UC waiting days

Posted on Posted in Welfare Reform Tagged with ,

Back in October 2014, the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) ran a consultation on the government’s proposal that Universal Credit claimants must wait seven days before they are entitled to benefit. NAWRA surveyed its members and 183 organisations from across the country provided evidence. Daphne Hall (Lasa) collated all of our evidence and submitted a response to SSAC. In our our submission we stressed in the strongest possible terms our complete opposition to this proposal. What came over time and time again in the survey responses was the spiral of debt and destitution that would occur due to the cumulative effects of this policy.

SSAC published its report today.  It makes use NAWRA’s evidence a number of times. SSAC’s recommendation is that the proposal should not proceed but the government has not accepted this and plans to go ahead anyway.

Thanks to everyone who contributed, and to Daphne for drafting the submission. It made a difference even if we didn’t get the result.