DWP Defends Using ‘Actor’ To Promote Universal Credit

The Department for Work and Pensions has defended a video promoting crisis-hit Universal Credit after it was suggested the clip’s star previously described himself as an actor.

The DWP said Charlie Watson, who championed the government’s flagship benefits programme in a video shared by Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd, was a legitimate former claimant who had a positive experience while enrolled on the welfare system.

The department told HuffPost UK that Watson was primarily a fitness trainer based in Salford, Greater Manchester, and had signed onto Universal Credit during a bad patch.

A spokesperson vehemently denied online claims, first highlighted by welfare blogger Alex Tiffin, that Watson read from a script and said he was not paid for his appearance in the video promotion.

The DWP expressed concern that online abuse could put claimants off speaking about their experiences of Universal Credit.

It came after campaigners criticising the government’s welfare policies exposed an Instagram account which apparently belonged to Watson.