Foodbanks braced for rise in demand as Universal Credit comes to Sheffield
New claimants in certain parts of the city will be on it from today
Last updated 7th Nov 2018
There are fears we'll see more families struggling to get by as a big controversial benefit change is rolled out in Sheffield.
From today, new claimants in some parts of Sheffield will be on Universal Credit, which combines six different benefits into one payment.
But there are worries over big delays for payments and other problems, with foodbank use soaring in other parts of South Yorkshire and the UK where it's already arrived.
Nick Waterfield runs the foodbank in Parson Cross and is expecting as much as a 50% rise in demand:
"Managing that first five week delay is obviously a problem for people and the five week delay is the deliberate built-in delay. Experiences from across the country is that sometimes that delay is much longer than that. We're hearing delays of fifteen sixteen weeks in some cases where somethign just goes wrong.
"It's very clear form the rollout in other cities, there's an increase level of debt. We've had a 20% percent increase in debt cases coming to the foodbank in the last year so that's likely to rise.
"I think it's very worrying - I think there's a lot of uncertainty among those people who are going to be affected, about when they're going to be affected. Obviously at the moment it's just for new claims - the migration of benefits and those legacy benefits won't happen for some time, but there's a lot of uncertainty."
Half of new claimants in Sheffield will be on the new system from today, with the other half switching in December.
Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster have already been transferred.
The council say they they reckon people will be worse off under the new system - but Deputy Leader Olivia Blake's told Hallam they're doing their best to minise the impact:
"We've protected our council tax support at 80% where a lot of other local authorities have actually reduced that and as a council we've said quite clearly that we will not evict anyone as a result of a delay in a payment for Universal Credit.
"If you don't have a change in circumstances you don't need to go on to Universal Credit. So if you're claiming a legacy benefit you can stay on that legacy benefit unless you have a change in your circumstances.
"We've seen he effects of this Tory policy up and down the country and we're working as hard as possible to protect the people of our city. That means we're putting as much in place as possible to make sure we're able to support people who are most at risk of falling through the cracks."
Guy Opperman MP, Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion says:
"Universal Credit is simpler and better targeted then previous welfare systems. It incentivises work just like all of our welfare reforms since 2010.
"A total of 3.3 million people have been helped into work in the past eight years and we have boosted incomes for people who want to work hard by increasing the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wages in that time.
"We do understand some people who need benefits may be concerned about Universal Credit. Any change to benefits for people who really rely on them could be a source of worry.
"But as a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions, I want to assure the people of Sheffield that Universal Credit is the best solution for them.
"It means simplifying the system for claimants to manage their income by rolling six benefits into one payment and it means work always pays."