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Call for people who have suffered universal credit problems due to digitilisation

Daphne
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I am Joanna Bates, part of a team from the Just Algorithms Action Group (JAAG https://www.jaag.org.uk) searching for viable judicial review applicants who have suffered inaction or injustice due to the shortcomings of the UC system.

We are involved in highlighting the inadequacies and injustices of UC and the unregulated and indiscriminate algorithms responsible - in order to take them to judicial review and change the system for the better.

The people we are looking for will have experience of at least one of these problems claiming Universal Credit:

1. Lack of secure, affordable access to the internet and/or lack of digital skills to access and use the UC system, or restricted smart phone access only.

2. A swing in calendar monthly payments from UC because the claimant’s employer pays wages weekly, 2-weekly or 4-weekly.

3.Six or more weeks delays to appeal conversation appointment.

4. Penalties as a result of failures across DWP, HMRC and employers.

If you think you might be able to help please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with ‘Universal credit - judicial review’ in the subject bar, or contact 07305 159700.

Edited by Shawn (11.05.21) to: replace ‘credible claimants’ with ‘viable judicial review applicants’ in response to feedback below; and to update the contact email address; and (12.05.21) to: add contact phone number.

[ Edited: 12 May 2021 at 09:43 am by shawn mach ]
Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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Whilst I’m sure this is being undertaken for valid and worthwhile reasons, I do have a serious issues with this:

”...searching for credible claimants ...”

That feeds directly into the narrative that there are other people claiming who aren’t credible i.e. the deserving and the undeserving poor. Not really the best start point imvho.

BC Welfare Rights
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Daphne - 15 April 2021 08:51 AM

3.Six or more weeks delays to appeal conversation appointment.

What is that?

Joanna23
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Universal Credit Judicial Review Team, Just Algorithms Action Group (JAAG)

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Hello

Thank you for your patience re: details of the appeal conversation waiting time for UC.
My understanding is that when you ask for an appeal about the decision that’s been made for your benefits, that there is always a delay of six weeks before you get to have the telephone appeal conversation with somebody in one of 16 decision centers across the country
the easiest thing to do will be to ask BC if this is their experience
our view is that the delay is unwarranted and unjust as it means a further delay to a lack of appropriate funding for the individual.

If you’d like to discuss this further please contact Joanna at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 07305 159700.

Cheers

Joanna

Joanna23
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Universal Credit Judicial Review Team, Just Algorithms Action Group (JAAG)

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Dear Paul

Thanks for raising this - I apologise for the confusion - that is not a distinction we intended to draw. We have now amended the text to “viable judicial review applicant” - the word “credible” was only for distinctions that would give the JR the best possible chance of success i.e. the following:
stable mental health
have good English
able to articulate well
stamina and able to travel to London

JAAG is grateful that you have identified this and although we have a great team of people giving of their time (largely voluntarily) we can clearly do better.

If you would like to discuss this further, please contact me on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Kindest regards

Joanna

JAAG UC JR researcher

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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Thanks for the clarification Joanna, much appreciated :-)

Joanna23
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Hi Paul

You’re very welcome. As Age UK is helping older citizens to navigate UC, perhaps we might have a conversation?

Kindest regards

Joanna

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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Joanna23 - 10 May 2021 10:56 AM

Hi Paul

You’re very welcome. As Age UK is helping older citizens to navigate UC, perhaps we might have a conversation?

Kindest regards

Joanna

Happy to have a chat Joanna but so you know, we provide second tier advice and in general, where the problem relates to people needing to claim UC, we tend to signpost to Citizens Advice Help to Claim service at the moment. For many of our local advisers, UC is a very new benefit for them to get their heads around and to date, we’ve not heard so many reports or enquiries about some of the more routine or administrative issues.