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This petition was submitted during the 2017 to 2019 Parliament

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Closed petition Universal Credit applicants to receive adequate payments throughout assessment.

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Currently Universal Credit applicants can have no income for a minimum of 6 weeks after application. This causes hardship and distress and a legacy of debt and arrears. They need an income, not a loan. Citizens Advice report the wait for first Universal Credit payments can be as long as 10 weeks.

Housing Associations and private landlords have the right to trigger eviction after 8 weeks of rent arrears. COSLA has found that in areas where full rollout of Universal Credit has taken place, the level of rent arrears is at least 2.5 times that of those areas still in receipt of housing benefit. Last year, foodbanks in areas of full Universal Credit rollout have seen a 16.85% average increase in referrals for emergency food, more than double the national average of 6.64%.

1,044 signatures


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