Is the Budget enough to save Universal Credit? The budget delivered two tranches of extra money for Universal Credit (UC) - £1.7bn to improve Work Allowances and £1bn to help people moving onto UC from the old system. While the numbers are large they are not sufficient to reverse even the 2015 …
Poverty and Inequality
The things you need to know about Universal Credit
Universal Credit: the bad, the worse and the ugly Universal Credit has been failing badly. Over the past few weeks, press and politicians have begun to notice that the next stages of Universal Credit (UC) could bring real disaster – and that something needs to be done and quickly. By the end of …
Church Action for Tax Justice
Church Action for Tax Justice was launched in the House of Lords on 17 April with the help of Rev Dr Rowan Williams and Methodist Church President Revd Michaela Youngson. It resources churches to include tax justice as a theme in their life and worship. Recently Archbishop Justin Welby …
Why fair trade is in difficulty, and what we need to do
A personal response by Ruth Murray Traidcraft, the pioneering Fairtrade brand that brought us ‘campaign coffee’ and went on to develop huge range of Fairtrade products, has announced that it proposes to cease trading at the end of the year unless a solution can be found. Along with many others …
Rising homelessness in the UK: Complex or embarrassing?
Homelessness in all its forms is rising in the UK. Around 5,000 people sleep rough in England and Wales each night, more than double the number of 8 years ago. These are just a fraction of those who are homeless; 80,000 families including 120,000 children are in temporary council accommodation, …
Updated Universal Credit Briefing
Universal Credit: increasing hunger by design Read the briefing in full. Summary Last updated April 2019 As Churches we are concerned that the design of Universal Credit does not sufficiently take into account the lives, skills and resources of the least well off, and as a result will lead …
When will the Government recognise that Universal Credit is in trouble?
This week’s NAO report provided the details of what everyone knows – Universal Credit is failing and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) doesn’t listen to people who disagree with them. The real question was how the DWP would respond. Would they acknowledge problems, and work with others in …
“A benefit system which drives families into debt and leaves people hungry is a failing benefit system” say Churches
Speaking on behalf of the Baptist Union, the Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church, Paul Morrison commented on the release of the National Audit Office (NAO) report, Rolling out Universal Credit, saying, “Churches have repeatedly expressed concerns about Universal …
Universal Credit: From bad to farce
If Universal Credit (UC) was a horse, it would be shot - repeatedly. The DWP has just released a flurry of reports which paint a picture of a deeply troubled system. Despite their best efforts at a positive spin there is no hiding the problems. I am sure I will go into detail in other pieces but …
Shooting the messenger: DWP’s response to news that Universal Credit is driving Foodbank use
Foodbank use is up 13% across the UK but in areas with Universal Credit (UC) the rise is a horrendous 52%. This figure is incredibly important. It is solid nationwide evidence confirming what churches and projects have been saying for some time – that many families are in trouble because of UC. …