Benefits shake-up has forced women into sex work, claims MP
WOMEN HAVE turned to sex work as a result of the Government’s flagship welfare project, a senior MP warned as Ministers were urged to halt the reforms.
Frank Field, the independent MP who chairs the Work and Pensions Committee, said the introduction of Universal Credit (UC) is “not going as well” as is made out, leading some women to take to the red light district in his Birkenhead constituency.
Labour also reiterated demands to pause UC while Tory MPs yesterday expressed a desire for extra funding during a Commons question session dominated by the issue.
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey said she had been discussing UC with Chancellor Philip Hammond, insisting the details of these talks will be revealed in the Budget later this month.
Mr Field said: “Might I raise a question that I wrote to the Secretary of State about, about how Universal Credit is being rolled out in Birkenhead, how it is not going as well as we’re told in the House of Commons, and some women have taken to the red light district for the first time?
“Might she come to Birkenhead and meet those women’s organisations and the police who are worried about women’s security being pushed into this position?”
Ms McVey replied: “We need to work with those ladies and see what help we can give them from the work coaches right the way through to the various charities and organisations.”
She also asked Mr Field to tell the women that there are “record job vacancies”.
Earlier, Ms McVey told MPs that they will “know what those discussions will be” with Mr Hammond in the upcoming Budget. But when asked by the SNP’s work and pensions spokesman Neil Gray if she has asked the Chancellor for more money for Universal Credit ahead of the Budget, Ms McVey refused to give any details.