) are facing a skills shortage after the withdrawal of Government Digital Service (GDS) from an update programme for Universal Credit.
The pull-out by the GDS came after growing tensions between the two departments, with DWP now looking to rapidly hire IT staff to support the digital upgrade to Universal Credit.
The Guardian reported that tensions related to the GDS refusing to start afresh with new IT assets, with a twin-track approach being favoured instead.
GDS originally became involved in the upgrade programme during 2013 after flaws were found in the original programme which would impact security and future development.
The minutes of a meeting between the DWP and GDS, leaked by the Guardian, recorded: “GDS have supplied most of the expertise and resource to date, and a recruitment exercise needs to be undertaken to fill the technical vacancies, there is therefore the likelihood of some delay."
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