Today saw the release of new figures from the ONS showing the number of people claiming Universal Credit has jumped to 2.1 million people, an increase of over 850,000 on last month, as the Coronavirus crisis continues to damage the economy and put jobs at risk. Labour has, of course, called for and then supported the introduction of schemes like …
Continue reading
Some of my most severely disabled constituents receiving Severe Disability Premium have been left in hardship due to being wrongly moved from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit. Earlier I asked for the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions to come to the House to give an Urgent Statement on what she’s doing to resolve this before Parliament is …
Continue reading
I visited the Job Centre on Charles Street in the city centre recently. The team showed me round the centre, which has recently been redesigned to create a more relaxed environment. It’s hoped the redesign will also reduce queues and waiting times. Following the rollout of Universal Credit, which has replaced a number of existing benefits, many constituents have been …
Continue readingThe Trussell Trust have today launched their annual foodbank stats alongside a report into Foodbank’s experience of Universal Credit. In Cardiff, between April 2017 and March 2018, 11480 three day emergency food supplies were given to people facing crisis by the Trussell Trust Foodbank Network, 4423 of which were for children. Across the UK 1,332,952 three day emergency food supplies to …
Continue readingUniversal Credit is being phased into Cardiff, starting this month. It is a new, single monthly payment to replace the following benefits and tax credits: Housing Benefit Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance Income-related Employment and Support Allowance Income Support Child Tax Credits Working Tax Credits It will not replace Child Benefit, and it will not replace Contribution-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Contribution-Based Employment and Support …
Continue reading
Yesterday’s budget from the Tory Chancellor was massively disappointing. We needed creative solutions and rapid action to fix the growing problems in our economy but we didn’t get them. We needed an end to the Universal Credit chaos with the roll-out paused and the system fixed. We got a 1 week reduction on the 6 week wait without any money. …
Continue readingThe Universal Credit roll out will happen in Cardiff in February 2018 despite major and widespread concerns about its impact on recipients so far. I have written, with other MPs, to the Conservative Minister asking for the roll out to be paused. Intended to replace six means tested benefits, Universal Credit has left many people in dire need. They have found their existing …
Continue readingOn 7th December 2015 I quizzed the Secretary for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, on some of the key issues that will be faced by claimants when they are switched to universal credit. I asked him about the losses to work allowance that some claimants my suffer, and pressed him on why there is no support for claimants moving …
Continue reading