As MPs publish a review of the government’s plans to introduce Universal Credit, Jane Harris, our Associate Director of Communications, explains Rethink Mental Illness’ concerns about the system.
While there has been much fevered debate over the last couple of years around the roll-out of the Work Capability Assessment and the new Personal Independence Payment, there has been a lot less attention paid to another major change to the benefits system – Universal Credit. Universal Credit will bring together a whole host of existing benefits such as income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment support allowance, housing benefit, working tax credit, child tax credit and income support. The idea is to simplify payments and ensure people are better off in work than unemployed.
In principle, we are all for a simpler benefits systems. Our members have told us for years about how much they struggle with the bewildering array of different benefits, different rates and different application forms. The last thing you need when you're dealing with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or personality disorder is the hassle of navigating your way through all this.
What we are concerned about however, is that these changes are brought in a way that is fair for everyone – including vulnerable groups such as some people who have a severe mental illness. Government needs to act fast to make sure this good idea works out for the people we represent.
The good news is that the Commons Work and Pensions Committee have published a review of the plans and have highlighted a number of concerns, which echo ours. They are:
- Online access only – The government is really keen for people manage their Universal Credit online. That’s fine if you’ve got a computer, internet access and the right skills, but not everyone does. The Committee is worried that the government haven’t presented clear plans for how they will ensure people who can’t make an online claim, won’t lose out. Especially as this will disproportionally affect the most vulnerable.
- Getting advice and support – The online only system makes it much harder for people to get independent advice over the phone from organisations like Rethink Mental Illness and the Citizens Advice Bureau.
- Monthly payments – Universal Credit will be paid monthly instead of fortnightly or weekly. The Committee is worried that many people will struggle to manage their money monthly and could therefore end up being exploited by loan companies and get into debt.
- Direct payment of housing benefit - at the moment many people get their housing benefit paid directly to a landlord, but under the new system people will be given the money directly as part of their universal credit. This means some people, who aren’t used to managing their own money, might get behind on their rent payments and end up being evicted. The government says they’ll make an exception for ‘vulnerable groups’ but have failed to define who exactly they mean by this.
Source
