Yesterday there was much coverage in the media of Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd’s announcement that the next process in the roll-out of Universal Credit would be halted. What they all failed to mention is that Esther McVey had announced the same thing months ago. The media literally did the Tories a favour by giving the impression that they
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Having seen the absolute monstrosity that is this years New Years Honours list I have decided to put together a small one myself. I have included some people I think deserve recognition for the work they have done to help the vulnerable. It’s not exhaustive so as you can visit each one’s content. I recommend you follow them all if
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The DWP has revealed that claimants used to receiving the one-off Christmas Bonus on legacy benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), are no longer entitled to the additional money once they’ve moved onto Universal Credit. The Christmas Bonus is a one-off, tax-free £10 payment made to people on certain benefits in the first week of December. It
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Amber Rudd has been Work and Pensions Secretary for less than a month and she’s already shown herself to be unfit for the job. Labour MP Dan Carden, had asked that the roll-out of Universal Credit be halted as claimants were having to apply for a provisional driving license to verify their identity. Rudd called this “Labour scaremongering,” but she’s
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Yesterday at Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs) Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn used his questions to highlight the poverty crisis created by the Tories. That’s a good thing, right? Well the mainstream press didn’t seem to think so. Jeremy Corbyn stood up in the House of Commons to ask his allotted questions yesterday and he didn’t lead on Brexit as expected. Instead, he
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Amber Rudd used her first appearance in the House of Commons as Work and Pensions Secretary to blast the recent UN report as “wholly inappropriate” due to it political language. What was noticeable however was the lack of denial that any of the facts in the report are correct. For anyone who thought that Esther McVey’s departure from the Department
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There was much celebration amongst benefit claimants on Thursday when Esther McVey resigned and Work and Pensions Secretary. Her claim that it was over brexit raised eyebrows, this is due to the fact that she knew a damning UN report was due the next day. However, that celebration was short lived when Theresa May appointed disgraced former Home Secretary Amber Rudd
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Guest Contribution By Lizzie Fletcher & Lucy Wood of Unity News As I’m unwell my fellow independent journalists have stepped in to help me out. I am very grateful for their kindness. The United Nations previously reported on the poverty crisis affecting the UK as a result of the Tories austerity policies but the Government have ignored it. This time
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In an answer to a written question, The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed that welfare reforms are leaving benefit claimants £65 short when it comes to paying their rent. The question by Labour MP Karen Buck, asked for “the average shortfall between housing benefit and rent of people affected by the benefit cap.” However, DWP Minister Justin
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So the 2018 budget was announced today, and after the threat of Tory backbenchers voting down the budget unless changes to Universal Credit were announced, The Chancellor Philip Hammond acted. However, the changes are little more than an a PR stunt to stave off a revolt. Here’s why; Universal Credit was introduced in 2013 by then Work and Pensions Secretary,
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Former Universal Credit service centre agent and writer on this site Bayard Tarpley has revealed details of a deflection script that staff are given to get claimants off the phone. Speaking to to Sky News, Bayard revealed “we were encouraged to do everything in our power to get them to hang up the phone and do that online.” Disgraceful… @BayardTarpley says
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Labour will use their opposition day debate today, to attempt and force Esther McVey and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to disclose any papers showing what impact Universal Credit will have on households currently on legacy benefits when they are moved to the new system next year. The party plan to use their opposition day debate today,
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Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has caused outrage by suggesting that women on Universal Credit who’ve been driven to prostitution should get a job. Ms McVey was responding to a point raised by the Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, Frank Field MP. The former Labour MP who is currently sitting as an Independent, shared a shocking consequence
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A report by the think tank Resolution Foundation has outlined the effects the benefit freeze has had on claimants and warned the government that the budget is the last change to stop further damaging cuts. The damning report lays bare how the benefit freeze implemented under the Coalition government in 2015 has damaged finances. When George Osborne announced the freeze
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