Universal Credit woes hit Lochaber families hard
Lochaber organisations helping those in financial hardship say problems with the controversial new Universal Credit (UC) are making things much worse.
Lochaber Foodbank says it is faced with an ever-growing number of people in need due to difficulties with the new benefit regime, while Lochaber Citizens Advice Bureau says UC problems are now the second biggest area of work for its staff.
Their comments come after the Lochaber Times was contacted by a Fort William family who said they had no UC money for nine weeks.
The couple, who have a one-year-old child and have another on the way, said their situation had seen them forced to turn to Lochaber Foodbank for help three times recently for everything from food and nappies to coal.
‘We’ve had no money for food or electricity and the past three weeks have seen us living off the foodbank,’ the man told the Lochaber Times.
Lochaber Foodbank manager Alex McConachie says this particular family’s situation is just one case of many families in similar situations.
‘It’s heartbreaking. We are seeing more and more people needing our help because of problems with Universal Credit. It’s unreal,’ said Mr McConachie.
‘And it’s only going to get worse this month with some businesses closing for the winter. That means more people signing on to Universal Credit and they’re going to have to wait five or six weeks before they get any money.’
The Fort resident who spoke to the Lochaber Times explained that, after signing on for the benefit in April, everything worked relatively smoothly.
‘I had some seasonal work that finished at the end of August,’ he explained. ‘The problem with Universal Credit started after that when Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) passed our information to Universal Credit. They said they were choosing to adjust the information, despite HMRC telling them it was correct. We really don’t know what to do next. There’s not been a lot of work available and the weather is getting colder.’
Stephen Marshall, manager of Lochaber Citizens Advice Bureau, said Universal Credit problems were now the second biggest area of work for his staff.
‘The complexity of the whole thing means it is not accessible to the people who need it most. The online claiming element makes it very difficult and the initial delay in payments causes problems with rent arrears,’ said Mr Marshall. ‘And as an agency that issues foodbank vouchers, we have seen the demand for these rise massively since the start of Universal Credit.’
Highland Council’s Lochaber Area Committee recently heard that Universal Credit continued to be what council officials called a ‘significant contributory factor’ in rent arrears and that this would only worsen.
Local MP Ian Blackford says UC has been a disaster since its roll-out began: ‘The evidence and human cost has been piling up for some time. The roll-out of Universal Credit must be halted until all the many problems can be fixed. There is no alternative.’