UNIVERSAL Credit Jobcentre workers have told how they too are living “paycheck to paycheck” and having to take on second jobs to Poundland to make ends meet.
Shocking revelations from workers show that some of the longest serving employees have been struggling as much as the people who walk through their doors in need of benefits.
3
3
Karen, from London, has worked at Peckham Jobcentre Plus for 32 years – but the money she earns there isn’t enough to get by.
She bravely told a new BBC2 documentary ‘Universal Credit: Inside the Welfare State’ that at the end of each eight hour shift, she heads to her second job at a local shop.
She said: “You have people working delivering Universal Credit and claiming Universal credit.”
Karen said it made it difficult to give advice to or sympathise with the people who came through the doors of Jobcentre Plus looking for help.
“So you can give words of encouragement and you can empathise with your claimant but most of the time you are going through a lot of the same things, the same issues they have.”
“What we’re all doing is going from paycheck to paycheck.”
Karen works stacking shelves at the local Poundland as a second job – but finds it harder and harder to get ahead in life.
She said: “You want to be able to succeed and do better in life, but year after year it just gets harder and harder.”
“I’m doing what society says you should do – get up every morning, go to work, be part of society, and I’m doing that and I’m still having financial issues.”
The Sun has been highlighting the problems with the troubled benefits system with our Make Universal Credit Work Campaign.
3
The Sun wants to Make Universal Credit Work
UNIVERSAL Credit replaces six benefits with a single monthly payment.
One million people are already receiving it and by the time the system is fully rolled out in 2023, nearly 7 million will be on it.
But there are big problems with the flagship new system – it takes 5 weeks to get the first payment and it could leave some families worse off by thousands of pounds a year.
And while working families can claim back up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, they must find the money to pay for childcare upfront – we’ve heard of families waiting up to 6 months for the money.
Working parents across the country told us they’ve been unable to take on more hours – or have even turned down better paid jobs or more hours because of the amount they get their benefits cut.
It’s time to Make Universal Credit work. We want the Government to:
- Get paid faster: The Government must slash the time Brits wait for their first Universal Credit payments from five to two weeks, helping stop 7 million from being pushed into debt.
- Keep more of what you earn:The work allowance should be increased and the taper rate should be slashed from from 63p to 50p, helping at least 4 million families.
- Don’t get punished for having a family: Parents should get the 85 per cent of the money they can claim for childcare upfront instead of being paid in arrears.
Together, these changes will help Make Universal Credit Work.
Join our Universal Credit Facebook group or email UniversalCredit@the-sun.co.uk to share your story.
The Sun has been campaigning to cut the five week wait after seeing how it pushes Brits into more debt.
In the documentary single mum Rachel struggles through tears to explain how the system’s left her unable to pay her bills.
The 43-year-old, who worked for the NHS for 27 years, gave up her job to look after her then two young children as well as care for her elderly parents.
“By the time you’ve paid the bills and got any food shopping I don’t think we are going to have anything left,” she says.
“I don’t expect to have a lavish lifestyle but I do expect to be able to live from week to week and month to month.”
The programme also follows Amber Rudd, the former Secretary of State as she attempts to make changes to Universal Credit.
While another person signing up for Universal Credit is Declan, 47.
He is recently homeless and unable to get emergency accommodation, so he has found himself sleeping rough in nearby Dulwich Park.
Declan, who worked for years in the construction industry, should get £317 a month – but previous Advance loans means he gets just £262.
When he gets a new place to live he is unable to pay for electricity and visits a food bank to get some essential supplies.
Declan explains how hard it is to get work, despite his experience in the construction industry.
He says: “It’s not for the lack of trying you know. I used to send off at least 15 applications every day just to get a labouring job.
“You are literally one pay cheque away from the gutter.
“I don’t want to be on this Universal Credit. I want to work. I want to live. I want to get a job.”
Last week we reported on how single-mum Nichola Salvato took out a payday loan to help pay for childcare while on Universal Credit.
We’ve also rounded up how those on Universal Credit can get help and what discounts they might be entitled to.
