Universal Credit ‘pride’ is slammed
A Tory councillor has been slated after saying is he proud of the controversial Universal Credit welfare benefit.
Stirling Council Tory group leader Neil Benny, who is also chief of staff to local MP Stephen Kerr, this week defended the comment, made at a full meeting of the council on Thursday.
The remark had been condemned by the SNP’s equalities Councillor Maureen Bennison who, during a discussion on how the council is trying to ease pressures on applicants, spoke of recent reports detailing the sharp rise of food bank use and the detrimental effects long term use have on people’s health and mental health.
A report by council officials said council employee workload had both increased and become more complex as a result of the full rollout of Universal Credit and that the wholly digital nature of applying for the benefit and therefore the need for access to the appropriate technology and skills was a significant issue for applicants.
Between the end of December and the end of March the number of households receiving Universal Credit increased from 1,554 to 2,298, Prior to receiving the benefit 695 had rent arrears, however 99 tenants had arrears solely accumulated while waiting for UC payments to start.
In the 15 months from April 2016 to June 2017, 183 applications were received by the council for crisis grants from the Scottish Welfare Fund, however in the nine months from July 2017 to the end of March this year, 988 applications were received.
Councillors agreed a number of measures in a bid to help alleviate the pressures on claimants and staff including continued monitoring on the impact on the Scottish Welfare Fund, promotion of school clothing grants and free school meals and additional support to help people with the application process.
Councillor Bennison said:“Councillor Benny should have nothing to be proud of. Report after report from a number of organisations, including the UK Government’s own National Audit Office, have found that Universal Credit is a failing system which is flawed to the core.
“The system is costing more money to administer than legacy benefits and it is having a negative impact on the lives of people forced onto this horrendous system. Stirling Council is being compelled into using staff, public money and resources on propping up this failed policy.
“Stirling Council’s Tory Group need a reality check. Universal Credit is failing, and too many people are waiting for weeks on end waiting for claims to be processed. Access to food is a basic human right, not a privilege, and Stirling Tories need to get their heads out the sand, admit the overwhelming evidence in front of their faces, and tell their MP that the Universal Credit system is simply not working.”
Councillor Benny, however, this week reiterated his comment.
“I am very proud of Universal Credit as a welfare system that encourages people to get a job to get out of poverty. It means that work will always pay and that people will get help and support to get a job. Leaving people sitting on benefits is unfair on the taxpayers who pay for our welfare system and cruel on people who are left with no support and trapped on dependency. This is nothing more than an attempt by the SNP to demonise a policy that is about helping people get into work.
“If Councillor Bennison wants to know what I tell our Conservative MP about Universal Credit, it is that this is a system that is helping thousands of people across Stirling get jobs to secure their own and their families’future. and that we need to carry on with welfare reform and growing the economy to create the jobs that will lift people out of poverty.”