CItizen Advice Bureau Need Funding by Councils

CABS Need Funding by Councils

As Universal Credit is Rolled out in Northumberland This week Government ministers hardened in their commitment to rolling out to 100% of claimants the feared and frightening Universal Credit. That rollout will happen in the next few months in Northumberland. With most of the country reporting that through the rise of the gig economy and massive numbers of people working cheaply as false self employees, pressure has been taken off universal credit as we move towards an unemployment level of 4.5%. That is the level when Governments can state we have full employment nationally. The problem we have in Northumberland is that as most of the County, through its vastness and low population, suffers transport deprivation, a higher than average number of people will need to claim universal credit. To move from other benefits onto universal credit takes six weeks from application to first payment. If you’re an applicant who has to wait until the state decides you should be helped with the new benefit how do you pay your rent or feed yourself and your family for that first six weeks? Here in Northumberland the help you as a claimant will need to get assistance over the six week delay period normally comes via the Citizens Advice Bureau, CAB. CAB like many third sector organisations are feeling the pressure a decade of austerity has brought. They are considering reducing their County-wide service down to a call centre type activity. Many of those who are unable to get work and find themselves on benefit do not gel well with telephone instructions and need the help face to face contact brings. A Labour Party spokesperson said: “ Its now urgent that the protectors of the rich become the benefactors of those in need. Northumberland Tories need to get up off their backsides and urgently put a report to Cabinet to help CAB and aid those people who may starve without that help. Although benefit claimants will have to wait 42 days for their cash to come through, the maze prison hunger strikes showed that fit men began dying after 45 days, without urgent action from Northumberland Tories to fund the help people require, some my be in great difficulty through this massive change to their benefit payments.”