Theresa May defends Universal Credit roll-out after Jeremy Corbyn urges her to ‘show some humanity’ and ditch 55p a minute helpline charge
PM was blasted by Labour leader in feisty exchange this lunchtime – their first since Parliament returned from party conference season
THERESA May was blasted for the 55p a minute cost of the Universal Credit helpline in the first PMQs face-off with Jeremy Corbyn since her conference speech disaster.
The Prime Minister was urged to “show some humanity” by the Labour leader and make it free in a feisty exchange in the House of Commons this lunchtime.
Mr Corbyn says it has been swamped by people contacting them with problems related to the change in the welfare system.
He attacked Mrs May, saying: "The PM talks about helping the poorest but the reality is a very, very different story - absurdly the Universal Credit helpline costs claimants 55p per minute for the privilege of trying to get someone to help them claim what they believe they're entitled to.
“Will the PM intervene today, show some humanity and at least make the helpline free?"
The Department for Work and Pensions confirmed calls to the line cost up to 9p from a landline and up to 55p from a mobile, which is dependent on person's mobile package.
In rowdy exchanges the PM says the government is always working to find ways to make the system better – and hit back that Mr Corbyn "might like to welcome" the increase in the number of people in work.
Mr Corbyn continued his attack, saying that "half of all council tenants on UC are at least a month in arrears".
He also quoted the ex-Tory leader Sir John Major, who has called for an urgent review of universal credit, describing it as “operationally messy, socially unfair and unforgiving”.
Mr Corbyn asks why if a former PM can see it: "Why can't this one?"
Mrs May said the government is listening to the problems, the number of claimants in arrears had fallen by a third- and "the system is improving".
But Mr Corbyn challenged her to “lead or leave” amid a Tory rebellion on the expansion of the Government's flagship welfare reforms.
And he said to the PM: "Sadly Universal Credit is only one of a string of failures of this Government.
"Everywhere you look it's a Government in chaos. On the most important issues facing this country it's a shambles.”
After Tory and Labour MPs heckled each other, Mr Corbyn added: "Isn't it the case that if a Prime Minister can't lead she should leave?"
But Mrs May defended the Government's record on the deficit, jobs, schools and the NHS before criticising Labour's housing policies trailed at its conference last month.
She added: "The Equality and Human Rights Commission said Labour needs to establish it is not a racist party and the Labour leader of Brighton Council threatened to ban Labour conferences because of freely expressed anti-Semitism.
"And that was all before the shadow chancellor admitted a Labour government would bring a run on the pound - and ordinary working people would pay the price."
After they had finished their exchange the next question was from Tory MP Heidi Allen, who also expressed concerns over the welfare programme.
She added there are "many of us" on the Government's benches who believe changes are needed, and in response Mrs May agreed to have a meeting with her.
Mrs May was later asked by the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford why she can't be "straightforward" about how she'd vote in a second EU referendum.
In an LBC radio interview yesterday she wouldn't say how she would vote, but said today she is straightforward, adding "there is no second referendum" and the UK will leave the EU.
