Stop and Fix Universal Credit

Bridgwater Town centre

Campaigners got a sympathetic response from Bridgwater shoppers on Saturday 2nd December, when they asked for Universal Credit to be cancelled!

Said Somerset Unite Community Chair Glenn Cane: “Everyone seems to know someone whose life has been blighted by Universal Credit. That’s why we’re saying that Christmas will be cancelled for thousands of families claiming the new benefit.

Serious problems

Universal Credit replaces six of the most commonly-claimed benefits, including Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit and Job Seekers Allowance. It takes at least six weeks for a claim to be paid, so a family claiming Universal Credit today would have no money before Christmas.

 Despite knowing Universal Credit causes serious problems, Theresa May's government is pressing ahead and rolling it out to thousands of people across the UK.

and across the country

Claimants are descending into debt, relying on food banks, getting into rent arrears and in some cases getting evicted from their homes because of in-built problems with Universal Credit. Many disabled people are finding themselves up to £80 a week worse off with Universal credit.

STOP and FIX

The recent Budget promised a reduction of waiting time from 6 weeks to 4, but this won’t come into operation until after the New Year and doesn’t take into account the delays in payment which have made many claimants wait anything up to 12 weeks before receiving their payment.

Unite the union is calling on the government to STOP and FIX Universal Credit, and end this misery for thousands of claimants.

Further information: 01278 450562/glenburrows@btinternet.com