More than half a million DWP Universal Credit claimants have been denied a cost of living payment
10.10.2022 - 01:19
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
More than half a million of the most vulnerable people across the country have been denied a £326 cost-of-living payment to help with rising bills.
The fund, which is the first half of a total £650 pledged to those most in need, was offered to more than eight million people on benefits in July by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to show some of the poorest in the country “we are on their side”. But now, just three months later, ministers had admitted 551,000 Universal Credit claimants missed out because they earned too much from work.
A report by our sister site The Mirro r states that Labour believe some of those deemed ineligible had two paydays fall in the same 30-day qualifying period because their wages are paid every four weeks, with the “staggering” technicality putting people's income as temporarily too high to get the payment even though it's usually much lower.
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Around 6,600 additional claimants were refused the payment because they had been given a benefit sanction - a catch first revealed by the Mirror in August. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) refused critics’ pleas to ditch this “outrageous” policy - instead saying anyone who had a “nil award” can appeal, and get the £326 retrospectively.
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth, who obtained the figures, said: “It’s staggering that so many people struggling to cope with the pressures of rising energy bills were denied help simply because of the quirks of DWP computer system or sanctions. This is a crisis for thousands of households. Ministers should get this vital help to those who need it.”
Around 5.6 million people claim
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