Universal Credit – Adel and Wharfedale Branch

Economy: Universal Credit is Broken

Sky News have been doing some digging and have discovered that rent arrears, evictions and food bank use are soaring in areas where Universal Credit has been rolled out. When will this government realise the damage they are doing to this country? https://news.sky.com/story/line-18-food-bank-use-four-times-higher-in-universal-credit-areas-11343772

Angela Rayner has done a lot in her short time as a shadow minister and forcing 2 crucial votes on Universal Credit was nothing short of fantastic. However, as Stephen Bush explains, this could be the least of Theresa May's worries. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/welfare/2018/03/conservatives-are-heading-trouble-over-universal-credit

...from the DWP's estimates in regards to Universal Credit. In 2010 a white paper said the government's plans would lift 350,000 children out of poverty, now there is no estimation. http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2017/10/26/dwp-quietly-drops-universal-credit-child-poverty-forecast

Ruth Lister is Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at Loughborough University, sits on the National Advisory Panel of CLASS (Centre for Labour & Social Studies), and is a Labour Peer. Here she writes of the damage caused by making claimants wait 6 weeks to claim UC. http://classonline.org.uk/blog/item/6-week-wait-for-universal-credit-is-not-a-delay-its-a-deliberate-and-damagi

The National Landlords Association has called on the government to delay the implementation of further Universal Credits roll out after a poll suggested that 4 out of 5 landlords would deny those on universal credit access to their properties. https://www.localgov.co.uk/Four-out-of-five-landlords-would-refuse-to-rent-to-Universal-Credit-tenants/44018 Are you, or is someone you know, being affected by these government plans? Please let … Continue reading Housing: Landlords Against Universal Credit

In the last 6 months the number of people on JSA or Universal Credit that have had their benefits sanctioned is up 50% from the previous 6 months. http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2017/09/04/benefit-sanctions-shoot-up-50-in-six-months

Jim McMahon MP (Oldham West & Royton - Lab & Co-Op) writes here about the failings of the Universal Credit system and how it needs serious work before it is rolled out across the rest of the country. http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/welfare/2017/08/universal-credit-sending-families-food-banks-it-must-be-suspended