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Universal Credit is officially a shambles

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grannyactivist Fri 15-Jun-18 11:03:00

The National Audit Office has just revealed that;

*The benefits that government set out to achieve through Universal Credit, such as increased employment and lower administration costs, are unlikely to be achieved. In fact the cost for UC is currently £699 per claim.
*One in five claimants do not receive their full payment on time.
*There is evidence that many people have suffered difficulties and hardship during the rollout of the full service.
*Local authorities, housing associations and landlords have seen an increase in rent arrears since the introduction of Universal Credit full service, which can often take up to a year to be recovered.
*There has been an increase in the use of foodbanks and a greater demand for advisory and advocacy services.

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mostlyharmless Mon 18-Jun-18 14:49:10

Building more social housing for rent would provide long term stability for tenants as well as fairer rents. This should reduce the demand for private renting, so reducing private rents too.
It would also boost the jobs market.

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grannyactivist Tue 19-Jun-18 00:02:40

I so agree about the need for more (more, more, more!) social housing. Under the Homelessness Reduction Act that came into law in April local authorities now have a legal duty to assist all eligible homeless people, but there are no extra resources to help them to meet the need, so it's like asking them to spin gold out of straw!

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grannypauline Tue 19-Jun-18 00:29:15

Agree wholeheartedly with last two posts!

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Iam64 Tue 19-Jun-18 08:52:04

granny activist, I love your analogy with fairy tales and the problems faced when local authorities are given legal duties to assist all 'eligible' homeless people but given no extra resources to help them.
I haven't read up on this bit of joy but, I assume that council tenants who end up on the streets because they were in rent arrears will be considered 'intentionally homeless'. Someone I know very well is under threat of eviction. He is on the ASD, was allocated his current home 28 years ago and feels safe there. It has two bedrooms, one of which is used by his child who lives with mum but visits dad regularly. The tenant has been unable to pay the bedroom tax since it was introduced and you can imagine how the arrears have built up. the council offered him a bedsit in a large house, notorious for having drug dealers etc living their for short periods until the chaos and criminality they brought with them, led to their eviction.
This is one isolated case. Anyone working with vulnerable people will be able to list dozens. It's shameful.

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