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Universal Credit - Frontline Network Submission to House of Lords

Universal Credit - Frontline Network Submission to House of Lords

Universal Credit - Frontline Network Submission to House of Lords

Friday, March 6, 2020

The Frontline Network recently submitted evidence to the House of Lords Universal Credit Call for Evidence. We ran a one question survey and asked frontline workers “How has your work changed since the introduction of Universal Credit?” We had 128 responses and from these, three key themes stood out:

  • Financial Hardship and the Five Week Wait
  • Digital and Banking Access
  • Access to Accommodation

Financial Hardship and the Five Week Wait

When responding, staff often highlighted concern over the waiting times for Universal Credit and the impact this can have. One example of this is how the increased wait is leading to a greater reliance on food banks. In addition to this, staff have noticed that there is now a greater need for debt management support.

Digital and Banking Access

Staff emphasised that many of the people they work with have limited digital access. With Universal Credit claims being done digitally, difficulties arise when there is limited digital access or limited digital skills. These issues can be further impacted by individuals not having an email address or a bank account.

Access to Accommodation

Frontline staff also highlighted that issues with Universal Credit have impacted on access to accommodation. The number of private landlords willing to accept people on benefits has reduced. The length of time it takes to process claims and the difficulty in being able to secure payments have both impacted on this.

 

Local Solutions

In our submission, we also outlined some local initiatives that have been used to mitigate the impacts of Universal Credit. These initiatives were taken from the findings of our latest annual Frontline Worker Survey.

Examples of local initiatives included:

  • Building relationships with local Job Centre and Department for Work and Pensions, included having a named contact.
  • Working with local organisations to increase provision of digital access points.
  • Developing relationships with local banks so that they accept minimum ID to set up an account.
  • Ensuring organisations are not working in silos and working together to ensure responses are more joined up.

Overall, most frontline workers indicated a negative experience of Universal Credit and the impact it has on the people they support. It has increased the financial strain and risk of homelessness that people face.

Thank you to everyone that replied to our survey.

______________

At the Frontline Network, we support workers from the public, statutory and voluntary sectors working on the frontline with those experiencing homelessness.

Please join the Frontline Network for free today, if you are not already a member.

 

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