@glasgowcathcart Also sad are the people being on #universalCredit in the days before Christmas. Came across on such lady on Sunday in a local church. No money for 5-6 weeks (at least). Helpline said “no help or advance payment until after New Year”. What is “Advance payment” about? (Next reply)
@glasgowcathcart “Advance payment” = “you have no money today to live on, so while you starve & go hungry for the next 5+ weeks, we’ll take money from your future benefit to make sure you also are hungry when we eventually decide you can continue to receive a benefits payment”. #universalCredit
@glasgowcathcart And then you need to pay back your advance. So much for the UK Government promise that no-one will go hungry. #UniversalCredit
@glasgowcathcart In the company I work for, we frequently raise money for charities. In the past we raised funds for cancer charities and eg British Heart Foundation. This year it’s mainly for food banks and poverty charities. But not for abroad. For the UK. This is not charity, IT’S A TAX
@glasgowcathcart I am fortunate enough to be able to donate to charity. Without realising it, I’ve changed just about all donations to UK poverty charity & local groups tackling poverty. And with #universalCredit, it’s getting worse. This is not charity, IT’S A TAX: deriliction of Government duty
@glasgowcathcart I saw the poor lady walking out of a local church with Christmas gifts donated by parishioners. The look on her face - broken - will live with me for a long time. She did not starve on Christmas Day. But how long can she and her 2 year old child go on? #universalCredit
@glasgowcathcart There is no way this lady can be fit for work. Even less so by the time she eventually does get #UniversalCredit - and speaking as someone in business, if the Government wants us to hire people, we need them to be fed, in positive mind & fit for work. #universalCredit is failing
@glasgowcathcart #universalCredit is failing the country. As well as starvation, it will result in more homelessness, crime etc. It’s a FALSE ECONOMY. This 5+ week period of no benefit has got to stop. Even Scrooge couldn’t make that up.
@glasgowcathcart 5+ week wait with no money on #universalCredit : “because if you’re changing jobs, you’ll need to wait a month for your wages.”. THESE POOR PEOPLE ARE NOT CHANGING JOBS: Being currently on benefits means they are already struggling. And the UK Government cuts off their lifeline.
@glasgowcathcart I use this Twitter feed mainly for work and I shouldn’t rant on politics. However #UniversalCredit is having such an impact locally that we need to provide a voice for those that have none. THE 5+ WEEK WAIT FOR #UniversalCredit HAS GOT TO STOP.
@glasgowcathcart And PS I’m not advocating a benefits free-for-all. However we as a country should not be enforcing starvation, especially at Christmas when the normal government emergency support helplines are closed. #UniversalCredit
@glasgowcathcart I also know a young lady who was over-paid in her advance, during her 5 week “assessment period” - a Government mistake. She was then forced to pay back the overpayment from her meagre #universalCredit benefit.
@glasgowcathcart This lady is in teacher training & has 2 kids. When moved on to #universalCredit during her summer break from uni, her benefit to feed her kids dropped from £115 per week to £80 PER MONTH. Surely it’s in the country’s best interests to see this talented lady become a teacher?
