by Guest » Thu Jul 12, 2018 12:07 am
Church leaders and food banks have called for an overhaul of universal credit to halt a surge in vulnerable claimants being pushed into destitution, hunger and debt when they move on to the benefit.
End Hunger UK, a coalition of 73 poverty charities and faith groups, said excessive payment delays, common administrative errors and lack of support for claimants struggling to navigate the online-only system was driving up use of food banks.
It called for a dramatic reduction in the time claimants must wait for a first payment from a minimum of five weeks to just two weeks, saying the long wait was financially crippling for claimants who had no savings to fall back on.
“It is simply wrong that so many families are forced to use food banks and are getting into serious debt because of the ongoing failings in the benefits system,” said the the Right Rev Paul Butler, bishop of Durham.
The call comes as the work and pensions secretary, Esther McVey, faces a censure debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday after admitting she misled MPs over the contents of a highly critical National Audit Office (NAO) report on universal credit.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... dApp_Tweet
Church leaders and food banks have called for an overhaul of universal credit to halt a surge in vulnerable claimants being pushed into destitution, hunger and debt when they move on to the benefit.
End Hunger UK, a coalition of 73 poverty charities and faith groups, said excessive payment delays, common administrative errors and lack of support for claimants struggling to navigate the online-only system was driving up use of food banks.
It called for a dramatic reduction in the time claimants must wait for a first payment from a minimum of five weeks to just two weeks, saying the long wait was financially crippling for claimants who had no savings to fall back on.
“It is simply wrong that so many families are forced to use food banks and are getting into serious debt because of the ongoing failings in the benefits system,” said the the Right Rev Paul Butler, bishop of Durham.
The call comes as the work and pensions secretary, Esther McVey, faces a censure debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday after admitting she misled MPs over the contents of a highly critical National Audit Office (NAO) report on universal credit.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/11/anti-poverty-coalition-calls-for-overhaul-of-universal-credit?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet