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Some updates from Neil Couling
The Guardian reports that there was a briefing for journalists yesterday at which the DWP’s Neil Couling:
... predicted that the first of the “pandemic” universal credit payments, applied for in mid-March, were scheduled to go through as scheduled on 22 April. “I will lay serious amounts of money we will get those claims done. It’s our duty to get them done and everyone is working their socks off in DWP to get it done.”
Plus, later, Mr Couling tweeted links to a number of articles based, I assume, on the briefing, including:
DWP looking to recruit 5,000 benefits claimants to handle surge in Universal Credit claims: politicshome.com
Coronavirus: Some ‘confused’ families will get less Universal Credit than they hoped: mirror.co.uk
Couple more articles linked to by Neil -
‘No chance’ wait for Universal Credit payments can be shortened : metro.co.uk
Universal credit bill could rise by £9.6bn as claims surge from people hit by outbreak: independent.co.uk
It is now an undeniable fact that disaster can instantly and totally engulf large numbers of people who from a not-too-bad existence now stare poverty in the face. But that noble cornerstone of UC , the 5-week wait, cannot change with the times, and will not change with the facts. Thank You, Mr Couling.