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Citizens Advice calls for end to long waits for first universal credit payment
New report today from CitA -
’Universal Credit and Debt’ shows that some aspects of UC risk causing or exacerbating personal debt problems. With UC roll-out due to accelerate significantly from October 2017 [From October 2017 around 50 Jobcentres will get full service Universal Credit each month], identifying and tackling the problems new claimants are facing now - before problems become widespread - is necessary to ensure UC meets its aims.
Our evidence shows that our UC clients are more likely to have debt problems than those on legacy benefits. A quarter (26 per cent) of the people we helped with UC also needed help with debt, compared to 19 per cent for legacy benefits. They are also struggling to pay off their debts. More than 2 in 5 (41 per cent) debt clients on UC have no spare income to pay creditors, compared to a third (33 per cent) on legacy benefits.
and no doubt the DWP will come out with their usual bland statement about the benefits of UC and refuse to do anything about it….
... linked to the issue of delayed first payments, Damian Hinds said in a Commons written answer that UC staff are ‘automatically aware’ of all cases where more action is needed before payment can be made -
The Universal Credit Full Service digital system ensures that all agents and their managers are automatically aware in real time of any claimants on their caseload for whom a payment is due to be paid, or of any claimant for whom a payment will be due shortly, for which there are outstanding actions required.
complacency
a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.