The rollout of Universal Credit should be paused until significant problems with it are fixed, says Citizens Advice. In a new report – Delivering on Universal Credit – the charity reveals that the requirement to wait for six weeks to receive any payment means people face serious financial insecurity, with many being forced into debt. Continue reading Universal Credit forcing families into debt, says report
More young people in Scotland will be at risk of homelessness due to UK Government changes to housing benefit, Social Security Secretary Angela Constance has warned. Continue reading UK housing benefits changes ‘shameful’
New budgeting support for Universal Credit claimants
Money Advice Service’s Online Money Manager is an interactive tool that offers personalised advice on making the most of your money while you’re on Universal Credit. It offers help and advice on a range of money topics including opening a bank account, keeping on top of bills and dealing with debt.
Universal Credit payments in Scotland are to become more frequent and adaptable, as new social security powers are set to be used by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government’s different approach has been welcomed by housingorganisations and anti-poverty campaigners as well as the Scottish Greens. Continue reading Scotland’s different tack on Unversal Credit welcomed
‘Universal Credit is a new benefit that will make work pay and help lift people out of poverty and it is already transforming lives’ – Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith
New EU migrants who have arrived in the UK will be prevented from claiming benefits until they have started work. The new regulations, introduced yesterday, mean that under Universal Credit no EU households will be able to access means-tested benefits in the UK without having worked here first.
Action has already been taken to halve the amount of time EU jobseekers can claim Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit and means that if they don’t have a job after 3 months they will lose their right to reside in the UK. New migrant jobseekers are also now unable to claim Housing Benefit.
These tough new rules are part of the government’s long-term economic plan to protect the benefits system and ensure EU migrants come to this country for the right reasons and to contribute to the economy.
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Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith (above) said:
“Universal Credit is a new benefit that will make work pay and help lift people out of poverty and it is already transforming lives.
“As part of the government’s long-term economic plan we have led the way with a series of measures to tackle abuses, tighten immigration routes, and toughen up the rules on access to UK benefits – and we have seen other European countries follow our lead and take similar action.
“Our new rules for Universal Credit will ensure we have a fair system where people cannot claim means tested benefits until they have worked.”
The department is abolishing 6 existing income-related benefits:
The Westminster government has introduced a number of measures to make sure that the benefit and tax credit system for EU migrants is increasingly focused only on those who contribute through work:
The national roll out of Universal Credit begins tomorrow
Jobcentres from the rural Highlands of Scotland, down through the Vale of York and into London are moving over to the new benefit on Monday 16 February, says the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). Edinburgh is among the first tranche to move over to UC.
Universal Credit eventually replaces six existing income-based benefits – Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance, Working and Child Tax Credits and Housing Benefit.
As part of the accelerated roll out announced by the Secretary of State, Iain Duncan Smith in September, over 150 Jobcentres will come on board in the next 2 months. It will then be available in all Jobcentres by this time next year.
And on the eve of this national roll out, new research shows that Universal Credit is getting people into work more quickly and so helping them to earn more.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith said: “This government’s welfare reforms have saved the taxpayer £50 billion and restored fairness to the system.
“The centrepiece of these reforms – Universal Credit – begins national roll out tomorrow. This landmark event is a key part of our long term economic plan, which guarantees you will always be better off in work than on benefits.
“The evidence today shows that under Universal Credit, people move into work more quickly and earn more money, giving them increased financial security. It is very impressive that we have seen these results so soon and that this is having a real impact on people’s lives. This is a cultural change which will alter the landscape of work for a generation.”
The government’s research shows that, over a 4 month period, claimants are:
Similar to previous findings, the report also confirms that new Universal Credit claimants in the expanded sites are more likely than Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants to:
Th DWP says that once fully rolled out, Universal Credit will boost the economy by £7 billion every year.
The Research
The research was carried out by tracking claimants from July 2013 to April 2014 in the areas of:
These results based on income data from Real Time Information (RTI) were compared to a similar group of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants.
Universal Credit Claims
More than 50,000 people have already made a claim to Universal Credit. It is available in 96 jobcentres including all of the north-west and is available to couples too. Claims from families and lone parents are also being taken in 32 sites.
Read the list of places where Universal Credit will be available between February and July 2015
An open letter to Iain Duncan Smith:
We – the undersigned – are writing with a united voice from across civic Scotland to call on the UK Government to immediately suspend the further implementation of Universal Credit in Scotland until the process of legislating for new powers for the Scottish Parliament is complete.
We know from the Smith Agreement that the bill for further powers that is currently being drafted, will include significant new welfare powers. The detail of how these powers will interact with the Universal Credit system will be complex and require careful consideration and planning. The legislation around welfare is complex and is regularly being adapted: since the enactment of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, there have already been over 40 Statutory Instruments passed by Westminster to bring into force many of its provisions.
Any system of welfare has to be safe and secure. Driving through Universal Credit in Scotland at this stage will create unnecessary administrative complication in an already complex process. The sensible way to roll out Universal Credit in Scotland is to do it once, when the Scotland-specific elements have been carefully planned and incorporated into it. This would avoid wasting precious time and scarce resources, and would protect vulnerable people from bureaucratic change that could wreak havoc.
A key recommendation of the Smith Commission was to significantly improve intergovernmental working between Westminster and Holyrood; this is a golden opportunity to do just that. So we ask you to act immediately to suspend the next phase of the roll-out of Universal Credit in Scotland, before it is scheduled to start in February.
Our diverse, united voices demonstrate that our call is not about politics. It is about protecting the most vulnerable people in our society and creating an effective, robust new system for delivering welfare. Our call is about responsible, effective governance.
Mary Taylor, Chief Executive, SFHA on behalf of my 56 co-signatories, listed below:
Age Scotland – Brian Sloan, CEO
Business for Scotland – Brandon Malone, Interim Chair
Church of Scotland – Rt Rev John Chalmers, Moderator of the General Assembly
Coalition of Care Support Providers in Scotland – Annie Gunner Logan, Director,
Common Weal – The Board
Constitutional Commission – John Drummond, Chairman
Council of Mortgage Lenders – Kennedy Foster, Policy Consultant, Scotland
Cyrenians – Ewan Aitken, CEO
Development Trusts Association – Ian Cooke, Director
East Lothian Tenants and Residents Panel – Mark Ormiston, Chair Person
Edinburgh Tenants Federation – Betty Stevenson, Convenor
Engender – Emma Ritch, Executive Director
Food Train – Michelle McCrindle, CEO
Glasgow & West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations – David Bookbinder, Director
Health & Social Care Alliance Scotland – Ian Welsh, CEO
Inclusion Scotland – Bill Scott, Director of Policy
Money Advice Scotland – Yvonne MacDermid OBE, CEO
Quarriers – Alice Drife, CEO
Scottish Association of Social Work – Trisha Hall, Country Manager
Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – Sophie Pilgrim, Member
Scottish Community Alliance – Angus Hardie, Director
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations – Martin Sime, CEO
Scottish Out of School Care Network – Irene Audain MBE, CEO
Scottish Trade Unions Council – David Moxham, Deputy General Secretary
Scottish Women’s Aid – Lily Greenan, CEO
Sense Scotland – Andy Kerr, CEO
Social Enterprise Scotland – Fraser Kelly, CEO
Social Firms Scotland – Pauline Graham, CEO
St Martins Parish Pastoral Council, Tranent – Fr James Smith. Parish Priest
The Equality Network – Tim Hopkins, Director
The Jimmy Reid Foundation – Bob Thomson, Convener
The Poverty Alliance Peter Kelly, Director
The Wise Group – Laurie Russell, CEO
The Trussell Trust – David McAuley, CEO
Turning Point Scotland – Martin Cawley, CEO
Who Cares? Scotland – Duncan Dunlop, CEO
Voluntary Action Scotland – Calum Irving, CEO
Voluntary Health Scotland – Claire Stevens, CEO
YouthLink Scotland – Jim Sweeney, CEO
Zero Tolerance – Laura Tomson, Co-director
Signatories from Housing Assoc. due to be part of the next stage of Universal Credit roll-out:
ARK Housing Association – Jane Gray, CEO
Barony Housing Association – Rebecca Wilson, CEO
Bield Housing & Care – Brian Logan, CEO
Blackwood – Fanchea Kelly, CEO
Cairn Housing Association – Jason MacGilp, CEO
Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association – Alister Steele, Managing Director
Dunedin Canmore Group – Ewan Fraser, CEO
Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association – Helen Murdoch, CEO
Knowes Housing Association – Pierre De Fence, Director
Lister Housing Co-operative – Alistair Cant, Director
Manor Estates Housing Association – Lynn McDonald, Director
Melville Housing Association – Andrew Noble, CEO
Prospect Community Housing – Brendan Fowler, Director
Trafalgar Housing Association – Paul McShane, Director
Trust Housing Association – Bob McDougall, CEO
West Granton Housing Co-operative – Gerry Gillies, CEO
