'NO WAY OUT'
Single mum-of-two on Universal Credit £900 in debt can’t afford school uniforms for kids
A SINGLE Mum is £900 in debt and can't afford school uniforms for her kids after going onto Universal Credit.
Stacey Gleave told ITV's This Morning that Brits on benefits were left with "no safety net" when they went on to the new system - as they have to wait five weeks to get a payment.
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She said she was forced into arrears when she went onto Universal Credit and still owes hundreds which she now can't pay off.
"People are having literally to live out of food banks," she told the programme. "The problem for us is that we have been left with no safety net.
"In between we are left with nothing, you've got no back up behind you."
Those who transfer onto Universal Credit are offered advance loans, which have steep repayment rates that come out of their next payment.
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Stacey says she's £900 in debt since transferring over, and has been left in arrears.
And since her kid moved school, she hasn't even been able to afford his new uniform.
"He was coming home and asking me why he was different... the real reason was I couldn't afford the uniform," she admitted.
Luckily Stacey has been able to borrow money from her family to keep her going, but now owes them hundreds of pounds.
"It just adds all on to your debt," she says. "Debt puts a big hold on you, it plays a big part in your life.
"Every day you wake up with the worries... What can you do to get out of it? There is nothing."
She's also been forced to controversial rent-to-own firm BrightHouse, which provides goods with sky-high interest rates.
Customers are lured in by what the firm calls “affordable weekly repayments” - which might be something like £18 a week for a flash Samsung TV.
But the plans can go on for years, by which time you may have ended up paying more than double for your goods, as high lighted in our Stop the Credit Rip-Off campaign
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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The Sun revealed last week how families on Universal Credit are being forced to turn to payday loans to make ends meet.
The Government's new flagship benefits system has been beset with problems since it started being rolled out across the country.
It takes five weeks for the first payment to come through on Universal Credit, but some have been left waiting for months after that.
Ministers are being urged to plug the gap in funding Universal Credit in next week's Budget, so the millions that are yet to be transferred over won't lose out.
The DWP says the vast majority of people on Universal Credit are satisfied, and their test and learn approach means that any problems are continuously being ironed out.
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