West Cornwall MP Derek Thomas has welcomed the statement made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding the Universal Credit system.
Amber Rudd MP has announced a number of changes including introducing an online application to Universal Credit that encourages more payments for the household’s main carer, increasing the use of direct payments of housing costs to landlords and increasing the use of fortnightly payments.
In addition, she said she will scrap the extension of the 2-child policy to remove its retrospective application for those who had children before the 2-child policy was announced and said there would be a managed migration pilot to support 10,000 claimants which will start in July.
Mr Thomas said: “I fully accept that there are issues related to Universal Credit and so I welcome the work the Work and Pensions Secretary is doing to ensure the system is fair and compassionate.
“I came into politics in order to help my constituency and so it is always distressing to hear of the worries and difficulties of those across the UK and especially in West Cornwall where low wages mean that Universal Credit and existing benefits provide essential help to many households.
“I recently met with Amber Rudd to raise my concerns about the roll-out of Universal Credit and, in addition, I am now a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee which is responsible for scrutinising the Department's work.
“This new position means I can be influential in seeking change with regards to Universal Credit and ensure it is a system that helps those who need support.
“I am convinced that, in the long term, Universal Credit will provide a better alternative to an old benefits system in desperate need of reform which encouraged dependency on benefits but we must continue to scrutinise and amend to ensure that the system is robust and fair for everyone.”