Ryan FowlerRetail trade union Usdaw has met with government minister Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP to discuss ongoing issues with Universal Credit for workers who are paid on a four-weekly, fortnightly, or weekly basis. The meeting followed Ben Goldsborough MP’s (South Norfolk, Labour) intervention in the House of Commons last November, where he questioned the Department for Work and Pensions on the matter.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said: “We are grateful to Stephen Timms for meeting with our deputy head of research, Chris Morris, and Ben Goldsborough MP, who raised this matter on the floor of the House of Commons. We know that the Minister shares our concerns about how the way Universal Credit is paid can have a detrimental impact on those not paid monthly.”
Lillis explained that Universal Credit’s monthly payment structure creates significant challenges for many low-paid workers, noting: “When the Tories introduced Universal Credit, they simply failed to understand the lives of many low-paid working people who are very often paid four-weekly, fortnightly or weekly. Universal Credit is paid monthly and that creates enormous difficulties for those who aren’t, because two pay days in a single calendar month mean loss of this much-needed income support.”
He welcomed the new Labour Government’s commitment to reviewing Universal Credit to address these issues. “So, we very much welcome that the new Labour Government has committed to reviewing Universal Credit, to help make work pay and tackle child poverty, something Usdaw has long called for. It is our sincere hope that this will lead to substantial changes, to help ensure that the lowest-paid workers get the social security they need. This will play a substantial role in ensuring fewer children grow up in poverty, despite being in a working household.”
