Universal Credit shake-up on the way as MPs ask for extra cash to help with five-week wait

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A UNIVERSAL Credit shake-up could be on the way – as MPs demanded more help and cash to fix the five-week wait.

More improvements are in the pipeline to the six-in-one benefit system, a DWP minister said earlier.

Minister Will Quince revealed he wanted to make more changes to Universal Credit

It came as MPs across the Commons faced criticism from MPs, and said the five week wait was forcing Brits to food banks.

The Work and Pensions minister Will Quince said today: “Are there further improvements I’d like to make? Yes, of course there are.”

But he suggested he would be asking for extra cash in the Budget from Chancellor Sajid Javid.

HOAR has been campaigning to slash the five week wait as part of our Make Universal Credit Work campaign.

We’ve told how Brits are drowning in debt thanks to the wait, upfront childcare costs and the harsh taper rate.

Labour’s Yvonne Fovargue told him there was “overwhelming evidence” that the five-week wait is causing huge debt problems.

The Government say claimants can get an advance loan to help them on day one – which is repayable over 12 months – so no one should be left short.

But this puts them into debt from day one of swapping onto the new system.

Yesterday it was confirmed that the rollout of Universal Credit was going to be delayed yet again – and now won’t be complete until 2024.

This is because nearly one million extra people have not moved over onto the new benefits system as expected.

Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Margaret Greenwood said people were “scared” to move over onto the new system.

She added: “Is it because of the five-week wait which is pushing so many families into debt and rent arrears and making them turn to food banks to survive?

“Is it because of the two-child limit which the Child Poverty Action Group has described as ‘a policy designed to increase child poverty?’”

MPs pressured the Government to remove the five week wait and apologise to those it has pushed into hardship.

Single Dad, the SNP’s Steven Bonnar, revealed he was on Universal Credit before his election to Parliament.

Earlier today we reported how a single mum was left in tears as Universal Credit’s five week wait left her with no money for food or bills.