For some people, the double whammy of moving to Universal Credit and being hit by the Benefit Cap, leaves them destitute and poverty stricken. Alex* is a prime example of this as he was left with just £20 per week to live on.
This General Election must be about more than just Brexit.
This year, Z2K hosted a fringe meeting at Labour Party Conference to discuss what more can be done by the voluntary sector, local government and the Labour Movement to force DWP to make fundamental reforms to the disability benefit assessments and help those claimants affected in the meantime.
Raji Hunjan, CEO: “Universal Credit is based on the prejudices of its architects – that everyone can + should work + that those who are not should be forced to do so”, she continues, “Amongst Z2K’s clients, disabled + seriously unwell people have been particularly badly affected by Universal Credit… Labour is absolutely right to call for an end to this social experiment on the nation’s poorest.”
In her blog, Raji discusses the impact of welfare reforms on our Private Rented Sector Access Scheme and why securing additional funding to employ a Campaigns and Tenants Voice Officer is so crucial for our work moving forward.
Anti-poverty charity, Z2K today slammed DWP’s response to the Work & Pensions Select Committee as “complacent” and “harmful”. The charity, which has helped hundreds of families affected by the cap since its introduction in 2013, was amongst those organisations giving evidence to the committee as part of its inquiry last autumn into the impact of the lower cap.
If you’re battling with housing, disability or welfare issues, there are many ways we could help you. Alternatively if someone you know needs our help you can refer them to us
