"I Can't Feed My Children on Universal Credit" | This Morning

Stasi people will say what is the problem the problem for a lot of us out there is that we've been left with no safety net in between uh-oh I agree with the whole overall it makes it a lot easier for the benefits go into one but it's in between that we're left without nothing when you say in-between you're talking about maybe five or six weeks where you're assessed before you get your first payment check yeah that's right I'm not taking into account or an assumption that everybody I mean the fact you're claiming benefits in the first place means that you haven't got a lot of money about that means you've got no backup the idle backup and they are assuming well wait five or six weeks you'll then get a check what do you do in between that time they offer you a in your first appointment they will offer you a loan which must be paid back and during my first appointment I was offered three hundred-pound we've like said two children single parent and they said that they didn't want to offer me any more than that because they were scared that and I think sorry the work scared they said they didn't want to offer me any more than that because it is something I have to repay out of mileage bring Jasmine in and I know a lot of you watching at home you will either identify with this because you're on it or you'll just be a bit in the dark as to what it's all about but Stacey how much debt do you reckon you are in at the moment I know I'm in over a hundred pounder if we add little things like well it's not little thing is big things like cancer tax I'm looking around there nine hundred back nine and Power Mart and is that purely because of this changeover yeah they've not put enough it like no safety in between for people and when you're going from Employment Support Allowance to Universal Credit your rents not paid in between so ultimately your left and rental is and when you get your first payment it's not bad day your first payment is your back dated one and then it goes from your next 900 pounds in debt to you how much is that I mean that some people would think that's not a lot some people think that might as well someone who's on benefit that that is a lot of why's you wouldn't be on benefit so how are you care how are you paying luckily enough I have support of my mom my stepdad who have been absolutely brilliant during all of this but people in the world don't always have that support what about for those people who don't have no family there literally haven't aliy about food it seems a very strange way of doing adjustment because stacy is saying she understands I mean this basically this is replacing six different benefits usually all into one so you said on paper and that sounds very sensible you get much more people beyond to understand it more but this seems a very cruel system that by changing the system people are being left for five six weeks without any benefit yes well absolutely I mean I I agree I I think the concept is good it simplifies it and also universal credit the idea behind it is to help people back into work which again I'm very behind but as you say it's cruel I mean it's not just five weeks in in many cases it's it's a couple of months people have to wait because of mistakes or you know other delays and as you say people are being pushed to food banks apparently in in areas where universal credits being rolled out you've got a 30 or 40 percent increase in the use of food banks and that's that that can't be and it seems to be different in different areas yes absolutely so there is support some support sort of in filling in these forms I mean who likes filling in form so you've got all these these fatty I can't think quite difficult forms to fill in so there are there's help from different places as of April it will be Citizens Advice across the board that will support people but at the moment it's also why isn't it one centralized government department that want to work in pence well exactly I mean honestly the what what I would like to see is is having civil servants people from DWP sitting there actually filling in the forms for you asking you questions rather than putting the onus on on the claimant because they've got all sorts of pressures on them and and I do know that a lot of people are suffering from depression and anxiety but because of this because there's so much riding on that one form and if you get anything wrong that's it you have to wait another months and how is it affecting you Stacey in your kind of day-to-day life just waiting and being in debt and thinking this debt could get bigger and people are offering you like your mom and your stepdad at helping you but you feel beholden to them there are loans available I believe but then again it's yeah it just goes it just adds all on today and as you've seen on commercials everywhere debt does put a big hold on you and when you suffer as you said for mental health as well that pay plays a big part in your life every day you're waking up with the worries of what what can you do to get out of it that is the big question what can you do though is nothing and Jasmin's so for people like Stacey who are watching who are going to find them you know if they're not in this situation already because the system is changing different times in different areas but they could find themselves in a situation what should they do can we plan ahead for this is there help available well there's not a huge amount of help but that I I do recommend that people go to the website to turn to us so that's turn number to ask UK it's a charity they've got a big got a benefits calculator on it so you can see if you're actually sort of could have other benefits but also they give money away I mean they actually give money they've got actual grants so they themselves have a charitable grants that they give and they've got a huge list I mean you know hundreds of grant making bodies that will give you money so it could be professional body maybe you know it's hairdressers what all sorts of things you might have some sort of connection with where they can give you some money one-off or sometimes some sort of regular payments and that's a big help in between all that is from a day-to-day point-of-view your son for instance how does he deal with this my little boy bless him he obviously just moving into new areas just started going to a new school and any child it's nerve-racking to go into a new school when you're young to try and make new friends and it always worries kids don't it what backpack they have what like that where to try and fit in unfortunately for my son he didn't like have that moving into the area in him go into he's new school I can actually afford his correct uniform so he was going in in the different colored uniform to the most kids well I say most kids I'm in the school cause it's what they're meant all where and he was coming home and asking me why he's different and I tell him he was special and that's why but the real reason I couldn't afford uniform for him and how is that fair to explain to him on weekends because he's currently being assessed for ADHD I've been like informed it's best to do an activity with him to reward his good behavior during the week at the minute when he's being good he's wondering what's happening to ease good activity because there's nothing you can do and there's nothing enough but in short and what you're looking for is all the money up front with like waiting 5 or 6 weeks really and that would solve a lot of problems because at the moment people are being put into debt totally unnecessarily I mean you you've had to borrow from a place like Bright House and whatever you know and I say go for credit unions and and do it much cheaper well look I just want to say at reaction we got about 2 and 1/2 pounds of comments on ready as we started this conversation will reflect those as we go throughout the program this morning and thank you and I hope it works out for you Stacy thank you thanks for me Jasmine thanks very much they appreciate your take on things you

Channel: This Morning

Views: 405,595

Keywords: this morning, interview, holly willoughby, phillip schofield, ruth langsford, eamonn holmes, chat shows - topic, chat show - topic, talk shows - topic, universal credit uk, universal credit crisis, universal credit poverty, universal credit explained, universal credit support

Id: r1PgoJtPPwc

Length: 7min 57sec (477 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 22 2018