‘I tried to kill myself on a call to DWP over ten-week Universal Credit wait – and almost put my kids into care’
Dean Lovell-Payne, 52, who was left in a wheelchair by a fall, took an overdose after a lengthy delay to his Universal Credit benefits
A DAD driven to despair by Universal Credit tried to kill himself while on the phone to the benefits office.
Dean Lovell-Payne, 52, was left unable to walk after a fall in June forced him to stop work and move his family into a cheaper home with no central heating. He took an overdose after almost three months without any benefits at all.
Dean, who is sharing his story exclusively as part of The Sun's Make Universal Credit Work Campaign, says he and his wife Paula even considered putting their youngest two children into care because they were so worried about not being able to afford food.
When ambulance service worker Dean's wages stopped in July, he and his partner Paula, 51, and their three kids - who are 30, 17 and 15 - had no choice but to move to a cheaper home, while Paula became her husband's full-time carer.
It was on a call with the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) Universal Credit helpline in September that Dean became so desperate that he took an overdose of painkillers.
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"I didn’t even hang-up the phone. I told the soulless b*stard exactly what I was doing," said Dean, who uses a wheelchair.
The next thing Dean can remember is the police and paramedics arriving. He was taken to hospital and fortunately made a full recovery.
The Sun wants to Make Universal Credit Work
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 per cent 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.
Join our or email [email protected].uk to share your story.
'I'm a prisoner in my own home'
Dean spiralled into depression when he was moved onto Universal Credit and could no longer afford his rent. Forced to move to a house at the end of a dirt track with no disabled access, he became a virtual prisoner in his own home.
“The access to the house is terrible," he says. “Sometimes I feel like a prisoner in here. The house is very, very, cold too. Half the month we don’t have any heating because we can’t afford to heat the house.”
He added: “I’ve worked all my life but am made to feel like I’m worthless just because I’m too sick to work. I feel helpless. There doesn’t seem to be anywhere to turn.”
When Dean applied for Universal Credit in July he informed DWP of his poor health and difficult living conditions, but was told that he would still have to wait five weeks for his first payment to be processed - standard for the Government's controversial new benefits system.
The Sun is campaigning to slash this waiting time to two weeks.
Dean said: “Five weeks came and went. We waited and waited and were reaching crunch time."
“Our money had long since run out and the end of the school holidays meant the knock-on effects of no universal credit were going to bite."
Without being confirmed as receiving Universal Credit, the couple couldn't get free school meals for their daughters and were barely able to feed them at home.
Paula said: "We're supposed to provide for our family but we can't. I feel like a failure as a mother because we can't do the things for our kids that we're supposed to."
Delays by the DWP meant Dean didn't receive a penny of his Universal Credit money until September - meaning the family had been without income for almost three months and had built up credit card debts just to get by.
What Dean's family is living on
DEAN'S family's living costs exceed their income on Universal Credit and with Dean unable to work and Paula his full-time carer, the couple are wracking up debt just to survive.
FAMILY INCOME
£1,577 Universal Credit
£329 PIP
£60 Carer's Allowance (for Paula)
TOTAL = £1,966
FAMILY OUTGOINGS
£1,150 rent
£380 direct debits (furniture, contents insurance, personal phone bill, phone bills for both his daughters, landline, broadband, life insurance)
£280 electricity
£129 coal
£64 gas
£108 monthly food shop
£30 for daughters' travel
TOTAL = £2,141
OVERSPEND = -£175, Dean spends on his credit card to make up the difference and cover petrol and any other unexpected expenses
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If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or visit ’s website.
"We couldn’t get my prescriptions either and all of our standing orders were set to bounce within days," said Dean.
Dean says since he's been on Universal Credit, he's not the same person he was. "I’m anxious, fearful and distrusting of anyone in the benefits system."
A DWP spokesperson said: “We sympathise with the distress Mr Lovell-Payne felt.
“Jobcentre staff handled his claim sensitively and in line with their duty of care.
“A Universal Credit payment was made as soon as Mr Lovell-Payne’s claim had been properly verified.”
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