I used to donate to foodbanks – now I’m on Universal Credit I need them to survive
WALKING into her local foodbank to collect a box that she desperately needed to feed her family, mum-of-one Samantha Evans hung her head in shame.
For, just a few months earlier, the 39-year-old call centre worker had been the one donating to the foodbank.
Samantha, who lives with her partner Lee McHugh, 39, and son Dylan, 8, in Barnsley, was left penniless after being moved onto Universal Credit in April, when she was made redundant from her call centre job.
This week The Sun launched its Make Universal Credit Work campaign to help the millions of struggling families being affected by the shambolic roll-out of the welfare reform.
"It got to the point where I only had condiments left in the cupboard, and the fridge freezer was almost empty," she says. "I was living on Marmite on toast, having run out of tins and packs of pasta.
"I visited one that was operated by the local council's Family Information Centre. I hated going there but had to when I literally ran out of food."
“It’s upsetting. You have to forget about your pride. I had no choice,” she says. "I’m usually the one donating to foodbanks, not visiting them."
At the same time as Samantha was made redundant, Lee, who also works in call centres, found that his work dried up. He took any job that was offered to him, working as an assistant in a care home, and in other call centre roles, but couldn't secure enough hours to make ends meet.
In June, the family received their first Universal Credit payment of £510, but were shocked when the next month they got nothing due to Samantha being overpaid £4,000 in Child Tax Credits over the last year.
Suddenly the couple found themselves unable to keep up with bills and with no food in the cupboards.
“It was such a shock. We went from just getting by to really struggling,” says Samantha. "At least my boy was being fed, as he has breakfast and lunch at school and sometimes after school club with tea."
Foodbank usage in Universal Credit areas has jumped by 52 per cent
Sadly, Samantha is not alone in having to rely on foodbanks to supplement Universal Credit. Demand for foodbank usage has risen by 52 per cent in areas where Universal Credit has been rolled out, according to charity Trussell Trust.
The charity has said that it will dish out 1.5million meals in its busiest Christmas ever by providing hundreds of thousands of food parcels to people just like Samantha and her family.
The Sun wants to Make Universal Credit Work
Universal Credit replaces six benefits with a single monthly payment
Universal Credit replaces six benefits with a single monthly payment. One million people are already receiving it and by the time the system is fully rolled out in 2023, nearly 7 million will be on it.
But there are big problems with the flagship new system - it takes 5 weeks to get the first payment and it could leave some families worse off by thousands of pounds a year.
And while working families can claim back up to 85% of their childcare costs, they must find the money to pay for childcare upfront - we’ve heard of families waiting up to 6 months for the money.
Working parents across the country told us they’ve been unable to take on more hours - or have even turned down better paid jobs or more hours because of the amount they get their benefits cut.
It’s time to Make Universal Credit work. We want the government to:
- Get paid faster: The government must slash the time Brits wait for their first Universal Credit payments from five to two weeks, helping stop 7 million from being pushed into debt.
- Keep more of what you earn: The work allowance should be increased and the taper rate should be slashed from from 63p to 50p, helping at least 4 million families.
- Don’t get punished for having a family: Parents should get the 85 per cent of the money they can claim for childcare upfront instead of being paid in arrears.
Together, these changes will help Make Universal Credit Work.
"I really had to be desperate to go to foodbanks, and after one woman at the council made a snippy comment to me about foodbanks not being here to supplement my income I vowed never to use one again. That really hurt.
"I would only go to one again if it was in the school holidays and my boy might lose out on being fed properly," Samantha says.
On top of the £4,000 Child Tax Credit overpayment, which Samantha disputes, the couple are still paying back a £1,200 Universal Credit advance, which they took out to help with bills, buy food and clear a hire purchase debt while they waited for their first payment.
Are you on Universal Credit? Do you have a story? Email: [email protected]
Claimants have to wait at least five weeks for their first payment, but in the meantime the majority of their existing benefits are stopped.
Samantha claims they were also penalised when Lee moved in with her.
"Lee moved in with us to help with bills when I was made unemployed" says Samantha. “The result was we both had our support stopped. We had no help whatsoever. Lee would have been better off staying put.”
Now I have bailiffs knocking at my door
The couple are supposed to get £415 per month in Universal Credit payments but at the moment they receive nothing because they are still paying back their advance and Tax Credit overpayment.
Samantha has now found employment again in a call centre, while Lee has been told that he won't have work again until after Christmas.
She says she is lucky that she had a job again and that she can ask her mum for help, but knows they will struggle again in the future.
As if things weren’t bad enough, on the same day The Sun contacted Samantha, she had a visit from the bailiffs as she’s not been able to keep up with her Council Tax bills.
"It has been pure hell.
“Aside from that we felt we were criminals for seeking benefits. I’d never been unemployed before April, always paid my taxes and NI, and this is how we were treated.
"It was so stressful. And I still owe money.”
Make Universal Credit Work
The DWP told us: “Universal Credit adjusts automatically to earnings to ensure people receive the right support.
“Ms Evans’ Universal Credit payment was reduced in November based on her earnings and scheduled repayments of previous Universal Credit advances.”
One foodbank in North London said it was stock piling food ahead of the area's roll out to Universal Credit earlier this year.
We've also revealed how one dad was forced to turn to foodbanks after his Universal Credit payments were stopped over letter which were sent to the wrong address.
And how a disabled mum says she's hundreds of pounds down a month after moving on to UC, which is forcing her to go to foodbanks.
What to do if you have problems claiming Universal Credit
IF you're experiencing trouble applying for your Universal Credit, or the payments just don't cover costs, here are your options:
Apply for an advance - Claimants are able to get some cash within five days rather than waiting weeks for their first payment. But it's a loan which means the repayments will be automatically deducted from your future Universal Credit pay out.
Alternative Payment Arrangements - If you're falling behind on rent, you or your landlord may be able to apply for an APA which will get your payment sent directly to your landlord. You might also be able to change your payments to get them more frequently, or you can split the payments if you're part of a couple.
Budgeting Advance - You may be able to get help from the government to help with emergency household costs of up to £348 if you're single, £464 if you're part of a couple or £812 if you have children. These are only in cases like your cooker breaking down or for help getting a job. You'll have to repay the advance through your regular Universal Credit payments. You'll still have to repay the loan, even if you stop claiming for Universal Credit.
Cut your Council Tax - You might be able to get a discount on your Council Tax or be entitled to Discretionary Housing Payments if your payments aren't enough to cover your rent.
Foodbanks - If you're really hard up and struggling to buy food and toiletries, you can find your local foodbank who will provide you with help for free. You can find your nearest one on the
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