Charities stress need for urgent reform of welfare reform
DWP maintains denial of reform driving poverty as one food bank charity alone distributes well over one million emergency parcels.
Tag - Universal Credit
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Universal Credit is a single monthly payment for people in or out of work, which merges together some of the benefits and tax credits currently available. Universal Credit will replace: Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. Income-related Employment and Support Allowance. Income Support. Implementation has been slow due to the complexities involved.
Almost two million people will lose £1,000 a year with UC
Those claiming disability benefits will be the worst affected, according to a new study.
Reap relaunches to tackle ‘unsustainable’ housing market
Ethical Buy To Let alternative returns for second round of affordable homes investment.
DWP accused of treating UC inquiry ‘like dirt’
MPs want the Department for Work and Pensions to give a fresh response to their report on childcare.
DWP releases 2017 research revealing UC struggles
Report prepared as government was pushing ahead with politically toxic rollout.
UC creates ‘systematic indebtedness’ for new claimants
A SFHA survey reveals levels of arrears for tenants is much higher when they claim Universal Credit.
Corbyn and May clash over poverty at PMQs
“There is nothing inevitable about rising poverty, homelessness, and food bank use.”
The DWP claims it costs too much to confirm UC deaths
Commons correspondence has the department ducking behind “disproportionate cost” over death rates.
DWP does not record why claimant ‘commitments’ aren’t accepted
Parliamentary questions also reveal contracted “health assessors” are subject to independent – not departmental – audit.
DWP could face imposition of regulator and standards
Minister tells Work and Pensions Committee the idea of a DWP regulator and standards is “worth exploring” as applied to other government departments.
‘Flippant’ DWP minister says many tenants in rent arrears before claiming UC
But Justin Tomlinson acknowledges analysis is underway with social housing providers as to the “true level” of arrears.
Erosion of Local Housing Allowance ‘limiting people’s housing choice’
CIH notes the rollout of Universal Credit in limiting people’s housing choice.
800,000 claimants ‘could have been’ forced onto UC without transition cash
Work and Pensions Committee hears it’s “hard to estimate” how many joining the system are existing claimants whose circumstances had changed.
Commons committee calls for overhaul of ‘cruel’ benefits cap
Damning report says government “doesn’t have the objective or moral grounds” to keep the cap.
Rudd rules out early end to benefits freeze
Work and Pensions Select committee told “the freeze stays”, as Rudd quashes speculation of a thaw in the Spring statement.
DWP staff face ‘a taste of their own medicine’
Think tank calls for claimant compensation where errors by job centre staff cause hardship.