Universal Credit — coming to jobcentres near NW6, soon

Blog post by Joan Grant of KUWG

Universal Credit – coming to a job centre near us, soon.

Universal Credit is coming to Brent, Westminster, Camden and Kensington and Chelsea for new claims pretty much now.

Comrade Abby did a course on Universal Credit the other week. I had a glance through the notes as I thought it is high time that I found out what Universal Credit is all about.

The two things that really stand out are:

1. It is highly likely that there will be even more people sanctioned than there are now – 686,000 in 2014. People currently receiving tax credits are not under the sanctions regime. They will be once Universal Credit comes in. You can be sanctioned for not working enough hours. You can be sanctioned for refusing to take a zero hours contract, if it is non exclusive.
2. Universal Credit introduces a “civil penalty.” In summary, if you are over-paid benefit of more than £65, they can say that you have negligently failed to notify them and impose a civil penalty of £50.

It is all going to feel so arbitrary and unfair. We all know how difficult it is to get through to a human being in the Job Centre or DWP.

It will feel like the government controls your whole life under Universal Credit

The DWP staff working in Universal Credit contact centres in Glasgow and Bolton, were on strike over bad working conditions on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st.(1) Who knew!!?? Universal Credit is proving to be bad for claimants and bad for DWP workers. 

A sample Claimant Commitment that was in the course notes appears below. 

Sample Universal Credit 'Claimant Commitment', p1 of 4

 

 Transcript of sample Universal Credit 'Claimant Commitment' p1:

Universal Credit

Claimant Commitment (form heading)

Joanne Brown

(further transcription to follow)

Sample Universal Credit 'Claimant Commitment', p2 of 4

 

 (further transcription to follow)

Sample Universal Credit 'Claimant Commitment', p3 of 4

 (further transcription to follow)

Sample Universal Credit 'Claimant Commitment', p4 of 4

 (further transcription to follow)

Note

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/archived_news.cfm/universal-credit-staff-to-strike-for-two-days-over-oppressive-working-conditions