Tories blast BBC poverty bias
Ministers declare war on ‘fake news’ reports that claim Universal Credit causes hunger and suffering but fail to mention mistakes by ‘victims’ – and their huge payouts
MINISTERS are at war with the BBC over a ‘fake news’ campaign against the Government’s Universal Credit system.
Officials working for Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd have submitted a dossier to the Corporation of what they describe as ‘biased and inaccurate’ reporting about people’s ability to survive on the benefits, received by 1.3million claimants.
It comes as a Mail on Sunday investigation has also uncovered a number of glaring inconsistencies in reports about the system by the BBC and other media outlets.
Officials began compiling the alleged catalogue of errors and half-truths following an edition of the BBC’s flagship current affairs programme Panorama on the ‘Universal Credit Crisis’ in Flintshire, North Wales, in November.
Under its Royal Charter, the BBC has a strict obligation to remain politically neutral and to ‘provide duly accurate and impartial news, current affairs and factual programming’. But in a hard-hitting letter to the broadcaster, a Department for Work and Pensions official wrote: ‘There are 1.3million claimants on Universal Credit and it is entirely right therefore that it is subject to considerable media and political scrutiny.
‘However, it is also your job as a responsible broadcaster to report with balance, carefully considering claims made to you by those involved, which could result in unnecessary worry for other claimants who view your programmes.
‘From a journalistic perspective, you have a responsibility to accurately portray the circumstances you report on, communicating both sides of the story.
‘I would argue the programme was distinctly unbalanced and left out several key details.’
As examples of the ‘lack of balance’ displayed by the BBC, the civil servants highlighted the case of Anthony Smith, who the programme said was ‘getting a lot less Universal Credit than he should’. But the BBC failed to point out that Mr Smith had, according to the DWP, ‘repeatedly refused to comply’ with his written undertaking as a claimant, which may include applying for a certain number of jobs each week or attending appointments.
Another claimant, Keith Barber, was shown waiting for his UC payment. In his case, the DWP says the BBC left out the fact that the delay had been caused by his failure to attend a compulsory initial assessment appointment at the Jobcentre.
Single father James McDaid was said to have been kept waiting for the ‘child element’ of his UC, forcing him to go to food banks to feed his two-year-old son. However, the BBC did not explain that it was because of his failure to declare a change in his circumstances that he had to wait for the money, according to the DWP.
Universal Credit is being introduced in stages across the UK. It replaces six previous benefits: child tax credit, housing benefit, income support, jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance and working tax credit. It is designed to simplify the system by combining the benefits into a single payment and help claimants and their families to become more independent by managing their benefits online.
And it’s not only the BBC accused of slanting its reports on UC.
On Monday, the Left-leaning Daily Mirror newspaper featured single mother Carla Toomey, 41, from Camden, North London, on its front page, stating: ‘Left penniless due to delays in her Universal Credit, heavily pregnant mum Carla Toomey had no choice but to rely on charity to help her buy the basics for her new tot.’
In fact, says the DWP, the delay was due to Ms Toomey’s failure to
respond to calls or emails from the benefits office for a month.
When she did get in touch, according to the DWP records, she was given a £1,025.39 payment up front, followed by another £864.34 three weeks later, in addition to her £59.45 weekly maternity allowance – a total of more than £2,000 in the space of three weeks. Her monthly housing costs are under £600.
Ms Toomey also admitted to The Mail on Sunday that she still had savings from her job as a selfemployed cleaner which kept her going during the weeks while she waited for Universal Credit.
Ms Toomey said the delay in contacting the DWP was due to her being heavily pregnant and suffering from flu.
But she said she was delighted with the huge bundle of equipment, which she estimated to be worth more than £1,000, which was provided by charity Baby Village.
It included a buggy, cot, Moses basket, bedding, clothing and a breast pump.
Earlier this month, Lauren Harris, 22, from Deal in Kent, who receives Universal Credit, told the Mirror that her household income did not ‘come close to covering their housing costs’, adding she often didn’t know when she, her husband and their baby daughter would next eat and that they were forced to rely on food banks.
But according to records, the family’s income is £24,500 a year – comprising £11,000 of Universal Credit, her husband’s earnings from Eurotunnel of £8,500, disability living allowance of £4,100 and child benefit of £1,000.
They live in a two-bedroom, privately rented flat, which costs about £8,400 a year – leaving them more than £16,000 to live on, or about £308 a week. In addition, from April, their annual UC payment will increase by £630.
Tory MP David Morris MP said last night: ‘This fake news about supposedly increasing poverty does nothing to help people who are genuinely in need’.
It is not the first time the BBC has been accused of political bias – its Comic Relief event earlier this month was branded a ‘TV ad for Jeremy Corbyn’ which made ‘absurd’ claims about the scale of poverty in Britain.
A host of celebrities painted a bleak picture of hunger, deprivation and homelessness, which MPs said amounted to a political attack on the Government.
Sir Lenny Henry compared the situation in Britain to famine in Africa, while singer Ed Sheeran was branded a hypocrite for asking for help for the homeless, despite installing railings to ‘deter rough sleepers’ outside his £8 million London home.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘The rollout of Universal Credit is one of the biggest changes to the UK welfare system and it is appropriate for the BBC to scrutinise the impact that Universal Credit has had on people and analyse how well it is working and being implemented.
‘Across our coverage, we’ve heard the personal experiences of people who’ve been affected by the changes as well as giving a right of reply to the DWP when needed.
‘The BBC has no view on Universal Credit and reports on the issue with our usual rigour and impartiality.’
Daily Mirror editor Alison Phillips said: ‘The Daily Mirror makes no apology for highlighting the injustices caused by the Universal Credit. We agree with Sir John Major, who has described the Universal Credit as “operationally messy, socially unfair and unforgiving” and with Labour’s Frank Field who has said the benefit reform was “pushing families to the brink of destitution”.
‘We note that Sir John and Mr Field made these observations in articles for The Mail on Sunday.’
Comic Relief is accused of being ‘TV ad for Corbyn’