Brexit might continue to dominate the headlines and new cycles but the Universal Credit fight is still very much on. So much so that on 11 April, Rt Hon Frank Field MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, who I met back in October 2018 during my evidence session,

DEMANDED the Government take another look at our evidence and the ‘Universal Credit: Childcare’ report published in December 2018.

Not only has he stated that the government’s current response is ‘simply unacceptable’ but that, “We on the Committee are frankly sick of these disrespectful Government responses that treat us like dirt and fail to engage with our robust, evidence-based conclusions. It’s not clear they’ve even read this one. Worse, in responding this way, Government dismisses the experience and evidence of the individuals and organisations that have taken the time, and made the effort, and are working with us to try to fix the unholy mess that is Universal Credit”.

I even got a mention following my Fabulous Magazine (The Sun), ‘Super Mum of The Year Win’. The Committee added,

“Among those who gave evidence so powerfully to the original inquiry was Thuto Mali, a single mum who was forced to turn down a well-paid job offer because she could not at that moment find the obligatory upfront cost of childcare so that she could start work.  The multiple problems of Universal Credit also forced her to turn, with her young son, to a foodbank at the Christmas before last. Save the Children recently informed the Committee that Thuto just won The Sun’s ‘Supermum of the Year’.

I wholeheartedly support the Committee move to demand better from the Government! Back in February, I received a response from Amber Rudd’s Office via my local MP Mike Freer (Finchley & Golders Green). It was not directly from Ms Rudd herself but from Justin Tomlinson, MP then Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance, now Minister of State for ‘ Disabled People, Health and Work’ - yeah I have no idea what happened there either, my guess - Brexit and former Ministers exist in their droves!

All I will say about Mr Tomlinson’s response is that it was very much a DWP Press Office style response - so nothing that we didn’t already know, that doesn’t actually work for those actually on Universal Credit! In the final paragraph, things did get interesting with Tomlinson stating:

“The Department of Work and Pensions is Piloting a more flexible approach to claimants reporting childcare costs, which will allow people to be reimbursed for childcare even if they are NOT able to provide immediate evidence. Once the pilots have concluded, it will consider whether to roll out this approach further”.

My response, I’m with Rt Hon Frank Field et all, who have asked that the DWP, “Explain the details of the pilots it is running to trial a more flexible approach to the provision of receipts for childcare costs, including where these pilots are being run, what options for providing evidence of childcare costs are being trialled, when the pilots started, how long they will run for and how they will be monitored”

In the meantime, #MumsOnAMission are going on tour! First stop Manchester on Saturday 18 May 2019. If you affected by Universal Credit or about to be moved on the the controversial benefit and would like to join the ‘Make Childcare Work’ Campaign, we’d love to hear from Single Parent Dads too, grab you FREE ticket from our Eventbrite Page (link below): https://bit.ly/2Zj6HRP

Looking forward to meeting you in Manchester! As always like, share and spread the word about this petition.

Together We Can To IT!

Thuto x

#MumOnAMission

‘Super Mum of the Year’

‘Top 100 ChangeMaker 2019’