THREAD Our new report 'Computer says No!' - out today - shows how #universalcredit claimants are being left in the dark about their entitlements. (1/9) #computersaysno cpag.org.uk/content/comput…
Cases from our early warning system show that the information that is provided to claimants is failing in two important ways. (2/9)
The information provided to claimants about their award is too basic – it’s hard for claimants to work out if the calculation matches their circumstances. (3/9)
The information provided to claimants about their right to challenge decisions is also inadequate – it’s hard for claimants to know how to challenge a decision if they believe a mistake has been made. (4/9)
The consequences for claimants are serious: we have received many case studies which show the hardship caused by mistakes in the UC system – and because the system can be opaque, these are harder to rectify quickly. Here are three examples. (5/9)
One working mother was receiving £400 a month too little, because the child element of her payment was missing and there was no work allowance included for a working parent. She couldn't tell this from her statement and only found out thanks to an adviser. (6/9)
A grandmother was receiving very low housing payments and couldn’t understand why. It took months for her to get a full breakdown of her award calculation, which showed she had been subject to the bedroom tax in error. She had been underpaid for months on end. (7/9)
A disabled mother claimed universal credit when she moved house. The first payment was very low and she feared losing her home. Only once a welfare rights adviser got involved did she learn that she was not being paid for disability elements that she was entitled to. (8/9)
All these issues could have been resolved easily - sparing people distress and hardship - if @DWP included more detail in #universalcredit statements. Our report includes suggestions to make the system more user-friendly, transparent and accountable. (9/9) cpag.org.uk/content/comput…
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