Changes to Universal Credit rules may mean visiting the Job Centre every working day for two weeks
The big downsides of the Tory government’s plan to push Universal Credit claimants into more work are starting to be seen now.
These follow on from the decision to change the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) for the benefit, by hours worked, to 15 hours per week for single claimants and 24 hours per week for couples.
It means 120,000 people have been moved from ‘Light Touch’ into an ‘Intensive Work Search’ group since February 27.
They’ll be required to attend more face-to-face meetings with a work coach – but I bet they didn’t bargain on the number of meetings they’ll have to take on.
The move means Universal Credit claimants could now be forced to attend jobcentres 10 times in the space of two weeks, according to the Daily Record.
What if a single person is working three hours a day, at awkward times, and the Job Centre is a long way away?
Bear in mind that after receiving UC for 13 weeks, failure to attend Job Centre meetings will mean a benefit sanction – or possibly the loss of it altogether.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, whose members in the civil service are likely to have to administer this change, has damned it as an attack on UC claimants.
It has stated: “We oppose the introduction of any regime that results in more sanctions for claimants and that there is a mass of evidence that the threat of sanctions does nothing to help claimants find work.”
That’s a bit of a blow for Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, who allegedly intends to increase benefit sanctions hugely in his Budget.
The Tory government is insisting that its new regime will help UC claimants get back into work, or increase their earnings – by tailoring its support to focus on specific steps.
But This Writer has seen no evidence to support its claim – and evidence against benefit sanctions has been widely available for many years.
Is this just another attack on the most vulnerable people in the UK?
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Admin Grey Swans seeks volunteer admin please, to bring our new Over 50s & Young Labouring Ages party into existence (costs you nothing but your time) that would:
– End Universal Credit (returning to legacy benefits), which also hits pensioner husbands unable to claim Pension Credit due to the wife being below risen pension age.
– Pay benefit without requirement to seek work (done for men for decades between ages 60 and 64 inclusive, but not women (from 2011 pension age rise from 60 towards 66) and not younger ages)
– End Jobcentres (redeploying to pension office)
– Half of all 1960s ladies becoming pensioners immediately upon party winning general election.
– Pension 60 for 1965 born ladies onwards.
www dot over50sparty dot org dot uk
The Conservative Government must know they are the party of breaking Human Rights obligations which makes them terrorists!
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Preamble
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Article 23
1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Article 1
1. For the purposes of this Convention, the term “torture” means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.
2. This article is without prejudice to any international instrument or national legislation which does or may contain provisions of wider application.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-against-torture-and-other-cruel-inhuman-or-degrading
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Article 28 – Adequate standard of living and social protection
1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right without discrimination on the basis of disability.
2. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to social protection and to the enjoyment of that right without discrimination on the basis of disability, and shall take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of this right, including measures:
a. To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to clean water services, and to ensure access to appropriate and affordable services, devices and other assistance for disability-related needs;
b. To ensure access by persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities and older persons with disabilities, to social protection programmes and poverty reduction programmes;
c. To ensure access by persons with disabilities and their families living in situations of poverty to assistance from the State with disability-related expenses, including adequate training, counselling, financial assistance and respite care;
d. To ensure access by persons with disabilities to public housing programmes;
e. To ensure equal access by persons with disabilities to retirement benefits and programmes.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Article 3
1. In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Article 9
The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to social security, including social insurance.
Article 10
2. Special protection should be accorded to mothers during a reasonable period before and after childbirth. During such period working mothers should be accorded paid leave or leave with adequate social security benefits.
Article 11
1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent.
2. The States Parties to the present Covenant, recognizing the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, shall take, individually and through international co-operation, the measures, including specific programmes, which are needed:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-economic-social-and-cultural-rights
Please share these words above, screenshot, copy and paste to your social medias! Then tweet directly to the Government, MPs, etc. Also contact your MP and show them these Human Rights instruments because the Tory Government proposal is a serious breach of UN’s Human Rights!
We need to start mass complaining to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and bring this issue to their attention!
https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/complaint-procedure/hrc-complaint-procedure-index
Bingo!! Another win for the fascist tories because forcing women and men who are already working and claiming Universal Credit to attend Job Centre interviews 10 times over a two week period will inevitably result in said claimaints either losing their jobs and/or being denied Universal Credit! So a win win for the fascist tories – no one must claim universal credit but instead everyone must work, work and work!