22nd November 2017
Leading local advice charity, Citizens Advice Exeter, has today welcomed the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s changes to Universal Credit.
In his Budget statement the Chancellor announced the removal of the seven waiting days before a claimant can apply for Universal Credit; significant improvements to the advance payments system- including increasing the amount available and extending repayment periods; and changes to support people with their rent payment when moving from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit.
In September Citizens Advice published research which showed some people are pushed into financial difficulty as they wait for their first Universal Credit payment.
Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Exeter Steve Barriball said:
“We want Universal Credit to work, and the changes announced by the Chancellor today are a very welcome step towards fixing the problems. This shows the Government is acting on our evidence about the impact it’s having on people’s lives.
“These changes should make a significant difference to the millions of people who will be claiming Universal Credit by the time it is fully implemented. We’ll continue to keep a close eye on the roll-out of Universal Credit and make sure they do.
“The next step will be to make changes to work incentives, so that no one is left worse off under Universal Credit than they would be under previous benefits.”