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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/22/universal-credits-flaws-hurt-the-people-who-most-need-it
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| Universal credit’s flaws hurt the people who most need it | Universal credit’s flaws hurt the people who most need it |
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| Your editorial on universal credit sets out what it describes as its “unimpeachably sensible” goal of simplifying benefits so they mimic a monthly pay cheque (19 October). This echoes the argument made by politicians that monthly benefit payments will help claimants get into the “habit” of working life, and of monthly budgeting. But many low-paid workers receive their wages weekly or fortnightly. | Your editorial on universal credit sets out what it describes as its “unimpeachably sensible” goal of simplifying benefits so they mimic a monthly pay cheque (19 October). This echoes the argument made by politicians that monthly benefit payments will help claimants get into the “habit” of working life, and of monthly budgeting. But many low-paid workers receive their wages weekly or fortnightly. |
| For those on low incomes (in and out of work), stretching the budgetary period over a longer time frame can make managing resources harder still. This is one more reason why universal credit is only likely to worsen the hardship claimants face. It is policymaking grounded in a one-dimensional view of what employment looks like, which ignores the experiences of those on low incomes. Dr Ruth PatrickUniversity of Liverpool | For those on low incomes (in and out of work), stretching the budgetary period over a longer time frame can make managing resources harder still. This is one more reason why universal credit is only likely to worsen the hardship claimants face. It is policymaking grounded in a one-dimensional view of what employment looks like, which ignores the experiences of those on low incomes. Dr Ruth PatrickUniversity of Liverpool |
| • The consequences of giving people with little or no savings the challenge of managing a monthly budget with a very low income are obvious. However, ministers seem to have a remarkable ability to disregard common sense and carry on regardless (think Chris Grayling and his prison reforms, or Andrew Lansley and his health service changes, and possibly now Brexit). It rarely seems to be moderated by hands-on experience of what they are changing. | • The consequences of giving people with little or no savings the challenge of managing a monthly budget with a very low income are obvious. However, ministers seem to have a remarkable ability to disregard common sense and carry on regardless (think Chris Grayling and his prison reforms, or Andrew Lansley and his health service changes, and possibly now Brexit). It rarely seems to be moderated by hands-on experience of what they are changing. |
| In the 1980s, Matthew Parris, then a Tory MP, took on the challenge of trying to manage to live for a week on benefits. Perhaps now is the time to repeat the experiment and ask Iain Duncan Smith, the brains behind the original idea, and David Gauke, responsible for rolling it out, to repeat the experiment and imagine they have just received their P45s and have to manage for six weeks until they get their first payment. I would be fascinated to see how they get on.Nick RobertsBirmingham | In the 1980s, Matthew Parris, then a Tory MP, took on the challenge of trying to manage to live for a week on benefits. Perhaps now is the time to repeat the experiment and ask Iain Duncan Smith, the brains behind the original idea, and David Gauke, responsible for rolling it out, to repeat the experiment and imagine they have just received their P45s and have to manage for six weeks until they get their first payment. I would be fascinated to see how they get on.Nick RobertsBirmingham |
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