× Search rightsnet
Search options

Where

Benefit

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

From

to

Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Universal credit administration  →  Thread

Access denied, new blog on UC and disabled people

Paul Treloar
forum member

Head of Policy, LASA

Send message

Total Posts: 842

Joined: 6 January 2011

What do you think of our new blog Access Denied, looking at universal credit, digital by default and this weeks ONS internet usage stats?

Read it here Access Denied

HK
forum member

Welfare Benefits, Oldham CAB

Send message

Total Posts: 26

Joined: 1 July 2010

I’ve looked at a few posts, I agree with the sentiments but it isn’t giving information I haven’t seen elsewhere, or raising issues I haven’t already seen raised elsewhere, often with more political edge and more detail.

splurge
forum member

Welfare officer - Peabody, London

Send message

Total Posts: 101

Joined: 16 June 2010

I think that as much publicity about this area of policy as possible is needed.

I am concerned that if blogs are too political it might turn people away from reading them, and in this case we need as much exposure as possible.

My concerns are:
* what happens when people are disconnected from the internet due to non payment of phone bills?
* What becomes of the person who has learning difficulties who feels too embarrased to ask for help in a public place   and where are the safeguards for personal data being divulged to internet cafe providers?
* If the system crashes, the effects on a person with severe mood disorders could be extreme - has anyone considered that?

I realise i must be sounding somewhat doom laden, but i am thinking about everyday life rather than simple statistics.

Regarding this blog, I think its an extremely good start to get people thinking.

Paul Treloar
forum member

Head of Policy, LASA

Send message

Total Posts: 842

Joined: 6 January 2011

HK - 20 August 2012 09:28 AM

I’ve looked at a few posts, I agree with the sentiments but it isn’t giving information I haven’t seen elsewhere, or raising issues I haven’t already seen raised elsewhere, often with more political edge and more detail.

Thanks, if you could share any links to other comment pieces, we’d be happy to see what they’re saying.

Paul Treloar
forum member

Head of Policy, LASA

Send message

Total Posts: 842

Joined: 6 January 2011

splurge - 20 August 2012 03:21 PM

I think that as much publicity about this area of policy as possible is needed.

I am concerned that if blogs are too political it might turn people away from reading them, and in this case we need as much exposure as possible.

My concerns are:
* what happens when people are disconnected from the internet due to non payment of phone bills?
* What becomes of the person who has learning difficulties who feels too embarrased to ask for help in a public place   and where are the safeguards for personal data being divulged to internet cafe providers?
* If the system crashes, the effects on a person with severe mood disorders could be extreme - has anyone considered that?

I realise i must be sounding somewhat doom laden, but i am thinking about everyday life rather than simple statistics.

Regarding this blog, I think its an extremely good start to get people thinking.

Thanks, we have generally aimed to avoid being overtly political, partly for the reasons you mention and partly because the opposition hasn’t given any real indication that it would impose any major changes in policy either.

Your second point about safeguards is very important I think, we’ve discussed this elsewhere in a previous blog Cold calling because the digital by default agenda will require an awful lot of personal information sharing online.

The system crash scenario is, I hope, something that DWP are given serious risk assessment planning towards - as well as the personal impacts on individuals, there is also the question of what happens to people’s payments? If all financial support is tied up into one payment and the IT system behind it doesn’t work (either HMRC to DWP, or DWP to claimant), we could see literally millions of people being subject to severe financial hardship and approaching their local authority for whatever crisis loan system they have in place.

I wouldn’t say that it’s doom laden to flag up potential problems, the more thinking that is done on the discrete and often overlooked issues now will hopefully avoid storing up bigger problems down the line.