Universal Credit phone lines jammed with laid off workers waiting hours to get through
STRUGGLING Brits say they've been waiting hours on the phone to try and claim Universal Credit after losing their income.
While others say they've been stuck in an online queuing system, with one person reporting 76,000 people ahead of them in the queue.
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The DWP says only the most vulnerable claimants who cannot access DWP services by other channels will be invited to attend.
People are instead being urged to use online services before turning to the telephone for help with their benefit claim, but both services are struggling.
One person wrote on Twitter this week: "I've had enough. I've been online since 11am this morning, trying to sign up to Universal Credit.
"I was in a queue of 10,000 since this morning. I've just got on. What's happened?
"Taken in circles, kicked out, started again, different verification company, in a queue of 30,000."
While Labour MP for Brent Central, Dawn Butler, tweeted that someone trying to apply had sent her a link saying they were number 76,628 in the queue.
Another commented: "Yep, 900 mins on the phone since Thursday, currently been on hold for 1hr 31mins today, average time on hold is two hours before they drop the call."
Someone else wrote: "I’m on my 23rd call since 8am. I get so far and then phone disconnects."
And another wrote: "I'm the same - one whole week since I applied as I lost all my work.
"I'm self employed, no income, yet can’t get through to anyone from Universal Credit."
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a range of packages to help businesses and workers but has so far done very little for the self-employed - although he has promised assistance.
To date, he's removed the minimum income floor for self-employed people affected by coronavirus claiming Universal Credit.
While also upping the standard allowance for Universal Credit and working tax credit by £1,000 a year.
See our guide for further assistance if you're self-employed.
But despite the waiting times, Ms Coffey said in today's committee meeting that the government will stick to the five-week wait for Universal Credit while continuing to offer advance loans in the meantime.
She said: "We will be sticking with that advance.
"Technically it would be difficult to make operational changes."
She added that around 70,000 people applied for an advance last week.
As part of The Sun's Make Universal Credit Work campaign, we've been calling for the five-week wait to be reduced to two in a bid to prevent people from taking out loans they can't afford to repay.
Ms Coffey said: “To help people most effectively and efficiently, we need people to claim online.
"If you cannot get online, phone us for help and we will only see people face to face in our jobcentres if invited.”