In a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Esther McVey, Chief Executives of eight of the UK’s leading disability charities have raised their concerns regarding the timetable for moving existing disabled claimants onto Universal credit.
The open letter, which can be read in full here, expresses concern over the Government’s proposal to issue a notice that a person’s existing benefit claim will come to an end, directing them to make a claim to Universal Credit before this point.
The open letter explains that “This approach leaves open the possibility that disabled people may see their benefits stopped before they have made a successful claim to Universal Credit, leaving them with no income.”
“It also places the responsibility for navigating the process of claiming Universal Credit on the person who is being migrated. This will include people who are very unwell, many of whom will have had a stable situation with their benefits for several years.”
“The pressure caused by this scenario will be very destabilising for a large number of people, especially those who may be very unwell and fearful about the future.”
The letter expresses the hopes of the signatories that Esther McVey will agree to meet with representatives from the disability sector, and states that it is critical that the Government:
- Addresses the existing issues with identifying “vulnerable” claimants within the Universal Credit system before the process of managed migration begins.
- Ensures that no legacy claim for disabled people or people with long-term health conditions is stopped before a full Universal Credit claim is established.
- Moves disabled people and people with long-term health conditions on to Universal Credit directly, rather than requiring everyone to make a new claim.
