MP battles Universal Credit plan

New system opposition

Neil Gray says the rollout of Universal Credit is a “shambles [which] needs to be stopped” – and accused the government at Westminster of being “paralysed by fear, indecision and a lack of strategic direction” over the reforms.

The Airdrie & Shotts MP is the SNP’s Westminster spokesperson for fair work and employment, and led his party’s criticism of the policy at both opposition and emergency debates on the issue in the past 10 days.

Universal Credit merges income support, jobseekers’ allowance, employment and support allowance, housing benefit, child tax credit and working tax credits into one single payment.

Mr Gray outlined criticisms including a sixweek wait for payments and increases in hardship, rent arrears and use of foodbanks.

He spoke first of all in a House of Commons opposition day debate – in which the government lost 299-0 in a symbolic vote from which Conservative members abstained.

Mr Gray said: “The premise of a simplified social security system was a good idea which the SNP still supports – but cuts to tax credits, work allowances, employment support and housing benefit undermined it.

“The Trussell Trust has reported a 17 per cent rise in foodbank aid in areas in which Universal Credit has been rolled out, double the year-on-year rise in the rest of the UK.”

Airdrie’s MP added in last week’s emergency debate: “The benefits have been salami-sliced to nothing. Cuts to Universal Credit are making people worse off.

“Is the three per cent uplift in employment rates really worth the rise in inwork poverty, the crippling rise in rent arrears or the disgusting rise in foodbank use?

“Now is time to force home the changes we’ve all been pushing for: fixing the six-week wait, the advance payment being a loan, the monthly payments; and for the government to admit that Universal Credit as it stands is failing those it should be helping.”

Mr Gray told the Advertiser: “This shambles needs to be stopped before any more innocent folk have their lives turned upside down through this government’s mishandling of Universal Credit.

“We’ve launched an online petition to give more weight to the claim that it’s totally unacceptable in its existing form, and I urge people to add their names at www.snp.org/haltuniversalcredit.”

Cuts are making people worse off

Speaking out Neil Gray criticised rollout of the new single benefit