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Civil servants call on 'nonsense' IDS to quit over universal credit fiasco

Civil servants demanded Iain Duncan Smith quit yesterday as he limply defended his multimillion-pound write-offs and delays for his controversial universal credit welfare changes.

The Work and Pensions Secretary admitted last week that the 2017 target for the full introduction of the single benefit was a no-hoper - with 700,000 claimants facing a longer wait.

He told the Commons work and pensions select committee yesterday that he was delivering the new system "within the timescale and budget" despite admitting that £40 million had already been written off.

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