Our benefits system is under pressure like never before. With millions of people applying for support because of coronavirus, our already fragile system is struggling as people across the country try to access the support they urgently need. [1]
But we’ve got an opportunity to change that. A group of influential MPs are asking the public to share our experience of the benefits system during the coronavirus crisis. [2] It’s our chance to highlight the problems, and push the government to take action. But we only have until tomorrow to have our say.
A flood of messages from people with first-hand experience would show decision makers the impact our struggling benefits system is having on people’s lives. Together, we can make sure they fully understand the problem, and push them to come up with solutions that will make the biggest difference to people’s lives.
There’s less than 24 hours to have your say. Your responses will be shared directly with the group of MPs:
The realities of the coronavirus crisis mean that more people than ever are relying on support from the government to help us pay rent, and keep food on the table. [3] But the broken benefits system means that instead of getting support immediately, people are forced to take out a government loan to tide them over until benefits arrive. [4] And too many people are being left hundreds of pounds short because the housing benefit isn’t enough to cover their rent. [5]
Now more than ever, we need to come together to make sure everyone has the support they need to get through this crisis. From forcing Wilko to keep proper sick pay for their staff, to pushing the Scottish government to ban evictions for the next six months, we’ve already had some huge victories. [6] Now let's push politicians to solve the problems with our benefits system, to make sure no one falls through the cracks.
Will you take the survey now? The deadline is in 24hrs
Thanks for being involved,
Sana, Chloe, Cathy, Matt, David and the 38 Degrees team
NOTES:
[1] Evening Standard: Universal Credit applications hit 1.4 million during coronavirus crisis:
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/universal-credit-applications-rise-coronavirus-crisis-a4413701.html
The Sun: UNIVERSAL HELL Universal Credit phone lines jammed with laid off workers waiting hours to get through:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/11249528/universal-credit-phone-lines-jammed-laid-off-workers-waiting-hours/
[2] Committees: Parliament: DWP's response to the coronavirus outbreak:
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/130/dwps-response-to-the-coronavirus-outbreak/
[3] The Guardian: Families borrowing to buy food a week into UK lockdown
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/28/families-borrowing-buy-food-week-of-lockdown
The Big Issue: Food poverty fighters prepare for holiday hunger if coronavirus shuts schools:
https://www.bigissue.com/latest/food-poverty-fighters-prepare-for-holiday-hunger-if-coronavirus-shuts-schools/
[4] When making a Universal Credit claim you are given the option to take out a loan from the government (called an “advanced payment”) to tide you through until your first benefit payment, 5 weeks later. This means people have to choose between going into debt and having smaller benefits payments in the coming months whilst they are paying off the debt, or waiting over a month for money they need to pay for food, bills and rent.
[5] Right now, the Local Housing Allowance doesn’t cover the average cost of rents. It only pays enough to cover the cheapest 30% of rent prices, which means that anyone who can’t find accomodation cheap enough is left short, often by hundreds of pounds.
Gov UK: The Chancellor Rishi Sunak provides an updated statement on coronavirus.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-chancellor-rishi-sunak-provides-an-updated-statement-on-coronavirus
[6] 38 Degrees: Wilko: Don’t scrap sick pay:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/boycott-wilco-until-they-reinstate-sick-pay-for-staff-1
Mirror: Coronavirus: Wilko scraps plan to cut sick pay for 21,000 staff:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/coronavirus-wilko-scraps-plan-cut-21745338
38 Degrees: Protect tenants during Coronavirus:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/protect-tenants-from-coronavirus
The Times: Evictions of private tenants are banned for six months (paywall):
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