‘Survival sex’ scandal prompts call to take benefit powers away from DWP and hand them to Scottish Parliament
Esther McVey MP: She was Work and Pensions secretary when it was first suggested that benefit claimants were being forced into “survival sex”. Her response was chilling: “Other work may be on offer.”
Scottish equalities minister Christina McKelvie has called for the Scottish Parliament to have complete control of benefits north of the border, in a bid to stop claimants having to resort to “survival sex”.
It comes a month after a report on survival sex was published by the Commons Work and Pensions Committee in Westminster.
That document revealed that women were turning to prostitution in order to feed, clothe and house themselves and their children – due to cuts and delays in benefits like Universal Credit.
This site has discussed the issue several times. This article discussed how the chair of the Work and Pensions committee, Frank Field, wanted to know if advertorials on Universal Credit that the DWP ran in national newspapers explained how it forced women into prostitution.
And this article relayed the Tories’ heartless response when confronted with the facts.
Ms McKelvie said full devolution of responsibility for the benefit system would allow the Scottish government to stamp out the problems that are pushing women into that lifestyle.
Ms McKelvie said: “It’s absolutely disgraceful that women should have to resort to survival sex. Even the term makes my blood run cold.
“It’s a very complex issue, but already it’s clear that women are being affected by Universal Credit’s worst aspects such as the five-week wait, punitive sanctions and the hated two-child limit.
“We have repeatedly called on the UK Government to fix the problems with Universal Credit, to protect the most vulnerable in society and to prevent more people being pushed into poverty.”
It won’t happen, though.
Ms McKelvie is failing to understand that the Conservatives who run the DWP have no interest in the well-being of anybody claiming benefits.
They just want claimants to suffer, and to get off benefits by any means possible, so they can shut the system down.
If that means sick people go without their medicine and die, or depressed people go without therapy and die, or disabled people are left unable to pay for the things they need to survive…
… or women are forced to sleep with unpleasant men in order to provide for their families…
… it seems that’s just dandy with the Tories. And they still think you’ll vote for them in the general election.
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Back in the day the DHSS as it was then wouldn’t post jobs such as in the sex industry or “turf accountants” (betting shops) as it would bring the department into disrepute. How things have changed.
We have not moved on from the old days politicsions are still the same they lead a life of privage they dont care about people and forget the the last generation helped to make Britain what it is today they are greedy obsessive and do very little for the working man and women its acase of do as I say
It’s a total disgrace the way benefits are today when I first got UC at the time 4 years ago the waiting time was 12 weeks ( 3 months ) I was not offered or told about any loan I could apply for or told about a food bank I was getting in debt with the rent and I had the council sending out letters telling me I had full council tax to pay I was ringing up the help line to chase up when and how much I will get so I could tell the housing company but was Told nothing at all. I gave my information to the housing officer who was in charge of the rent for the area I lived in so he rang up and he was told I was getting a payment the following day so the next day I went to the cash machine but nothing was in my account so I rang Alan to tell him so he rang up the DWP again but was told a different story that my claim had not even been sorted out yet I lost my job due to being injured I was not given sick pay for the 4 months I was off work I used my savings to pay the bills including rent and council tax when I did get paid the rent was never back dated to the start of my claim or till they seen me in the jobcentre I was £1200 in debt with the rent also the money I got for the rent was not fully paid for I had to pay £100 pound rent out of my own money Aswel as pay off the debt at the same time and pay other bills. But luckily for me family members helped me out on one occasion I was told and offered a foodbank voucher but knowing there was people far worse off than myself and needed the food more I never went so another family could have that food the DWP and UC forcing females to sell there body for sex so they can survive for there families is wrong and so is the waiting time. The DWP could have it sorted in 2-3 days but they just want people to suffer the DWP and job coaches are overruling a GP sick note who are not fit for work all because a assessment worker who knows nothing about the health problems say they are fit for work and just the other day a 65 year old who had ill health and also diabetic died in the job centre after being found fit for work earlier this year ( my thoughts are with this family members and friends at this sad time ) UC and the fit for work tests are are killing people and forcing people who are so desperate for money sell themselves for sex so they can feed themselves and the family it needs to stop and the only way it will stop is by voting labour in this election because they will get rid of the UC and scrap fit for work tests.
Let the Scottish sort it themselves if that’s what they want but pay it from the tax they collect themselves not the rest of the UK.
I feel more and more that this government is just out 2 destroy people, they have know intentions 2 do anything 2 help, it is not rocket science to treat people with a bit of respect. I have worked all my life, am the victim of the most dreadful DV ever, the way I have been treated is discusting.
I don’t think the DWP can do any more than it already has to bring itself into disrepute. Time it was abolished, and everyone now working there shoud be banned from working in whatever body replaces it.