(b)for an applicant who fulfils the condition of payment, liability or professional condition, for each applicant where the conditions set out in paragraph 2, 3 or 4 are fulfilled (and any reference to an applicant who fulfils all the conditions set out in this Regulation shall be read accordingly). 112.Application of ESA or JSA sanctions to Universal Credit Research by Citizens Advice argued that 450,000 people with disabilities and their families would be worse off with Universal Credit. [128] [129] The Select Committee on Work and Pensions concluded that the Universal Credit sanctions system was « senselessly cruel »,[130] and called for Universal Credit to be suspended until it is clear that highly vulnerable applicants with disabilities are protected from severe loss of income. It was found that single disabled people in employment had £300 less per month when they switched to Universal Credit. [131] Applicants run the risk of being isolated and destitute and, in some cases, forced to rely on dependent children to care for them, the Committee stated. [132] In February 2019, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Amber Rudd, acknowledged that « the initial introduction of Universal Credit posed challenges. Perhaps the biggest problem that has led to an increase in the use of food banks is that people have had difficulty accessing their money early enough. [122] Rudd went on to explain that « we have made changes to access Universal Credit so that people can receive advances so that there is an inheritance after two weeks of housing assistance, and we think that will help with food and security. » [123] Professor John Seddon, author and occupational psychologist, launched a campaign in January 2011 to find an alternative way to provide Universal Credit, arguing that it was not possible to offer a variety of services through « cheaper » transaction channels and that it would increase costs. He wrote an open letter to Iain Duncan Smith and Lord Freud as part of a campaign to stop current plans and take a « systems approach ». Seddon also launched a petition urging Duncan Smith to « rethink centralized, IT-dominated design of services for Universal Credit deployment. » [106] Professor Phillip Alston (UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights) visited the UK in 2018 to report on the impact of austerity measures implemented since 2010 on persons with disabilities and noted that the universal digital credit system was designed to be challenging. [107] His report led scientists to call for complementary non-digital services. [108] Several organizations have predicted that Universal Credit will lead to financial deterioration for families with children. If fully operational, the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that 2.1 million families will lose, while 1.8 million will gain.

Single parents and families with three children lose an average of £200 a month, according to the Child Poverty Action Group and the Institute for Public Policy Research. Alison Garnham of CPAG urged ministers to reverse cuts to workers` allowances and preserve the « family-friendly » Universal Credit. Garnham said: « Universal Credit should improve incentives to take up employment while helping working families improve their situation. But the cuts shredded it. And families with children will experience the biggest drop in income. Universal Credit has changed nine times since 2013, most of the changes make it less generous. These include reductions in labour support, a four-year freeze on lending rates, and (from April 2017)[99] limiting child credit to two per family. Frank Field, MP and charity, says women were forced into prostitution because they couldn`t cope with periods when Universal Credit payments were delayed. [60] Field explained, « If I had told people a few years ago that this was happening, they would have thought I was my rocker. I still have trouble understanding it. Women often come to us in tears, saying that the benefits system has deteriorated and they have little choice. [61] Fields also stated, « I have written to the Foreign Secretary that the introduction of Universal Credit in Birkenhead is not going as well as we are told in the House of Commons, with some women going to the Red Light District for the first time.

Could she [Esther McVey] come to Birkenhead and meet with women`s organisations and police who are concerned that women`s safety is being pushed into this position? [62] [63] In 2019, the House of Commons Employment and Pensions Committee heard testimony from women who alleged that they had been forced into prostitution because of delays in Universal Credit payments or because Universal Credit payments were insufficient to meet their basic needs. The Committee recommended that the five-week waiting period for a first payment be ended and that vulnerable claimants be provided with advances that would not have to be repaid if they were otherwise in need. [64] Unlike existing benefits such as income support, which had a 100% exit rate, Universal Credit was designed to be phased out, like tax credits and shelter allowances, so that claimants could work part-time without completely losing their entitlements. Theoretically, candidates are better off accepting work because they keep at least some of the money they earn. [13] But funding cuts and changes in resignation rates have left commentators on both sides of the debate wondering whether the work would actually pay off. The Daily Telegraph claimed that « part-time work can no longer pay » and that « some people would be better off rejecting part-time work »[14] and in the Guardian, Polly Toynbee wrote: « Universal credit is simple: work more and be paid less ». [15] Finally, the « minimum income » used in calculating Universal Credit for the self-employed can make it much less rewarding for broad segments of the population to become self-employed. [16] The use of food banks has increased since the inception of Universal Credit. Delays in providing money force applicants to use food banks, even Universal Credit does not offer enough to cover basic living expenses. Applying for Universal Credit is complex and the system is difficult to navigate, many applicants cannot afford internet access and cannot access online help with the application.

A report from Trussell Trust states: « Rather than acting as a service to ensure people do not face poverty, evidence suggests that for people with the lowest incomes. The malfunctioning of Universal Credit can actually lead people into a flood of bills and debts, ultimately leading them to a food bank. People fall through the cracks in a system that is not designed to hold them back. The low level of support available is mainly provided by the tertiary sector, whose work is commendable but cannot replace a real comprehensive safety net. [94] 84. This chapter contains provisions respecting the work-related requirements set out in sections 15 to 25 of the Act, including the persons to whom they apply, the limits of those requirements and other related matters. 29. (1) The provision of Universal Credit shall include an amount (« the care element ») set out in the table to Rule 36 if an applicant has regular and substantial responsibilities for the care of a severely disabled person, subject to subsections 2 to 4. The National Audit Office says there is no evidence that Universal Credit helps people find work and is unlikely to offer good value, the system is cumbersome and inefficient in many ways. There are calls for delays and repairs to the system before it is expanded to millions more claimants.