BENEFITS BREAKTHROUGH
Mums on Universal Credit will be able to get paid directly in bid to stop abusive men holding back cash, Amber Rudd says
MUMS on Universal Credit will be given their benefits directly in a bid to make sure their abusive partners don't hold it back from them.
Amber Rudd said she'll be bringing forward new proposals to make sure the primary caregiver gets access to benefits cash.
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In her first grilling in front of MPs today, the new DWP Secretary said she wanted to do more to make sure "women get the benefit of the UC payment".
She said there was more to be done to help women who were in domestic abuse relationships and ensure their children didn't miss out.
"So I'm going to be focused on making sure the main payment is made to the primary carer," she told MPs.
Proposals will be being brought forward soon, Ms Rudd said.
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MPs have previously warned that the way Universal Credit is only paid to one person means that the system stops victims from escaping abusive relationships.
Ms Rudd also revealed in front of the Work and Pensions committee today:
- The five-week wait for benefits is ";too long" if claimants don't get an advance payment to help them out
- Brits should take up zero-hour contract jobs to escape punitive benefits sanctions
- She would be willing to delay the rollout of Universal Credit even further in order to get things right and "make sure it's effective"
- There's currently a row in government over the best way to put people on the old benefits onto Universal Credit
- There were "problems" with Universal Credit and "tinkering" wouldn't cut it
Seven millions Brits are set to be on the new welfare programme by 2023 at the moment, as people get put on the new system.
10,000 will go over next year, and the rest will be slowly transferred over in the years ahead.
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But MPs and Lords have expressed concern that people could drop off the system altogether and lose access to their benefits.
Committee chair Frank Field today praised her frank answers today, saying she wasn't giving them any "bulls**t".
Ms Rudd's first grilling by MPs today comes after The Sun launched our Make Universal Credit Work campaign, demanding more help for those struggling with the new benefits system.
We are calling on Amber Rudd to slash the wait Brits have for payments, boost the work allowance so people can keep more of what they earn, and pay childcare costs upfront so working parents don't go into debt when going back into work.
Today we told how one family face a Christmas without any presents at all as they struggle to pay for bills and food on Universal Credit.
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] to share your story.
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A fresh report out from MPs today warned that disabled Brits on benefits could lose vital cash when they move over to the new system.
Disabled benefit claimants with a full-time carer would be better off under the flagship welfare reform, but those without will not be able access top ups to their benefits, the powerful DWP committee said.
Over one million people are on Universal Credit with a further 7million set to be rolled onto it by 2023. But there are BIG problems with the system, The Sun wants to help Make Universal Credit Work