45,000 need help with online credit
Applicants struggle with net claims
NEARLY 50,000 Scots needed help to apply for the UK Government’s hated Universal Credit, the Daily Record can reveal.
The Government’s welfare system is the first of its scale to be rolled out through an onlineonly application system.
But there are growing concerns that people who do not have a computer or smartphone, or who are not IT literate, are being excluded. It has sparked fears that many more may be missing out and not receiving any benefit at all.
The new flagship welfare scheme requires people to set up an online account then make a claim within 28 days.
A claimant’s partner also has to have an account - even if they are not intending to apply for UC – because their income and savings are also included in calculations for the other person’s claim. A freedom of information request to the Department for Work and Pensions has revealed that 45,000 people in Scotland had help filling out the forms. They answered yes to a question on the online application form which asks: “Did anyone help you make your claim – for example a family member, friend, or someone from the JobCentre or a charity.”
Catherine Stihler, chief executive of Open Knowledge International, which campaigns to improve data literacy, said: “These numbers show that too many people in Scotland and across the UK needed help filling out these forms, and that is because there are too many people who are not IT literate.
“When faced with complicated forms, it can be very daunting for people. That’s why governments must work harder to increase digital literacy, including placing computer coding early in the school curriculum. Technological advances are driving the world forward, but nobody must be left behind – particularly when it comes to crucial issues like access to welfare payments.”
The DWP said: “Tailored support is an important principle of Universal Credit and these figures include people helped by JobCentre staff. Ninety-eight per cent of people claim online and our latest claimant survey showed the majority of people found the process easy. Additional support is also available for those that need it.”