Men twice as likely to claim new benefit
Advance payment alert
The number of men out of work and claiming universal credit in the area is almost double the amount of women without jobs.
Last month 1575 men were claiming the benefit, compared to just 845 women.
UK Government figures show that 4.7 per cent of men living in the Rutherglen and Hamilton East constituency are dependant on universal credit, while 2.4 per cent of the female population are claiming the benefits.
For men this is the 13th-highest out of 59 constituency regions in Scotland, while for women it was the 8th-highest in the country.
Universal credit, which combines six benefits into one, was rolled out across South Lanarkshire last October.
However, it has been labelled a disaster because of huge delays in processing payments, throwing families and individuals already living on the breadline into crisis.
Delays of five weeks or more in payments being processed led to advance payments being introduced.
And staff at jobcentres have revealed that this is also causing chaos because people on benefits are withdrawing five weeks’ worth of money in one go and then ending up in financial trouble as they have to pay it all back later.
One Jobcentreplus worker told the Reformer: “When a person presents themselves to us we advise them to be careful with the advance payment and suggest taking a smaller amount because they have to pay it all back.
“But in most cases they’ll insist on taking out the full advance payment – and rent money – which can be around £1000.
“Sometimes we’ll say to people ‘don’t take your rent money, it’s not even due yet’ but unfortunately it still happens in most cases.
“The advance payments were rightly brought in to help people who needed it while their first UC payment was being processed but people still end up in the same situation of being in debt.
“This is because the advance payment is taken off subsequent universal credit payments. They don’t have a choice.”
Last month Rutherglen and Cambuslang Foodbank volunteers told the Reformer that universal credit is the number one reason foodbank usage rose by more than a third in this area in the past year.
They dished out 4174 three-day emergency food supplies in 201718, compared to 3166 the previous year, and the feedback from people is that they were having continued issues with universal credit payments.
Jamie Gracie, chairman of Rutherglen and Cambuslang Foodbank, said: “It doesn’t have to be this way, with a benefits system that catches people before they fall into crisis.”
Rutherglen MP Ged Killen said: “This heartless Tory government has no idea of the reality of people’s lives.
“Universal credit was intended to simplify the benefits system and provide flexible support to those who need it.
“Instead it is driving more people into debt and has led to foodbank referrals increasing by more than 50 per cent.
“The delay in initial payment is unacceptable. Universal credit claimants are effectively being forced to borrow support from the government and then pay it back out of their ongoing UC payments, which means they are having to live on less than the government has calculated they need.”
Mr Killen added: “That is not only unsustainable, it is grossly unfair.
“I will continue to challenge the Tories on this disastrous policy and I would ask anyone is having issues with universal credit to get in touch with my office.”
Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke has argued that the shakeup of the benefits system is working, giving people more incentives to seek employment and helping people in work secure better-paid jobs.
However, a watchdog recently criticised the universal credit system for being too slow to roll out, causing hardship and not delivering value for money.
The National Audit Office highlighted its delayed and flawed implementation, with more than 110,000 people in the UK being paid late in 2017 alone.
Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the public accounts committee, said universal credit had been “one long catalogue of delay with a huge impact on people’s lives”.
It doesn’t have to be this way