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| Universal Credit: Single mums take government to court | Universal Credit: Single mums take government to court |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A single mum who relies on Universal Credit is challenging what she says is the government's "irrational" benefits scheme. | |
| Danielle Johnson, 25, from West Yorkshire, said: "I have never been this financially unstable before." | Danielle Johnson, 25, from West Yorkshire, said: "I have never been this financially unstable before." |
| Together with three other single mums, she is claiming in the High Court that Universal Credit disproportionately affects single parents - most of them women. | |
| UC is a means-tested benefit. | UC is a means-tested benefit. |
| It rolls six separate benefits into one payment and has proved controversial almost from its inception, with reports of IT issues, massive overspends, administrative problems and delays to the scheme's roll-out. | It rolls six separate benefits into one payment and has proved controversial almost from its inception, with reports of IT issues, massive overspends, administrative problems and delays to the scheme's roll-out. |
| Lawyers acting for the women will now argue there is a "fundamental problem" with Universal Credit, which is likely to affect "tens of thousands" of people claiming benefits, caused by a "rigid, inflexible assessment system". | Lawyers acting for the women will now argue there is a "fundamental problem" with Universal Credit, which is likely to affect "tens of thousands" of people claiming benefits, caused by a "rigid, inflexible assessment system". |
| Ms Johnson, like many employees, is paid on the last working day of the month and relies on UC to top up her income. | |
| However, her monthly UC assessment periods are rigidly fixed, running from the last day of each month. | |
| This means that that if she is paid before the last day of the month and payment day falls on a weekend or non-banking day, she is assessed as having been paid twice that month. As a result she receives less benefit and is short of money the following month. | This means that that if she is paid before the last day of the month and payment day falls on a weekend or non-banking day, she is assessed as having been paid twice that month. As a result she receives less benefit and is short of money the following month. |
| Ms Johnson said: "I'm doing my best working part-time to make ends meet so that I can look after my daughter. | Ms Johnson said: "I'm doing my best working part-time to make ends meet so that I can look after my daughter. |
| "I have never been this financially unstable before, to the point of being unable to afford my rent and having to go into my overdraft when buying food. | "I have never been this financially unstable before, to the point of being unable to afford my rent and having to go into my overdraft when buying food. |
| "It is getting me into a vicious cycle of debt," she said. | "It is getting me into a vicious cycle of debt," she said. |
| Ms Johnson's lawyers, Leigh Day, said Ms Johnson was about £500-a-year worse off and struggled to budget in months when she received no benefit because of the way the system operated. | Ms Johnson's lawyers, Leigh Day, said Ms Johnson was about £500-a-year worse off and struggled to budget in months when she received no benefit because of the way the system operated. |
| Claire Woods, another single mother, said wildly fluctuating income from month to month has forced her to turn down a promotion, use a food bank and incur debts. | Claire Woods, another single mother, said wildly fluctuating income from month to month has forced her to turn down a promotion, use a food bank and incur debts. |
| In a previous job working for a County Council, Ms Woods was paid at the end of every month which would clash with her UC assessment period. | |
| As a result, she lost money, couldn't meet her monthly outgoings and lived with the anxiety of a fluctuating income. | As a result, she lost money, couldn't meet her monthly outgoings and lived with the anxiety of a fluctuating income. |
| When the council offered her a promotion, she knew the payment clash would remain, so did not take it up. | When the council offered her a promotion, she knew the payment clash would remain, so did not take it up. |
| "I had to go to a food bank and I took out an advance that I am still paying back," she said. | "I had to go to a food bank and I took out an advance that I am still paying back," she said. |
| "I took two jobs - as a PA and a waitress - which I could do without the education I invested in, but which had paydays which don't clash with my assessment period. | "I took two jobs - as a PA and a waitress - which I could do without the education I invested in, but which had paydays which don't clash with my assessment period. |
| "I invested £40,000 in higher education studies so that I could become an occupational therapist and it's great that I've got my degree but I have had to put my career hopes on hold because of Universal Credit." | "I invested £40,000 in higher education studies so that I could become an occupational therapist and it's great that I've got my degree but I have had to put my career hopes on hold because of Universal Credit." |
| Child Poverty Action Group's solicitor Carla Clarke, who is representing Ms Woods and fellow claimants Erin Barrett and Katie Stewart, said: "Our clients have been left repeatedly without money for family essentials simply because of the date of their paydays. | Child Poverty Action Group's solicitor Carla Clarke, who is representing Ms Woods and fellow claimants Erin Barrett and Katie Stewart, said: "Our clients have been left repeatedly without money for family essentials simply because of the date of their paydays. |
| "This is a fundamental defect in Universal Credit and an injustice to hard-working parents and their children that must be put right for our clients and everyone else affected." | "This is a fundamental defect in Universal Credit and an injustice to hard-working parents and their children that must be put right for our clients and everyone else affected." |
| The two-day hearing is under way at the Royal Courts of Justice. Judges are not expected to make a judgment until later in the year. | The two-day hearing is under way at the Royal Courts of Justice. Judges are not expected to make a judgment until later in the year. |