Daily Record

VIEW Decade defined by Tory cruelty

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ASK voters which issue sums up the last 10 years of Tory rule and they will probably say Brexit.

But the policies on so-called welfare reform will also be seared on to the memory of those affected.

The Tories insisted that to cut the deficit they needed to axe parts of the social security system.

One of the miserable legacies of this has been Universal Credit.

Merging various benefits into one made sense but botched implementa­tion and underfundi­ng turned it into a disaster.

One flaw was forcing recipients to wait up to five weeks for their first payments.

Such a delay cruelly deprives vulnerable people of cash when they are at the lowest. It also appears to be a deliberate disincenti­ve to claim.

The recommenda­tion of Westminste­r’s Work and Pensions Committee for firsttime UC claimants to receive a “starter” payment is to be welcomed.

Also to be applauded is its insistence that the £20 increase in UC, introduced during the pandemic, should continue beyond April.

It is a disgrace that Ministers have dragged their heels on extending it.

Unemployme­nt will reach unpreceden­ted levels because of Covid and people will have no choice but to claim UC.

If the UK Government can pay consultant­s £7000 a day to work on “test and trace”, they can also treat vulnerable citizens with dignity and respect.

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