‘Universal Credit Hands Power to Abusers’

[IAmInsignificunt]

“The Commons Work and Pensions Committee found examples of men being paid a month's welfare income and spending much of it before their partners could get their hands on it...

Universal Credit is designed to give more responsibility to those who receive welfare assistance, with payments going to an individual's bank account once a month.

But those who live with a partner get one payment per month per household - something the committee says is open to abuse.

The committee heard evidence from victims of domestic abuse who saw their entire monthly income, including money meant for their children, go into their abusive partner's account.

One claimant with children who Mr Field and his colleagues spoke to said: "He'll wake up one morning with £1,500 in his account and p* off with it, leaving us with nothing for weeks."

news.sky.com/story/universal-credit-boosts-risk-to-people-living-with-abusive-partners-11455840

What a stupid bloody idea. It's an absolute gift to abusers.

It's so disgusting. But my abusive ex-partner had the tax credits paid into his account. And the child benefit. The difference is the frequency, which you have no choice over with UC.

This is one of the concerns that the Child Poverty Action Group had when UC was first proposed. I spoke to David Cameron about it (as I was one of his constituents back then) but obviously he didn’t give a shit.

BirthCanal yes, of course that could still happen with the pre-UC benefits system (and I’m very sorry you experienced it) but it used to be more usual to pay CTC to the mother. Now all benefits are paid to one person, an abused partner would need to say they want all the money paid to them, rather than just having the CTC paid to them, which is more difficult.

Yes - I remember a long thread on what a bad idea this was way back - same with removing child benefit for high earners - I know more than one family where the man earns a load, but the wife and kids are scraping together money day to day because he holds all the purse strings, and removing child benefit makes that even worse.

You just have to go into relationships to see how common it is

Good, extensive thread on this here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3244817-Universal-credit-domestic-abuse

If women do ask for split payments they are going to suffer for it.

Shockingly short sighted.

Or could it work the other way and act as an impetus for more women to leave dysfunctional relationships as then the payment would go to them?

This is precisely the reason the decision was made to pay child benefit to mothers when it was introduced - because some men couldn’t be trusted not to spend it. In those days, assumption was they’d spend it on booze. People did warn this would happen with UC.

The most vulnerable in society are being hit by the Tories.

They know it is happening, this is not incompetence, it is intentional.

How was the fact that this would give power to abusers not incredibly obvious to the people who designed this ridiculous program?

A cynic might suspect that it was obvious and that's why things were done that way.

How was the fact that this would give power to abusers not incredibly obvious to the people who designed this ridiculous program?

They were warned. By women's groups. Who were ignored.

Can't think where else this has happened.

Child benefit is still paid separately to UC though. And that is paid to the mother unless you specifically ask otherwise. It's not much money though.

Bit if the abuser (male or female) is working then the same thing would apply as wages would go to the working person's account in one go. So what's the difference?

That's very true starfish. And my ex used to make me write a cheque to him on my payday. If they want to financially abuse you they will, with or without the governments help. The problem might be bigger actually with drug addicts or gamblers who simply can't resist temptation of having then money.

There's a long tradition within the benefits system of not trusting women to look after their own money. This is backed up by the banking system and society in general.

It really hasn't been very long that women in this country have been allowed bank accounts and mortgages or to apply for benefits independently. Attitudes are still very dismissive of a woman's ability to look after her own money.

This is despite all mother's knowing that they would do anything and everything to feed their children. We consistently put our children's needs before our own and men consistently seem to fail to do so.

That is so true remember. What really annoys me is the 2 child limit and the benefit cap. Usually it's single mothers who rent and they end up going without food themselves just so their kids can eat. If the father lives lives alone and is unemployed he still gets 100% of his benefits though, that is totally wrong.

www.peeblesshirenews.com/news/16386293.concern-over-80-mile-round-trip-for-universal-credit-claimants-in-the-borders/

I haven't got it but child tax credits are payed to my husband who has all the control and some months he refuses to give me anything towards the bills I pay what I can out of the family allowance that's payed to me, water council tax, insurance, and school dinners. He is supposed to pay electric/gas but just found out he hasn't payed them when I opened the bills up that were addressed to him. He got very angry when I confronted him.