Universal Credit ‘driving women into prostitution’
...as minister hints at extra funding
WOMEN have turned to sex work as a result of the Government’s flagship welfare project, a senior MP warned yesterday.
Frank Field, chairman of the Commons work and pensions committee, said the introduction of Universal Credit was ‘not going as well’ as ministers make out.
He said it was leading to some women to become prostitutes in his Birkenhead constituency.
The independent MP made his claim in a Commons debate on UC, during which Tory MPs lined up to demand extra funding.
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey hinted that she had been arguing for extra funding from Chancellor Philip Hammond, saying the details would be revealed in this month’s Budget. And she hit out at Labour’s ‘scaremongering’ over UC.
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 redlight 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?’
Miss 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 were ‘record job vacancies’.
Earlier, Miss McVey told MPs that they will ‘know what those discussions will be’ with Mr Hammond in the forthcoming Budget. ‘I don’t let people know what we do in private meetings... but what he can know is I am championing UC to make sure that it works the best it can possibly work,’ she said.
Tory MP Stephen McPartland said: ‘Universal Credit can only
‘It can only work if it’s fully funded’
work if it’s fully funded.’ Fellow Conservative Heidi Allen asked Miss McVey if she was aware ‘how much support she has on this side of the House for our desire to see extra funding put in the Budget to restore the work allowances where they should be’. Miss McVey said she knew ‘all members of the House want to ensure that Universal Credit works for people who are claiming the benefit’.
Labour work and pensions spokesman Margaret Greenwood said almost 30 per cent of UC claims were not completed and that the Government did not appear to have ‘any idea or interest’ about what happens to those people.
‘There’s a real danger that hundreds of thousands of people could fall out of the social security system altogether and be pushed into poverty and even left at risk of destitution,’ she added.
Miss McVey replied: ‘This is some of the worst scaremongering I’ve ever heard.’