More than £10million has been deducted from Universal Credit payments in Scotland. Almost 200,000 households missing out on an average of £59 in just one month.
That much-need money could have helped families who need it most. Many are falling behind because of the upfront loans they are forced to take out from the DWP.
It is almost as if the system was intentionally set up to force people into debt.
The deductions on monthly payments have a significant impact on struggling families. Some will miss out on meals or be unable to pay bills. The system forces many into difficult spending decisions.
Financial worries can also have a devastating effect on people’s physical and mental health.
Not that the heartless Tories responsible for such a cruel system will bother.
What is needed is an overhaul of Universal Credit and how it works
Sensible measures have to be taken to make sure that people do not get vital money deducted from their payments when they can least afford it.
Chris Stephens MP has some good ideas that would help those on benefits, especially during this never-ending Tory-induced cost of living crisis.
He suggests an amnesty on deductions resulting from the DWP’s own errors, replacement of upfront loans with grants, and a much lower cap on the monthly rate of deductions.
Such measures would repair gaps in the safety net that the Conservatives have ripped apart.
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