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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Professor Philip Alston, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty and Human Rights will deliver the preliminary findings of his investigation into UK poverty tomorrow. Conveniently for the government, the mainstream press will likely be to busy covering Brexit to push the findings. This will be the fifth, (yes fifth), report by the UN since 2010 and although
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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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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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This is the first in what will be a series of videos. I know they may be controversial due to the manner they are delivered and framed, but I firmly believe that people will take notice this way. For too long people have suffered the effects of Universal Credit and austerity, it’s time we act. Please like, share and subscribe
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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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This morning I spoke to Darren Adam on LBC about Universal Credit. I thought I’d put this in a post so you can share it more easily. Follow me on Social Media for more news and updates throughout the day. @RespectIsVital on Twitter Universal Credit Sufferer on Facebook @RespectisVital on Instagram If you like what you see and would like
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Austerity, it ain’t over This is the first episode of: Last Week in the News and it’s about austerity. It’s a roundup of news stories throughout the week that didn’t get the coverage they deserve. This week we have stories related to Theresa May’s false claim that “austerity is over.” I plan to do more videos on various topics which
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The Times have reported that Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has told Cabinet colleagues that about half of lone parents and nearly two thirds of couples with children would lose a whopping £2,400 a year. Tory MPs are finding it harder to defend the under fire benefit as they deal with more and more cases related to Universal Credit
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Data released in a Freedom of Information request (FOI) by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows between 2010 and 2014, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants with a mental health condition were 5 times as likely to be sanctioned than those with other health conditions. The FOI request submitted by Jack Dutton on whatdotheyknow.com asked for; “A graph showing the employment and
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Foodbanks and Universal Credit are never far from the headlines. Usually it’s report blasting the government’s flagship welfare policy or the latest figures showing that foodbank use has rocketed. Like her previous poems Nicola Tiffin is explaining current events through poetry and this one covers the entire debacle of Universal Credit and foodbanks in a nutshell. Please share if you
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The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) are sending a world renowned human rights and law Professor to the UK in November. What won’t please the government, is that he has asked for public submissions to aid him in his investigation. This will make it hard for the Tories to spin as teething issues. The United Nations Human Rights Council
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I naively thought the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) couldn’t make any more “errors” in my case. Well no they have gone and told Motability that I no longer have a Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim. This is despite me being awarded enhanced PIP just two weeks ago and having previously been on DLA.
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So foodbanks have been appearing in the news almost daily of late. Now Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has announced the Department for Work and pensions – DWP are going to waste £217,000 on researching IF their policies have contributed to the rise in foodbank use. As if they don’t already know the answer.
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