MPs pile pressure on Theresa May to slash the six-week waiting time for Universal Credit
A COMMITTEE of senior MPs heaped more pressure on Theresa May by backing siren calls to slash the six week waiting time for Universal Credit to four.
The Commons Work and Pensions Committee said there was no “proper justification” for the 42 day delay and caused “acute financial difficulty”.
MPs described it as a “major obstacle” blocking the successful rollout of the policy.
In a report they said more than half of low and middle income families have no savings and two thirds have less than a month’s worth.
And they blasted ministers for the initial seven day waiting period at the beginning of the transition to the flagship welfare benefit describing it as “purely a money-saving measure”.
Tory backbencher and committee member Heidi Allen said: “Despite the clear support for Universal Credit, there is cross-party recognition that the 6 week wait does not honour the original intentions of the system.
“To truly represent the world of work, the payment cycle must mirror how the majority of people are paid i.e. monthly.
“Universal credit will only be the success it deserves to be if it works with claimants to find work, and not against them.”
Committee chair Frank Field added: “The baked in six week wait is cruel. No one can give us any real justification for it. Such a long wait bears no relation to anyone’s working life and the terrible hardship it has been proven to cause actually makes it more difficult for people to find work.
“It is not too late for the Government to avert a Christmas disaster. They must act now.”
The committee report backs calls from former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith who has also called for the waiting time to be cut.
Some 8 per cent of current benefits claimants are on UC, which will increase to 10% by the end of January with the roll-out due to be completed by 2022.
Mrs May defended the UC programme at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday under pressure from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
She acknowledged that people had raised concerns with UC and stressed “we have been listening to those and changes have been made”.
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