Anti-Poverty Coalition Calls For Overhaul Of Universal Credit

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. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/11/anti-poverty-coalition-calls-for-overhaul-of-universal-credit