Universal credit fiasco ‘forces women into prostitution’

But McVey tells them: Get other jobs

UNIVERSAL credit is driving women into prostitution, an MP has warned, increasing pressure to scrap the new benefits system.

Yesterday Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey was told some women pushed into poverty by the “shambolic” UC “have taken to the redlight district for the first time”.

But Ms McVey said that those affected should simply get “other jobs”.

The warning, by Labour MP Frank Field, came as 25,000 people signed a petition backing the Daily Mirror campaign to scrap UC.

Mr Field wrote to Ms

McVey last week to raise concerns, after speaking to police and charities about UC in his constituency in Birkenhead,

FEAR MP Frank Field Merseyside. Yesterday, he told the Commons: “Some women have taken to the red light district for the first time.

“Might she [Ms McVey] come to meet women’s organisations and the police who are worried about women’s security, being pushed into this position.” Ms McVey, who last week admitted that families will be “worse off” under UC, did not agree to meet the women. She said:

“We need to work with those ladies and see what help we can give them.

“In the meantime, he could tell these ladies that we’ve now got record job vacancies – 830,000 – and perhaps there SHAMBLES Tory Esther McVey in Commons

are other jobs on offer.” Angela Murphy is head of Tomorrow’s Women Wirral charity in Birkenhead, which raised the issue.

She rubbished Ms McVey’s suggestion, saying: “We are talking about women who are nowhere near job ready – people living hand to mouth. One said she hadn’t been sex working for long but because of UC, felt she had no choice.”

Mr Field later said: “Women have been rendered desperate enough by UC to resort to prostitution. For the Department to suggest that ‘these ladies’ go to the Jobcentre to get the ‘other jobs on offer’ betrays how appallingly out of step it is with the reality of life in this country under this shambolic welfare reform.”

Tory MPs demanded extra funding for UC in Commons yesterday. The system is operational in some areas, with a full roll-out due next year. Two in five claimants will lose £52 a week under UC.