Call to halt UC roll out

The leader of South Lanarkshire Council has called for a halt to the roll-out of a controversial welfare reform, saying it is plunging families into financial crisis.

Councillor John Ross made the demand after hearing evidence about the impact of Universal Credit – a new scheme which replaces six welfare payments with one single monthly amount.

Some people in South Lanarkshire already receive the benefit and it is due to be rolled out to even more people on October 4.

But Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has produced a dossier of evidence which it says shows Universal Credit has pushed families into debt and caused them to struggle with their finances.

Councillor Ross this week backed the CAS call for the roll-out of the reform to be delayed.

He said:“The aim may have been to make the system less complicated but it is clear that in reality Universal Credit is currently making life worse for many families.

“The CAS evidence is backed up by personal stories I have heard myself, and I am sure every councillor in affected parts of Scotland will have been approached by constituents who find themselves in financial crisis and unable to make ends meet.”

Evidence put forward by CAS shows that in areas where universal credit has been rolled out, rent arrears has increased by 15 per cent compared to a national decrease of two per cent.

These areas have also seen an 87 per cent increase in crisis grants, whilst the number of people enquiring about food banks has also jumped by 70 per cent.

Cllr Ross’s call to halt Universal Credit comes four weeks after the Reformer revealed that almost 90 per cent of council tenants already in receipt of the benefit are in rent arrears.

Figures showed that as of June 30, 633 people owed the council £525,000.

The local authority said several of their tenants had experienced significant delays in receiving Universal Credit payments and that some had been given the wrong or no contribution to housing costs.

A DWP spokeswoman said:“The best way to help people improve their lives is to help them into work, and under Universal Credit people are moving into work faster and staying in work longer than under the previous system.

“We are rolling out Universal Credit in a gradual, safe and secure way and the majority of people are managing their budgets well, meanwhile the Scottish Government now has significant welfare powers including flexibility over Universal Credit payments.”