Universal Credit...AIBU to ask what do people do while they are waiting for payment?

[GratefulHead]

A friend of mine has been on a zero hours contract for the past year and as time has gone in HES had less and less work. He's a Carer and very good in working 1-1 for people with LD. The agency he works through just don't have any clients for him at the moment although they expect this to change.

So he has just signed back on in the meantime as he cannot find anything else locally. He doesn't drive so is reliant on public transport which makes things harder.

Anyhow, our area has gone over to UC now....he's been told that it will be a month plus seven days before he gets any payment and I am shocked. As he has some left over salary he will manage until this comes in . However, what about people who are paid weekly usually....how do they cope financially until money starts coming in?

Tbh it smacks of those in power coming up with a system which doesn't consider people in various situations. My friend will cope as he can pay his rent etc. I am quite honestly expecting to buy him a few groceries though as he has depression and can get into a spiral of not eating when money is tight. he has no family to support him at all.

Anyone work in the system, how do people cope with it? Is there anything g he can apply for in the short term if he cannot afford electricity etc?

Surely there is a safety net.

Totally shocked to read this, if you apply for a short term advance whilst waiting for the first payment and you are refused you have no right of appeal !!!!

So the job centre can say no knowing you can do nothing about it!

england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/universal_credit/short-term_advances_of_universal_credit

Ship

Point 11 only confirms what I said in my first post which is any NEW claimant will have to wait for a month.

However once the UC is rolled out to those who are already claiming benefits such as HB/CTC/WTC & C/Tax they will not wait a month with no money especially if they get their benefits weekly, there will be no gaps in payments for them. You may think I am wrong but considering the industry in which I work and who delivered our training I doubt it.

Nowhere in your link does it say those already claiming benefits will have to go a month without money. The only info released to the public at the moment is based on new non complex claimants only as that is how the scheme is being rolled out.

Regina if that's the case how do you explain the contradictory statement made by Esther McVey 's representative at the conference I attended?
When questioned she explicitly said that those switched to UC - those already in receipt of benefits - would wait up to five weeks for payment.

How can they sleep at night? I tell you they can because they don't give a shit. That's how.

I have no idea Ship I had my first training course on this 18 months ago and then again last week. In both the issue of those already claiming came up and the official documentation we were given on it states those already claiming benefits would not wait a month without benefits.
Granted it didn't say how this would happen in great detail but it was clear that the change over would not leave people penniless.

I think UC it a terrible idea and will only serve to make the poor poorer. My organisation is already making plans on how we will deal with those who will go through the change and what support/financial and otherwise they will need. We have already realised we will need to take on more staff over the next 12 months, change our contact systems, speed up our response times and make stronger connections with charities such as Trussell trust for example.

Regina did you mean to reply to me or Ship?
I can only go by the reply she gave. When asked how those claimants would cope she said they should budget for the changeover.

I was replying to ship

The reason for the monthly payments is because they believe it will aid those on benefits to "budget" on a monthly basis for when they return to work and also the majority of those in work already get paid monthly so it will give uniformity, help with bill paying ( direct debits) and any other stupid reason they can come up with

I certainly agree with you on the stupidity behind this Regina

My clients (offenders and substance misusers) have enough difficulty in budgeting fortnightly as it is.

My clients (offenders and substance misusers) have enough difficulty in budgeting fortnightly as it is

Same here plus I deal with families too and I already give out food vouchers to families that haven't eaten for days ( the adults haven't eaten as they have gone without for their children).

It scares me if I'm honest.

With respect Regina I have read point 11 saying any new claimant of universal credit which will be anyone transferring onto universal credit from benefits or otherwise and not just a new claimant coming out of work and claiming benefits for the first time.

There has also been cases on benefit programs showing the impact of waiting for universal credit after being transferred over and the wait for initial payment.